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Grimes Puts Gubernatorial Run Speculation To Bed

Josh James
/
WUKY

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes officially announced her bid for reelection to the office Monday.

"Many might think that over the course of the past 18 months, I would be discouraged. I'm not. I'm only encouraged," the candidate for reelection told the audience at Lexington's Lyric Theatre.

Grimes struck an optimistic tone in the announcement, despite her decisive 15-point loss to Sen. Mitch McConnell in last year’s Senate campaign. Speaking with reporters afterward, the 36-year-old Sec. of State declined to speculate on how better returns in that election might have opened up more opportunities in other races.

"Only the Good Lord upstairs knows what's meant to be," she said.

With Grimes’ name scratched off the list and only one day to go before the filing deadline, the announcement appears to clear the way for Attorney General Jack Conway to run without any major competition in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, a prospect that has some in the party worrying aloud.

"I hear a lot of those concerns, as I think anybody who would talk to you on that point would tell you," says House Speaker Greg Stumbo. "But it's a long race. There's a lot of ground to cover. I think Democrats have proven that when we're united, we're a pretty viable force in the state."

As for Grimes’ priorities should she win another term, the Sec. of State says she wants to focus on expanding electronic voter registration and working to get non-violent felons who have served their time back in the voting booth.

Josh James fell in love with college radio at Western Kentucky University's student station, New Rock 92 (now Revolution 91.7). After working as a DJ and program director, he knew he wanted to come home to Lexington and try his hand in public radio.
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