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Kentucky secretary of state election, 2011
Contents |
Background
After losing the Republican nomination in the race for the United States Senate to ophthamologist Rand Paul, son of Texas Representative Ron Paul, in the state's May 18th primary, speculation abounded as to whether Republican incumbent Secretary of State Trey Grayson would run for re-election in his current statewide position or campaign for higher office. [1] Just prior to the 2010 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, he announced that he would not seek re-election as secretary of state, fueling speculation he would challenge Democratic State Attorney General Jack Conway instead. [2]
Ultimately, Grayson announced that he would return to the private sector rather then make an attempt for the state attorney general's office following the end of his second term.[3] [4] He subsequently resigned his position several months earlier then expected after he was offered a job as director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. [5]
Democratic Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker was named as Grayson's replacement by Democratic Governor Steve Beshear on Friday, January 7th, 2011. [6] She was officially sworn into office three weeks later on Saturday, January 29th, immediately promising to run for a full term in office during the November elections.[7]
November 9, 2011 general election
Candidates
Republican Party - Todd County businessman Bill Johnson
Democratic Party - Lexington attorney Alison Lundergan Grimes
Endorsements
Bill Johnson
- Kentucky Right to Life[8]
- Northern Kentucky Right to Life[8]
- Take Back Kentucky[8]
- Coal Fed Families[8]
- Central Kentucky Tea Party Patriots[8]
- Freedom Heritage Forum[8]
- Michael Lewis, Chairman of Independent Kentucky[8]
- State Sens. Damon Thayer and Jack Westwood[9]
- State Reps. Jim DeCesare, Wade Hurt, and Ryan Quarles
Alison Lundergan Grimes
- United Food & Commercial Workers Local 227[10]
- United Steelworkers District 8[10]
- Teamsters Local Union No. 651[10]
- United Mine Workers of Kentucky[10]
- Kentucky Laborers' District Council[10]
- The Communication Workers of America[10]
- Kentucky State Council of Machinists[10]
- Kentucky Professional Firefighters & Louisville Retired Firefighters[10]
- Indiana Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights[10]
- U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler[10]
- Former Governors Martha Layne Collins, Brereton Jones, and Julian Carroll[10]
- Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo[10]
- Former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Terry McAuliffe.[10]
- State Sens. R.J. Palmer, Johnny Ray Turner, Joey Pendleton, Dennis Parrett, Kathy Stein, Robin Webb, Tim Shaughnessy, Ray Jones, Walter Blevins and Perry Clark[10]
- State Reps. John Tilley, Rocky Adkins, Fred Nesler, Will Coursey, Melvin Henley, James Glenn, Jr., David Watkins, Brent Yonts, Johnny Bell, Martha King, Jimmie Lee, Jeff Greer, Charles Miller, Thomas Burch, Mary Marzian, Thomas Riner, Darryl Owens, Joni Jenkins, Carl Rollins, II, Rick Rand, Derrick Graham, Arnold Simpson, Mitchel Denham, Jr., Dennis Keene, John Stacy, Sannie Overly, Richard Henderson, Jesse Crenshaw, Rita Smart, Fitz Steele, John Short, Ted Edmonds, Keith Hall, Leslie Combs, Hubert Collins, Tanya Pullin and Kevin Sinnette[10]
Debates
September 19, 2011 - Kentucky Tonight, KET
On Sept. 19, the television program Kentucky Tonight hosted an hour-long debate between Republican candidate Bill Johnson and Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes. The major topic of conversation was voter registration rules -- Johnson has proposed a photo ID requirement for voter registration to limit fraud, a policy Grimes opposes as unfair to the elderly, the homeless, and students. Johnson also argued against a 2012 constitutional amendment that would allow felons convicted of non-violent crimes to vote after serving out their sentence; Grimes supports the measure.
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Campaign finance
Neither candidate has filed general election campaign finance reports as of October 5, 2011.[11] See below for finance summaries from the primaries.
Polling
The first poll of the race, by Kentucky media outlet cn|2 in partnership with Public Policy Polling, showed Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes with a 10-point lead over her Republican opponent. By the end of August, that lead had declined, with one poll showing a rise in undecided voters and another suggesting Johnson had closed the gap to within 3 points.
| Date of Poll | Pollster | Bill Johnson (R) | Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) | Undecided | Number polled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 29-31, 2011 [12] | cn|2/Braun Research | 27.9% | 36.8% | 35.3% | 803 |
| Aug. 25-28, 2011 [13] | Public Policy Polling | 35% | 38% | 26% | 800 |
| Jun. 6-8, 2011 [14] | cn|2 | 32.6% | 43.8% | 23.6% | 797 |
Controversies
Voter registration
Republican candidate Bill Johnson slammed Democratic incumbent Elaine Walker on July 6, 2011 for ordering the State Board of Elections to register homeless citizens to vote even if they can't provide a home address on their registration forms.
In a blog post published on his campaign website, Johnson argued that Kentucky election law (KRS 166.155) requires prospective voters to fill in an address on their voter registration card before being allowed to cast a ballot. He added that "providing an address is critical to determining and state residency," and suggested allowing voter registration without an address "opens our election process to potential fraud by felons, illegal immigrants, and other ineligible voters who only claim to be homeless."[15] Johnson's memo called for Walker to resign and accused Alison Lundergan Grimes, who will face Johnson in November after defeating Walker in the May 17 Democratic primary, of being unfit for office for failing to criticize homeless voter registration.[16]
Grimes's campaign manager, Jonathan Hurst, brandished a different clause in state law to rebut Johnson's claim. According to Hurst, KRS 116.025 states that citizens, in order to vote, must only be 18 years old, a Kentucky resident, mentally competent, not registered to vote in other states and not a felon. He went on to argue that "Kentuckians do not give up their rights as citizens because they are not property owners" with no permanent residence.[17]
Elaine Walker's office had no official reply to Johnson's accusations and gave no indication that registration of the homeless would stop.
May 17, 2011 primaries
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Incumbent Elaine Walker [18]
Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Lexington attorney [19]
Election results
| Secretary of State -- Democratic primary results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Democratic Party | Alison Lundergan Grimes
|
55.25% | |
| Democratic Party | Elaine Walker | 44.75% | |
| Total Votes | 154,610 | ||
Finances
Elaine Walker
As of September 2, 2011, the breakdown of Walker's campaign finances was as follows:
| Elaine Walker Campaign Finance Reports -- Primary Election[20] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |||
| Total | --- | --- | $185,435.30 | $176,685.57 | --- | |||
| 60-Day Post-Primary | 7/16/2011 | $396.11 | $300.00 | $204.29 | $491.82 | |||
| 30-Day Post-Primary | 6/16/2011 | $94,036.27 | $61,190.00 | $154,830.16 | $396.11 | |||
| 15-Day Pre-Primary | 5/2/2011 | $79,269.38 | $23,025.00 | $8,258.11 | $94,036.27 | |||
| 32-Day Pre-Primary | 4/15/2011[21] | $0.00 | $100,920.50 | $21,651.12 | $79,269.38 | |||
Alison Lundergan Grimes
As of September 2, 2011, the breakdown of Grimes's campaign finances was as follows:
| Alison Lundergan Grimes Campaign Finance Reports -- Primary Election[22] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |||
| Total | --- | --- | $442,135.00 | $386,348.49 | --- | |||
| 60-Day Post-Primary | 7/16/2011 | $42,916.98 | $9,850.00 | $0.00 | $52,766.98 | |||
| 30-Day Post-Primary | 6/16/2011 | $311,745.61 | $53,625.00 | $319,459.10 | $45,911.51 | |||
| 15-Day Pre-Primary | 5/2/2011 | $256,347.69 | $75,377.00 | $19,954.08 | $311,770.61 | |||
| 32-Day Pre-Primary | 4/15/2011 | $0.00 | $303,283.00 | $46,935.31 | $256,347.69 | |||
Drop outs
- Joe Graviss, a Versailles businessman and McDonald's franchise owner who filed a letter of intent with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance on Wednesday, May 19th, 2010, withdrew two months later because of a “contractual obligation” to the fast-food company. [23] [24]
Republican primary
Candidates
- Bill Johnson, Western Kentucky businessman and a ten year veteran of the United States Navy [25] [26]
- Hilda Legg, a former administrator of the USDA Rural Utilities Service in Washington, DC [27]
Election results
| Secretary of State -- Republican primary results | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | Bill Johnson
|
50.42% | |
| Republican Party | Hilda Legg | 49.58% | |
| Total Votes | 131,714 | ||
- NOTE: Hilda Legg requested a recanvass of the vote in the Republican primary, which was conducted on May 26. It did not change the result.[28]
Finances
Bill Johnson
As of September 2, 2011, the breakdown of Johnson's campaign finances was as follows:
| Bill Johnson Campaign Finance Reports -- Primary Election[29] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |||
| Total | --- | --- | $25,691.09 | $23,861.85 | --- | |||
| 60-Day Post-Primary | 7/16/2011 | $1,860.74 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,860.74 | |||
| 30-Day Post-Primary | 6/16/2011 | $1,771.65 | $1,650.00 | $1,560.91 | $1,860.74 | |||
| 15-Day Pre-Primary | 5/2/2011 | $3,539.35 | $925.00 | $2,574.20 | $1,890.15 | |||
| 32-Day Pre-Primary | 4/15/2011[30] | $4,714.06 | $13,146.09 | $14,470.80 | $3,389.35 | |||
| Quarterly | 12/31/2010[31] | $0.00 | $9,970.00 | $5,255.94 | $4,714.06 | |||
Hilda Legg
As of September 2, 2011, the breakdown of Legg's campaign finances was as follows:
| Hilda Legg Campaign Finance Reports -- Primary Election[32] | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | |||
| Total | --- | --- | $165,095.00 | $165,566.82 | --- | |||
| 60-Day Post-Primary | 7/16/2011 | $-5,135.82 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $-5,135.82 | |||
| 30-Day Post-Primary | 6/16/2011 | $116,751.97 | $21,185.00 | $138,722.34 | $-785.37 | |||
| 15-Day Pre-Primary | 5/2/2011 | $103,951.64 | $24,525.00 | $11,411.12 | $117,065.52 | |||
| 32-Day Pre-Primary | 4/21/2011[33] | $0.00 | $119,385.00 | $15,433.36 | $103,951.64 | |||
External links
- List of candidates qualified for Kentucky's May 17 Secretary of State primary
- Green Paper's list of candidates for Kentucky Attorney General, 2011
Republican candidates
Democratic candidates
References
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections - 2010 Republican Primary Election Results
- ↑ Courier Journal "Trey Grayson says he won't seek public office in 2011" 24 Nov. 2010
- ↑ Daily Journal "Republican Trey Grayson won't run for Ky. attorney general after 2 terms as secretary of state" 24 Nov. 2010
- ↑ WAVE 3 News "Trey Grayson will not seek Attorney General's office" 24 Nov. 2010
- ↑ Business Lexington "Trey Grayson to Step Down as Secretary of State, Take Job at Harvard" 7 Jan. 2011
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader "Bowling Green mayor to replace Trey Grayson as secretary of state" 8 Jan. 2011
- ↑ Bowling Green Daily News "Elaine Walker sworn in as secretary of state" 29 Jan. 2011
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Jefferson Review, "Bill Johnson announces endorsements," April 28, 2011.
- ↑ Bill Johnson -- Candidate Facebook Page, "Bill Johnson Announces Early Endorsements!," December 8, 2010.
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 Alison Lundergan Grimes for Secretary of State, "Endorsements," accessed July 12, 2011.
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Eleciton Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed October 5, 2011.
- ↑ cn|2 "cn|2 Poll: Beshear's lead increases but other races largely unchanged since June," accessed September 8, 2011.
- ↑ Public Policy Polling "Beshear set to romp, helping Dems down-ballot," August 30, 2011.
- ↑ cn|2 Pure Politics "Down ballot Democrats begin with leads; Auditor race is closest in cn|2 Poll," accessed July 12, 2011.
- ↑ Bill Johnson for KY Secretary of State 2011, "No Address, No Voter Registration. That is the Law!," accessed July 7, 2011.
- ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Bill Johnson slams Secretary of State and his opponent on homeless voter registration," July 6, 2011.
- ↑ Cincinnati.com, "Grimes’ campaign says homeless have a right to vote," July 6, 2011.
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader "Bowling Green mayor to replace Trey Grayson as secretary of state" 8 Jan. 2011
- ↑ Bowling Green Daily News "Lexington attorney to face Walker in race" 21 Jan. 2011
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed September 2, 2011.
- ↑ Amended on 5/3/2011
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed September 2, 2011.
- ↑ Bluegrass Politics "Versailles businessman files for Secretary of State" 20 May, 2010
- ↑ cn|2 Politics "McDonalds fries Graviss’s bid for Secretary of State" 15 July, 2010
- ↑ Cincinnati Inquirer "Bill Johnson to run for secretary of state in 2011" 28 Sept. 2010
- ↑ Bluegrass Politics "Bill Johnson files to run for secretary of state" 8 Nov. 2010
- ↑ WKYT TV "Hilda Legg files for Secretary of State" 24 Jan. 2011
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Legg concedes Republican Secretary of State primary to Johnson," May 27, 2011.
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed September 2, 2011.
- ↑ Amended on 5/3/2011
- ↑ Amended on 1/4/2011
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Searches," accessed July 12, 2011.
- ↑ Amended on 4/24/2011
