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Jean-Marie Lawson Spann
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann was the Democratic nominee for Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture in the 2015 elections. She filed her candidacy on November 12, 2014, and was unopposed in the primary held on May 19, 2015. Lawson Spann lost to Republican nominee Ryan Quarles in the general election on November 3, 2015.[1]
Biography
Spann was working as the marketing vice president for Lawson Marketing, Inc., at the time of her candidacy. She previously worked in the same position with Hartland Equipment. Spann has also worked as the host of a weekly radio show, a college admissions counselor and a press officer with former Gov. Paul Patton (D).[2]
Education
- B.A. in corporate and organizational communication, Western Kentucky University
Elections
2015
Incumbent Commissioner James Comer Jr. (R) chose to run for governor instead of seeking re-election. Fellow Republican Ryan Quarles defeated his Democratic opponent, Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, in the 2015 general election.[3]
| Commissioner of Agriculture, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Ryan Quarles |
60.1% | 563,383 | |
| Democrat | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann | 39.9% | 374,402 | |
| Total Votes | 937,785 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State | ||||
Polls
General election
| Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) | Ryan Quarles (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| SurveyUSA/Bluegrass Poll July 22-28, 2015 | 32% | 33% | 35% | +/-3.8 | 685 | ||||||||||||||
| Public Policy Polling June 18-21, 2015 | 31% | 40% | 29% | +/-2.9 | 1,108 | ||||||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 31.5% | 36.5% | 32% | +/-3.35 | 896.5 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Republican primary
| Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Republican Primary, Quarles vs. Heath | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Ryan Quarles (R) | Richard Heath (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Triumph Campaigns March 24, 2015 | 21% | 10% | 66.5% | +/-4 | 601 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Hypothetical match-ups
| Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner, Quarles vs. Spann | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) | Ryan Quarles (R) | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||||||
| Gravis Marketing January 5-6, 2015 | 31% | 39% | 30% | +/-4 | 608 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Debates
Debate media
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|
February 13 Republican forum
Republican candidates Richard Heath and Ryan Quarles met for a forum on the state of agriculture in Kentucky hosted by the Agribusiness Industry Network and the Kentucky Ag Council. Both candidates were asked questions about Louisville's role in the agricultural economy and the role of agriculture in the state's economy. Heath highlighted the importance of the National Farm Machinery Show and the close relationship between the commissioner's office and the Mayor of Louisville when discussing the city's role in agriculture. Quarles argued that the Kentucky State Fair serves as an introduction to agriculture for students who might not otherwise understand where their food comes from. He also contended that in the absence of agricultural education, children were more likely to learn about farm practices from organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Humane Society, rather than gaining an understanding of the realities of food production.[4]
Heath noted that the state's agriculture sector generated $6 billion in revenue per year, creating a large number of jobs. He pointed to the growing demand for workers familiar with agricultural technology as an unexplored avenue for the state. Heath cited the Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education, which mixes on-the-job training and technical school courses in manufacturing fields, as a template for agricultural training. Quarles pointed to existing growth in local farmers markets and untapped resources like industrial hemp and hop production as strengths of the agriculture sector. He also suggested that the state's Bourbon Trail could be connected to a similar marketing campaign for farms.[4]
January 16 forum
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) and Ryan Quarles (R) compared endorsements and found consensus on the state's response to federal regulations during a forum sponsored by the Kentucky Soybean Association, Kentucky Corn Growers Association, and Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association.[5] Spann touted the endorsement of former commissioner Billy Ray Smith (D) and argued that he was among the best commissioners in state history. Quarles brought up commissioner James Comer Jr.'s (R) endorsement and noted that Comer had established a "gold standard" for future officeholders.[6]
Spann and Quarles both criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for proposed water regulations that could impact agriculture in the Bluegrass State. Spann indicated that she would pursue a lawsuit against the EPA to block new federal standards if necessary, preferring a state approach to water testing. Quarles noted that the state's agriculture development board was already testing water quality to determine the impacts of farm runoff.[6]
Campaign finance
First quarter report (2015)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $173,801.93 and spent a total of $39,172.92 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on May 5, 2015.[7]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
Jean-Marie Lawson Spann  |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $76,943.30 | $29,515.00 | $13,445.40 | $93,012.90 |
Ryan Quarles  |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $21,579.88 | $82,910.17 | $14,054.65 | $90,435.40 |
| Richard Heath |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $61,376.76 | $11,672.87 | $49,703.89 |
| Grand Total Raised | $173,801.93 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $39,172.92 | ||||
Fourth quarter report (2014)
Comprehensive donor information for this election was collected from the state's campaign finance authority. Based on available campaign finance records, the candidates raised a total of $48,674.31 and spent a total of $15,080.21 during this reporting period. This information was last updated on February 3, 2015.[8]
| Campaign Contributions and Expenditures | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Office | Beginning balance | Contributions | Expenditures | Ending balance |
| Jean-Marie Lawson Spann |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $64,929.08 | $25,700 | $13,685.78 | $76,943.30 |
| Ryan Quarles |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $22,974.31 | $1,394.43 | $21,579.88 |
| Richard Heath |
Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Grand Total Raised | $48,674.31 | ||||
| Grand Total Spent | $15,080.21 | ||||
Campaign themes
2015
Spann was running on the following themes in the 2015 election:
| “ |
Question- What will be the number one thing that will make your administration great? My overriding focus will be to bring together all of the top minds in Kentucky to identify opportunities for growth for our farmers and rural communities and then to put together coalitions of the very best people to focus like a laser on implementing attack plans to grow our great Kentucky Agriculture! Question- Why do you want to be Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture? Answer- This is my passion! I want to make a difference in the lives of our farmers and all of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I actually feel that I have been preparing for this my entire life. My parents were in the Farm Equipment business when I was born and they tell me they took me to my first tractor pull when I was two weeks old. I have a great appreciation for our Kentucky Farmers and have developed a background in agriculture, education, politics, business, marketing and the world of exports to put together a personal package that can move Kentucky Agriculture forward. Couple that with my vision for the Department of Agriculture and I am ready to assume the leadership role for Kentucky Agriculture. Question- What would be the main focus of your administration at the Department of Ag? Answer- The Kentucky Department of Agriculture has two main charges. One is to protect all of the citizens through its regulatory sections. Things like making sure that EVERY fuel pump in the Commonwealth is pumping accurately so the citizens can have confidence that they get the full measure of the fuel for which they pay. The other is to be the #1 representative for the farmers and all of Kentucky Agriculture and to help increase their sales, profitability and to help keep them safe. Both of these responsibilities are critical and literally affect EVERY citizen of the Commonwealth. A large part of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is the regulatory responsibilities. We would work to make sure that the people charged with addressing these responsibilities are trained, qualified and totally dedicated to carrying out these responsibilities to protect the citizens of our Commonwealth. [9] |
” |
| —Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, (2014) | ||
See also
- Open offices draw big names, new faces to Kentucky state executive elections in 2015
- Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture
- Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture election, 2015
- State executive official elections, 2015
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Information for Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, Candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture," November 12, 2014
- ↑ Jean-Marie for KY Ag, "Meet Jean-Marie," accessed November 21, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Agriculture Commissioner," accessed November 4, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Agribusiness Industry Network Inc., "Kentucky Ag Commissioner Candidate Forum," February 2015
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "First candidates forum for ag commissioner," January 7, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 CN2, "Down-ticket race, already looking past May primary, jumpstarts 2015 debate season," January 17, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed May 5, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, "Candidate Search Results," accessed February 3, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Jean-Marie for KY Ag, "Policy Statements," accessed November 21, 2014
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