The race for Attorney General

In the election on Nov. 8, 2011, the two candidates who will be facing off in the race for Attorney General are incumbent Democrat Jack Conway and Republican challenger Todd P’Pool.

Democrat Jack Conway, who will be running for his second term, was elected as the 49th Attorney General of Kentucky by a wide margin in 2007.
Since his term in office, Conway says he has worked with local leaders and law-enforcement officers with a commitment to making Kentucky a safer place to live, work and raise a family. In his aim to make the community safer, Conway has put a heavy focus on improving Internet safety.
Conway started the Cybercrimes unit in 2008 to crack down on cases of online solicitation, scams and identity theft. Conway also led the passage of House Bill 315- implemented to update Kentucky’s laws to better fight Internet crime.
Conway is a member of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), which is currently working with MySpace and Facebook to create parental safety controls, take sex offenders off the sites and create age-verification software.
Another issue Conway has taken on as Attorney General is fighting illegal drug use in Kentucky communities. Conway announced the establishment of Kentucky’s first statewide prescription drug task force in August 2009. He has also taken a more personal approach to the issue by travelling across Kentucky speaking to middle and high school students about the dangers of prescription drug use.
Before Conway was elected Attorney General, he was a private attorney. For six years he worked in senior-level cabinet positions under former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton’s administration. During this time Conway worked with lawmakers to create comprehensive school-safety legislation and helped instigate legislation that put tougher sentences on violent offenders.
Other issues Conway holds high on his agenda, according to his campaign Web site include: protecting Kentucky families, taking on special interests, helping students, taking on mortgage fraud and fighting medicaid fraud.
Running against Conway is Republican candidate Todd P’Pool.

P’Pool is committed to protecting Kentucky coal by pushing back against the EPA to make sure Kentucky coal stays strong. P’Pool grew up around the Western Kentucky coal fields, and they provided for his family for four generations. P’Pool says he plans to stand as a firewall against the regulations, which threaten the stability of Kentucky’s coal and agricultural industries as he feels strongly they are integral to the economy as they provide thousands of jobs.
P’Pool also has plans to take action in the fight against illegal drug use in Kentucky. He firmly believes the Attorney General’s office needs an experienced prosecutor to lead the fight. Appointed several times as a special prosecutor for special cases across Kentucky, P’Pool plans to use this experience to advocate for law enforcement and prosecutors in the battle against illegal dugs. P’Pool hopes to reduce the supply of drugs in Kentucky by cracking down on drug cartels and the individuals writing illegal prescriptions.
P’Pool was elected to the Office of Hopkins County Attorney in 2006 and again in 2010. As the first Republican elected to a countywide office since the Civil War in a district made up of almost 70% registered Democrats, P’Pool has shown his ability to work across party lines and lead with a bi-partisan attitude.
Other issues important to P’Pool on his agenda include “fighting Obamacare, prosecuting criminals and fighting corruption,” according to his campaign site.