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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Kentucky AG announces U.S. Senate run

Jack Conway (D)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Legal Newsline)-After just two years as the Kentucky attorney general, Jack Conway announced Thursday he will seek the Democratic nomination in 2010 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Sen. Jim Bunning.

Conway, 39, made his announcement in a seven-minute video posted on his campaign Web site.

"We Democrats are in no mood for a lecture on fiscal responsibility from Republicans who spent the last eight years rewarding corporate elites, hiding costs and running up trillions of dollars in debt," Conway said in the video.

Also interested in the seat were state Auditor Crit Luallen and U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler, who are now expected to back Conway, who sought a congressional seat in 2002, challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Anne Northup.

Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo announced in January he plans to also run for the nomination. He recently announced that he raised $420,000 during the first quarter of 2009.

The Kentucky Senate race is expected to be a closely watched contest nationally since Democrats and Republicans alike consider Bunning, 77, to be politically vulnerable.

The Republican has had a difficult time raising campaign cash and his poll numbers are low, indicating that he may have a tough race ahead.

A Public Policy Polling survey released Wednesday indicates that in hypothetical general election matchups, Bunning trails Conway by nine points and Mongiardo by seven points.

The poll found that Bunning has a 28 percent approval rating, with 54 percent disapproving.

For his part, Bunning has said he will seek a third term next year.

From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.

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