Jack Conway | |
---|---|
49th Attorney General of Kentucky | |
Incumbent | |
Assumed office January 7, 2008[1] |
|
Governor | Steve Beshear |
Preceded by | Greg Stumbo |
Personal details | |
Born | July 5, 1969 Louisville, Kentucky |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Davenport Conway |
Children | Eva |
Residence | Louisville, Kentucky |
Alma mater | George Washington University (J.D., 1995) Duke University (B.A., 1991) |
Occupation | Attorney general |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Website | Attorney General Jack Conway |
John William “Jack” Conway (born July 5, 1969) is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a Democrat and has served as the Attorney General of Kentucky since 2008. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was a candidate in the 2002 U.S. House of Representatives election for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district, narrowly losing to Anne Northup.
Conway was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 U.S. Senate election, seeking the seat in the United States Senate held by Republican Jim Bunning. Rand Paul was declared the winner on November 2, 2010.[2]
Conway won re-election to a second term as Attorney General with over 55% of the vote against Hopkins County Attorney Todd P'Pool
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Conway was born in Louisville, Kentucky,[3] the eldest of four children of Barbara and Tom Conway, a Louisville lawyer.[4] A graduate of St. Xavier High School,[4] Conway gained an undergraduate degree from Duke University, in 1991 and worked as legislative aide to the U.S. House Banking Committee from 1991 to 1997. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School in 1995 and worked as legal counsel and deputy cabinet secretary[5] in the administration of Kentucky Governor Paul Patton from 1995 to 2001. Starting in 2001, he worked as a private attorney for Conliffe Sandman Sullivan.[3] On May 20, 2006, Conway married Elizabeth Davenport and they have one daughter named Eva Louise.[6][7]
Conway and his father are partners in thoroughbred racehorse Stately Victor, named after Jack's childhood best friend who died at age 23. On April 11, 2010 the colt won the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes and later ran in the Kentucky Derby.[8][9]
Conway ran for Congress in 2002 against Republican incumbent Anne Northup to represent Kentucky's 3rd congressional district. The district leaned Democratic and Conway portrayed Northup as an ineffective legislator, while Northup had more campaign money to spend.[10] After a tight contest,[10] Conway was narrowly defeated on November 5, 2002, with 48.4 percent to 51.6 percent.[11] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee tried to convince Conway to run again for the same seat in 2004, but he declined.[12]
In 2007, Conway became the Democratic nominee for attorney general of Kentucky after winning the primary with 71.8 percent of the vote[13] against former assistant attorney general Robert Bullock.[14] Conway won the general election on November 6, 2007, against his Republican opponent, Lexington State Representative[14] Stan Lee, with 60.5 percent to 39.5 percent.[15]
As attorney general Conway created a cybercrimes unit and forensics laboratory that prosecutes internet crimes and trains prosecutors and police officers.[5] Conway led a state investigation into price gouging at Kentucky gasoline stations before Hurricane Ike made landfall in September 2008, resulting in seven stations paying settlements.[16] He also prosecuted Medicaid fraud cases[5] and renegotiated gas rates increases.[17]
In August, 2009, Conway launched the Prescription Drug Diversion Task Force, targeting prescription drug trafficking, overprescribing physicians, and illegal out-of-state pharmacies. The Task Force also conducted police training statewide.[18]
In November 2009, Conway asked Governor Steve Beshear to set execution dates for three men on death row. This was criticized by opponents of the death penalty. The Kentucky Supreme Court decided to stay executions until the Kentucky Department of Corrections follows mandatory administrative procedures.[19]
On April 9, 2009, Conway announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jim Bunning.[20] Conway became the third Democrat to enter the race, following Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo, who announced his candidacy in January[20] and former U.S. Customs agent Darlene Fitzgerald Price.[21] Conway consulted with Democratic Congressman Ben Chandler and state Auditor Crit Luallen about running for the seat.[20]
Due to Conway's large margin of victory in his state-wide campaign for attorney general, his fundraising ability, and the age difference between Conway and Bunning, Conway was described as a viable candidate.[22]
In May 2010, Daniel Mongiardo filed an ethics complaint against Conway alleging that Conway received more than $70,000 in donations from utility company lobbyists for which he approved a $22 million rate increase from Louisville Gas & Electric.[23] The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that in a case about Atmos Energy "Conway announced March 12 that he had reached an agreement that reduced by 38 percent the company's original request for a rate hike of $9.4 million, cutting it to $5.9 million".[24] Conway's spokeswoman stated that Conway has saved ratepayers "$100 million dollars by forcing proposed rate hikes to be lower in 18 cases before the PSC since 2008".[24] Mongiardo alleged that Conway benefited from the rate increase because Conway owns assets in Kinder Morgan, a partner of Atmos Energy.[25] On July 14, 2010 the ethics complaint against Conway was dropped and the Kentucky ethics panel stated "campaign contributions aren't considered gifts under the ethics code, and as a result the ethics commission doesn't have jurisdiction."[26]
On May 18, 2010, Conway narrowly won the primary election to secure the Democratic nomination.[27] With Bunning deciding to retire, Conway will face Republican nominee Rand Paul for the Senate seat in November 2010.[27]
Following the primary election Conway criticized Paul for his position on the Civil Rights Act of 1964.[28] He first claimed Paul wanted to "repeal" it and later stated that Paul rejected and would have opposed inclusion of a "fundamental provision of the act".[28] Conway criticized Paul for a 2002 letter in which Paul opposed the Fair Housing Act.[28] Paul had stated that "a free society" should allow discrimination by private businesses even if he disagreed.[28] Conway argued that Paul held a "narrow, rigid philosophy that government shouldn't deal with businesses at all".[29]
As of July 15, 2010, Conway had received $3.4 million in campaign contributions and loaned his campaign $525,000, surpassing Paul in available funds.[30] Conway had been criticized by Paul for appearing at a fundraising event with a group of U.S. trial lawyers in Canada.[30]
On October 15, 2010, in the wake of news coverage of Rand Paul's alleged activities in college, Conway began running a TV ad asking why Paul joined a group at Baylor that mocked Christianity and told a classmate his god was "Aqua Buddha." The ad triggered an angry response from Paul, who claimed Conway was questioning his Christian faith.[31] The ad was controversial, but the Conway campaign continued to run it, saying that it questioned Paul's judgment, not his faith.[32]
A review of Conway's public statements over the last decade by the Louisville Courier-Journal found that while he does have liberal views on some issues such as reproductive rights and health-care reform, his outlook is conservative or moderate on others, including the death penalty and gay marriage. He told the interviewer, "I consider myself a political moderate. Fiscally, I can be pretty conservative. I'm pretty conservative, I think, on the 2nd Amendment" to the Constitution, guaranteeing the right to bear arms." [33]
Conway supports legalized abortion that "should be as rare as possible, but should be kept safe and legal." He opposes late-term abortion, and opposes a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.[34] In his October 25, 2010 debate with Rand Paul, he reiterated his earlier statement that abortion should be rare but also safe and legal.[35]
In 2002, Conway expressed support for some provisions of the Patriot Act. In 2010, he expressed satisfaction that the act had been amended to provide more judicial restraint of surveillance by federal agents.[33]
Conway opposes "cap and trade" legislation favored by the administration of Barack Obama, but stated he could support a version that includes protections for coal industry and consumers of Kentucky.[36] Replying to a Daily Kos question about green house gas regulation by the Environmental Protection Agency, Conway stated, "I would prefer Congress to pass legislation that addresses climate change instead of having the EPA regulate greenhouse gas emissions. I also support energy conservation such as retrofitting buildings to be more energy efficient, and pursuing advanced energy technology like carbon capture and sequestration."[37] In a letter written by Conway to the Environmental Protection Agency, he stated that "Coal is an integral part of Kentucky's economy and an important domestic energy resource" and that he supported "environmentally-conscious mining and [was] concerned that a series of new waivers to existing regulations [would] lead to the potential for abuse or arbitrary enforcement".[38]
In a 2002 Project Vote Smart survey, Conway stated, "I support the 2nd Amendment--and believe there is nothing wrong with owning a gun for personal protection or recreation." Conway supported maintaining and strengthening current federal legislation, such as required background checks at gun shows and child safety locks, but opposed raising the legal age from 18 to 21 and also opposed requiring a license for gun possession.[39] Neither Conway nor his Republican opponent Rand Paul has complied with the request from Project VoteSmart to state their positions on these or similarly controversial issues in 2010, earning both men a "0% courage" rating from Project VoteSmart.
Conway points to his record of fiscal responsibility as Attorney General of Kentucky. "I have saved over $100 million for Kentucky taxpayers by prosecuting waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicaid, and I have recovered millions more for consumers by taking on big oil and pharmaceutical companies."[40]
Conway has said he supports the bipartisan debt commission that was proposed by Senators Judd Gregg and Kent Conrad, and says "I was puzzled and disappointed when Mitch McConnell decided to vote against it after having praised it in the past." Conway says as a U.S. Senator he would work across party lines to solve problems like deficit reduction.[40]
Looking at the federal budget, Conway has identified $430 billion in potential savings over the next ten years. Nearly half this amount could be saved by letting Medicare negotiate prices for drugs with pharmaceutical companies, and Conway says this would be the first piece of legislation he would introduce if elected. Another $100 billion could be saved by reducing Medicare fraud using state-based agencies, just as Conway was able to reduce Medicaid fraud in Kentucky. He also wants to close corporate tax loopholes that encourage businesses to move factories and jobs overseas.[41]
Conway stated in 2002, during his congressional campaign, that he supported George W. Bush's foreign policy and would have voted to authorize the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[42] In 2010, Conway told the Courier-Journal that he now opposes the Iraq War because the Bush administration overstated Saddam Hussein's efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction, adding that "In this case, they trumped up the intelligence and then they didn't have a plan for winning the peace".[33]
Conway supported the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Barack Obama.[43] Conway has said that "If after a few years we find the system needs a few tweaks", He would "be open to considering options like a Medicare-buy-in that would bring younger, healthier adults into Medicare, and take advantage of the efficiencies in Medicare's delivery system." But, Conway insists, "I want to make sure any changes to Medicare in the future do not diminish benefits for current recipients."[40]
Following passage of the health care act, Conway refused to join other state attorneys general in a constitutional challenge stating, "during the worst economic crisis in a generation, I will not misuse the resources or power of my office to pursue litigation that is without merit".[44]
Conway supports a pathway to legalization for some illegal immigrants, but said that preference should be given to those here legally. He has called for action against businesses that employ illegal aliens. He believes that "If you're born on the United States soil, then you're a United States citizen," and opposes breaking up families by deporting parents of children born here.[33]
Conway proposes a hometown tax credit to reward companies and small businesses that create jobs in Kentucky. Employers who prove they've boosted employment over the previous year by creating new jobs, increasing paid hours, or raising wages, would qualify for a 20% tax credit. The total benefit would be capped at $500,000 per firm. Conway says such a tax credit would be fully paid for by repealing foreign income and interest deductions, and closing offshore tax loopholes.[45] Conway's jobs plan also calls for the creation of a Small Business Loan Fund that will put $30 billion of new capital toward lending for small businesses through community banks and credit unions.[45]
In 2002, while running for the U.S. House of Representatives, Conway supported the Bush tax cuts. During the 2010 primary for the U.S. Senate seat in Kentucky, Conway told the editorial board of The Courier-Journal that most of the Bush tax cuts should be allowed to expire. In early August 2010 Conway told CN|2 Politics, "I don't think that a recession is any time to raise taxes. So I think the Bush tax cuts ought to be extended for some period of time, especially the individual taxes, the estate tax provisions, keeping the capital gains tax at 15 percent. I think they ought to be extended".[46]
Conway supports the Employee Free Choice Act, which includes a provision known as "card check". Conway says, "unions should be recognized if a majority of employees at a workplace sign cards indicating they wish to organize."[37]
If elected to the Senate, Conway says the first piece of legislation he will introduce would repeal what he calls a "sweetheart deal" for the pharmaceutical industry that currently prohibits Medicare from negotiating for lower prices on prescription drugs. Citing a report from the National Committee on Social Security and Medicare, he says that this alone would save the federal government $200 billion.[47]
Conway opposes privatizing Social Security and thinks these benefits should be maintained and protected from any outside risks associated with the financial markets.[48] Conway opposes raising the retirement age and cutting Social Security benefit levels.[49] In his 2002 run for Congress Conway stated that raising the retirement age and cutting benefit levels "to save Social Security" has to be considered, but retracted these comments by November 2002.[50][51]
Conway has stated that "“We need a United States senator who understands that we need federal funding for treatment, we need federal funding for law enforcement investigators, and we need a collaborative approach of federal, state and local (resources) to deal with the drug problem”[52] in Kentucky where prescription drug abuse is of particular concern.[53][54] Conway has pledged his steadfast support of Operation UNITE,[55] an anti-drug initiative in Kentucky that receives the majority of its funding at the federal level.[54] He has also called for the creation of a network of prescription pill tracking systems across the United States, where each state would adopt a prescription pill tracking program similar to the KASPER system in Kentucky.[56]
When asked if he was in favor of hemp farming for Kentucky, Conway replied: "It's a law enforcement issue. The problem with hemp is, when you're trying to eradicate marijuana, which is a major law enforcement issue in Kentucky, I know how difficult it can be for law enforcement to make the distinction, and so I think we need to leave that issue to those in law enforcement who are advising us on it. If there's a difficulty in distinguishing between hemp and marijuana then we shouldn't have hemp farming in Kentucky, because it's more of a law enforcement issue about making certain we don't let a gateway drug get into the marketplace."[57]
Conway indicated in a 2002 Project Vote Smart survey that he does not support decriminalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes.[39]
Party political offices | ||
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Preceded by Eleanor Jordan |
Democratic Party nominee for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district 2002 |
Succeeded by Tony Miller |
Preceded by Daniel Mongiardo |
Democratic Party nominee for U.S. Senator from Kentucky (Class 3) 2010 |
Succeeded by current |
Legal offices | ||
Preceded by Greg Stumbo |
Attorney General of Kentucky 2008–present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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