This election season, the commonwealth of Kentucky’s chief law officer position is up for grabs.
Current Attorney General Daniel Cameron is the Kentucky Republican Party’s nominee for governor. He will face Democrat incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear in the November election.
Cameron chose not to seek re-election for attorney general, instead shifting his focus toward his gubernatorial campaign. Cameron was first named acting attorney general in 2019 after then-Attorney General Beshear announced his campaign for governor that year. He was then elected as attorney general in 2020, defeating Democrat Greg Stumbo.
This election cycle, the attorney general’s race is a faceoff between Democrat Rep. Pamela Steveson and Republican attorney Russell Coleman. The Democrat and Republican primaries were both canceled due to a lack of challengers.
There are a variety of pressing issues on the ballot this November, including those related to open records, consumer protection and the LGBTQ community. When casting your ballot, LINK nky wants readers to be aware of the position’s responsibilities, as well as how their decisions can directly affect the lives of Northern Kentuckians.
What are the duties of the attorney general?
The Kentucky Supreme Court established that the attorney general’s primary obligation is to the people of Kentucky, not any one branch of government. As the Bluegrass State’s chief legal officer, the attorney general has responsibility for a wide range of legal matters.
“The attorney general essentially has two roles: They are the chief law officer of the state of Kentucky, and also the chief law enforcement officer of Kentucky,” said Amye Bensenhaver – a retired Kentucky assistant attorney general who worked in the office’s open records department for 25 years. Throughout her career, she authored numerous open-records and open-meeting decisions.
That means the attorney general serves as the chief law officer for all of Kentucky’s public departments, commissions, agencies and political subdivisions. Additionally, the attorney general serves as the primary legal adviser of all state officers, departments, commissions and agencies.
When requested, the attorney general must write legal opinions to advise state government officials and agencies regarding the law. While these written opinions do not have the force of law, public officials are expected to follow them. Formal opinions are reviewed and represent the official position of the Attorney General’s Office.
“In the past, (there have been) thousands of opinions over time that were advisory, but that were frequently treated, and the courts have treated them too, with great respect because they do reflect the considered judgment of experts,” Bensenhaver said.
Besides legal advice and representation, the attorney general is the state’s chief prosecutor. The attorney general is responsible for prosecuting cases related to crimes like Medicaid fraud, public corruption and corporate environmental violations.
The attorney general also represents Kentucky in civil litigation, which includes defending the state in lawsuits and suing parties on behalf of the state.
According to Bensenhaver, an often-unheralded responsibility of the attorney general is protecting consumers from fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
“Consumer protection day-to-day is an extremely important part of that office. It’s also something that resonates,” Bensenhaver said.
Recent electoral history of the office
Over the years, the position of Kentucky attorney general has been increasingly seen as a launching pad for politicians with gubernatorial aspirations, according to Bensenhaver.
“It’s a political office, and it tends to be a stepping stone,” Bensenhaver said. “Typically, they’re not satisfied. They are seeking a higher office.”
There has been a former attorney general run for governor in each election since 2015 regardless of party affiliation.
Democrat Jack Conway started the trend in 2015 when he announced his candidacy for governor after fully serving two terms in the office. Ultimately, he was defeated by Republican Matt Bevin.
Incumbent Beshear was then elected as attorney general in 2015. He served one full term. In 2019, he announced his campaign for governor. He defeated Bevin.
Now, Cameron is the latest attorney general to throw his hat in the ring for governor.
