Letter: Four former state AGs urge support for Andy Beshear on Nov. 3

To the editor,

As former Kentucky Attorneys General, we understand exactly what the job entails and the type of experience necessary to serve the people of Kentucky. The Office of the Attorney General is complex and the job requires a smart, hardworking, and skilled lawyer who will not only serve as Kentucky’s chief law enforcement officer, but also as the state’s chief consumer protection, appellate, and anti-trust lawyer.

Andy Beshear is the only candidate who has the right experience to protect Kentucky children and families and together, we are proud to support him.

For over a decade, Andy has worked alongside some of the best lawyers in the state, where he has managed large budgets and large teams of lawyers to obtain successful results. This is exactly the type of experience the Attorney General needs to balance a tight budget and manage an office of over 200 staff.

The next Attorney General needs to understand complex cases and have the skills to take on big cases and win. Andy understands the work that goes in and resources needed to litigate a major case, like one against a large corporation such as Marathon. He is the only candidate who has taken on big cases and won.

Appellate experience is another important qualification for the office. While the Attorney General does not have jurisdiction over most criminal cases at the trial level, the office does handle most of the appeals. These appeals can impact hundreds of cases. Andy is the only candidate with significant appellate experience, with appeals both before the Kentucky Court of Appeals and numerous appellate circuits.

Finally, Kentucky’s next Attorney General needs to be respected by his peers. Andy is the only candidate who has been recognized as the nation’s top consumer lawyer by Lawyer Monthly, as one of the “Best Lawyers in America,” and as a Rising Star by the publication SuperLawyers and Benchmark Litigation.

It is clear that Andy has the right qualifications for this office, but more importantly his heart and priorities are in the right place. He has been active in his community, serving on the board of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky and tailoring his law practice to represent non-profit youth organizations, where he has helped implement background checks and other protection procedures to keep kids safe.

The Attorney General is ultimately the chief advocate for Kentucky families and Andy’s plan to prevent child abuse, combat the spread of heroin and other dangerous drugs, and protect our seniors from scams is exactly what our state needs right now.

We enthusiastically support Andy Beshear for Attorney General and hope that you will join us in voting for him on November 3rd.

Speaker Greg Stumbo, Former Attorney General, 2003-2007
Chris Gorman, Former Attorney General, 1992-1996
Fred Cowan, Former Attorney General, 1988-1992
David Armstrong, Former Attorney General, 1984-1988

-30-