LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – The race for Kentucky’s new secretary of state includes a packed primary on both sides of the ballot and is the only race guaranteed to bring a new face to the office, since Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is unable to run for reelection due to term limits.
There are four candidates on each side of the aisle, and that same aisle divides the parties along a pair of major platform issues.
The four Democrats are Jason Belcher, Jason Griffith, Heather French Henry and Geoff Sebesta.
Jason Belcher’s campaign site explains he served in Iraq as a captain in the Air Force and played "Bad Frank Phillips" for two years in a Hatfields and McCoys play.
Public school teacher and small business owner Jason Griffith created a character recognition software used by law enforcement and attorneys.
Heather French Henry has served as commissioner and deputy commissioner of Kentucky's Department of Veterans Affairs, two of her many roles since reigning as Miss America in 2000.
Geoff Sebesta, a self-described professional comic book artist, rounds out the Democratic field.
In some form or another all of the Democratic candidates have publicly voiced or written about their support for two issues: early voting and the restoration of voting rights.
Those are two items we could not find comments on from the four Republican candidates. But all four Republicans, in some form or another, support photo ID requirements for voters and "cleaning up" Kentucky voter rolls.
Those are two items we could not find comments on from the four Democratic candidates.
The Republican candidates include Michael Adams, Andrew English, Stephen Knipper and Carl Nett.
Michael Adams was general counsel for the Republican Governors Association for the last 11 years and as a teen volunteered on the 1992 Bush/Quayle campaign.
Andrew English went through the Navy JAG Corp, was deployed to the Persian Gulf and is still a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves.
Stephen Knipper is chief of staff to Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton, and he and his wife have adopted five children with special needs.
Former Secret Service agent Carl Nett may be best known for trying to get his nickname "Trump" added to the ballot, until a judge ruled against it.
The secretary of state primary race is not the only contest for state public office--candidates for governor, attorney general, treasurer, auditor and commissioner of agriculture are also on the ballot this year.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21.
