LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Rep. Pamela Stevenson formally launched her candidacy for attorney general Thursday.
She is the presumptive Democratic nominee and is the first Black woman to be nominated for the position in Kentucky.
Freshman U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey, former House Minority Leader Joni Jenkins and former mayoral candidate Tim Findley joined her at the launch.
They rallied at the Roots 101 African American Museum to outline how Stevenson hopes to defend Kentuckian's freedoms.
"This is the beginning of something new. It is not business as usual. If we go business as usual, we're going to march right down that list that they have for us no rights, no freedoms no nothing but work so they can be rich. And that's not what we're about," she said.
Her opponent, Kentucky Attorney General candidate Russell Coleman, was a high-profile person in Louisville when he served as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky from 2017 until 2021.
The Republican Party of Kentucky said in a statement ahead of Stevenson's event that she does not represent Kentucky values.
"Instead of standing with law enforcement, she’d play patty-cake with 'peaceful protestors' and cozy up to the defund the police movement," the group said.
READ THE FULL STATEMENT BELOW
Soft-on-crime Pam Stevenson doesn’t represent our Kentucky values. While crime was on the rise in Louisville, Stevenson led the effort in Frankfort to redefine 'riot' in law. This is troubling for someone wishing to be Kentucky's top cop. Instead of standing with law enforcement, she’d play patty-cake with 'peaceful protestors' and cozy up to the defund the police movement.
This year, voters will have an opportunity to vote for a true leader in Russell Coleman. A former U.S. Attorney, Russell Coleman is the only candidate endorsed by Kentucky’s Fraternal Order of Police. He’s spent his life putting violent criminals behind bars and getting justice for victims. Russell Coleman will back the blue, protect our families, and make Kentucky safe again.
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