Alison Lundergan Grimes

Alison Lundergan Grimes (2016)

Alison Lundergan Grimes (born November 23, 1978 in Maysville , Kentucky) is an American politician of the Democratic Party . She's since 2012 Secretary of State of the State of Kentucky . As a Democratic candidate for the seat there in the United States Senate, she was defeated in the 2014 election by the Republican mandate holder Mitch McConnell .

Family, education and work

Alison Lundergan grew up as the middle of five daughters in a Catholic, politically active family with ties to the Clinton family ; her father Jerry Lundergan was for a time the party chairman of the Democrats in Kentucky, her mother Charlotte is the state representative on the Democratic National Committee . Even as a girl she campaigned for her father and volunteered for the Salvation Army and the National Kidney Foundation, among other things .

She attended a Catholic high school in Lexington, Kentucky , took part in debating competitions and practiced the speeches of Martin Luther King . Then she received at Rhodes College in Memphis (Tennessee) the Bachelor degree in Political Science and completed a law degree at Washington College of Law of American University in Washington, DC with the Juris Doctor from. Alison Lundergan was admitted to the Lexington (Kentucky) bar and worked for the law firm Stoll Keenon Ogden from 2004 to 2011 with a focus on intellectual property and corporate law .

She married Andrew Grimes, who works in new media marketing, in 2006 and lives with him in Lexington.

Secretary of State since 2012

In 2010, she announced that she was running for the successor to the Republican Secretary of State of Kentucky, Trey Grayson , who could not run again due to term limits. Although the Democratic governor of the state, Steve Beshear , had already installed party colleague Elaine Walker for the last few months of Grayson's tenure, Lundergan Grimes stood against Walker in the party primary and prevailed in May 2011 with 55 to 45 percent of the vote .

In the actual election in November 2011, Lundergan Grimes defeated their Republican rival Bill Johnson with over 60 percent of the vote; In her election campaign she had spoken out against tying the right to vote to the existence of an identification document with a photo ("Photo ID"), and thus to receive the right to vote for as many people as possible, even in precarious situations. She took up her post on January 2, 2012, in which she endeavors to create jobs and good investment conditions for companies. She continued her criticism of the increasingly stringent identification measures for voters ( "voter identification") continued that some states have prescribed, and compared them with the Jim Crow laws of the time of apartheid . She also launched an initiative to make it easier for soldiers abroad to vote in elections in the United States, which is why she traveled to the Middle East in September 2012; the Congress took their ideas up and said goodbye to in April 2013 bipartisan legislation.

After Lundergan Grimes considered running for the office of governor of her state in late 2014, she announced in January 2015 that she would be running again as Secretary of State of Kentucky instead. She safely won the Democratic primary in May 2015 and competed against Republican Stephen L. Knipper, who works in the health administration. On November 4, 2015, she won another term of office with 51 to 49 percent of the vote. On May 17, 2016, she voted for Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidate in the 2016 presidential election .

2014 US Senate candidate

After actress Ashley Judd canceled a possible Democratic candidacy in the 2014 Kentucky Senate election in March 2013, media interest focused on Alison Lundergan Grimes until she announced her candidacy at a press conference on July 1, 2013 announced in the party’s internal Democratic primary. She won this on May 20, 2014 with over 76 percent of the vote, making her party's candidate for the 2014 Senate election. Due to the continued unpopularity of the previous Senator Mitch McConnell, this election was one of the few options for the Democratic Party 2014 elections unfavorably structured for them to defeat a Republican incumbent. Lundergan Grimes was considered by many observers to be the best possible challenger for her party against the mandate holder, one of the toughest election campaigners in US politics.

Lundergan Grimes portrayed herself as an independent politician who stands above the unpopular Washington party bickering, and distanced herself from President Obama , who is unpopular in coal-rich Kentucky for promoting renewable energies , for example in the implementation of health care reforms for small businesses . At the same time, she portrayed incumbent McConnell, who, as Senate Minority Leader, held the powerful position of Chairman of the Republican parliamentary group in the US Senate, as the epitome of the party soldier and Washington insider. She was intensively supported by the Federal Party, including high-quality advisors and gathered a large part of the quarreling party of their state behind them, including the governor Steve Beshear, who until then had been regarded as the arch enemy of her father Jerry Lundergan. Her candidacy was seen as the outcome of a trend that in the United States, political families form dynasties; in particular, daughters of politicians ran in the 2014 elections. Lundergan Grimes used her gender strategically: She named only women as role models, for example in a famous TV commercial with her two grandmothers, and emphasized that she was the only woman elected to a political office in Kentucky, which some observers had with her strict advocacy for women's right to abortion ( Pro-Choice ). In the Senate election campaign, Lundergan Grimes focused on job creation and infrastructure, and in June 2014 launched a program to curb training costs, supported by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts.

Most polls after entering the election campaign saw an open race between her and incumbent McConnell, which is why the Cook Political Report classified the decision in August 2013 as a "toss up" (completely open). McConnell was challenged within the party by the wealthy businessman Matt Bevin , who is counted as part of the Tea Party movement , and therefore had to integrate to the right instead of being able to concentrate on the dispute with Lundergan Grimes in the political center , which was to do with McConnell's victory in the Republican area code closed in May 2014. McConnell remained the clear favorite for many observers in a race that generated a great deal of attention and donation at the national level and became one of the most expensive Senate campaigns ever.

On election day, McConnell was surprisingly clear with 56 percent of the vote against Grimes with 40 percent. McConnell succeeded in winning over the voters of the traditionally democratic south-eastern coal region ( Cumberland Plateau ) for the first time. It won 10 of Kentucky's 120 counties .

In August 2018, her father, Jerry Lundergan, and another party activist, Dale Emmons, were charged by a grand jury of having funded their campaign with illegal donations and covering it up.

Web links

Commons : Alison Lundergan Grimes  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Biography on Office Secretary of State , Kentucky website
• Campaign site (English)
• Lundergan Grimes, Alison. In: OurCampaigns.com (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} Howard Fineman: Alison Lundergan Grimes Talks Abortion As She Unfurls Policy Positions. In: The Huffington Post , August 3, 2013.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Lundergan and Grimes Vows Are Solemnized. In: The Ledger Independent , September 7, 2006.
3. ^ Stuart Rothenberg: Rating Alison Lundergan Grimes' Chances in Kentucky. In: Roll Call , July 9, 2013.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Rachel Horn: This Woman's Work. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes Goes to Frankfort ( Memento of October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 2.8 MB). In: Story the Magazine , Winter 2012, pp. 30–34.
5. ↑ ^{a b} Alison Grimes '01. ( Memento of July 15, 2014 on the Internet Archive ) In: Rhodes College (website), 2011; Kyle Veazey: Former professors at Rhodes fondly recall Alison Lundergan Grimes. In: The Commercial Appeal , September 18, 2014.
6. ↑ ^{a b} Meet Alison. Kentucky Born and Raised. In: AlisonForKentucky.com .
7. ↑ ^{a b} Biography on the Office's Secretary of State , Kentucky website .
8. ^ Alison Lundergan Grimes, Associate Attorney. In: LawyerDB.com .
9. ^ Alison Lundergan Grimes Announces Departure from Law Firm to Pursue Secretary of State Candidacy. In: Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC (website), February 14, 2011.
10. ^ Beth Musgrave, Grimes Beats Incumbent in Democratic Race for Secretary of State. In: Lexington Herald , May 18, 2011; 2011 Secretary of State Democratic Primary Election Results. In: US Election Atlas , August 23, 2011.
11. ^ Bill Estep: Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes Easily Wins Secretary of State Race. In: Lexington Herald , Nov. 9, 2011; 2011 Secretary of State General Election Results. In: US Election Atlas , December 6, 2011.
12. ↑ Ky. Sec. of State Candidates Differ on Photo ID Plan. In: WKYT.com (blog), September 19, 2011.
13. ^ Worthy of Note. Women Who Are Making a Difference in the Commercial and Public Life of Kentucky. In: Lane Report , August 2012.
14. ↑ Phillip M. Bailey: Grimes Compares Voter ID Laws to Jim Crow Era Suppression. In: WFPL News , August 15, 2012.
15. ↑ ^{a b} Manu Raju, Lucy McCalmont: Mitch McConnell defeats Alison Lundergan Grimes in Kentucky. In: Politico , November 4, 2014.
16. ↑ 2015 Secretary of State Democratic Primary Election Results. In: US Election Atlas , May 22, 2015.
17. ^ John Cheves: Alison Lundergan Grimes Takes Democratic Nomination for Secretary of State. In: Lexington Herald , May 19, 2015.
18. ↑ 2015 Secretary of State General Election Results. In: US Election Atlas , November 3, 2015.
19. ↑ Lundergan Grimes, Alison. In: OurCampaigns.com (English).
20. ↑ Shwetika Baijal: Ashley Judd Won't Run For Senate, But Alison Lundergan Grimes Gives Democrats a Better Shot Anyway. In: Policymic.com (blog), March 28, 2013.
21. ↑ Joseph Gerth: McConnell Crushes Bevin; Grimes Cruises to Win. In: The Courier-Journal , May 20, 2014; 2014 Senatorial Democratic Primary Election Results. In: US Election Atlas , May 21, 2014.
22. ↑ Micah Cohen: Re-Election Is Likely for McConnell, but Not Guaranteed. In: FiveThirtyEight ( New York Times blog ), July 1, 2013.
23. ↑ Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik, Geoffrey Skelley: Senate 2014. One Direction, but How Far? In: Sabato's Crystal Ball , University of Virginia Center for Politics, June 27, 2013.
24. ↑ Alexandra Jaffe: Democrats Land Top Recruit to Challenge McConnell in Kentucky. In: The Hill (campaign blog), July 1, 2013.
25. ↑ Chris Cillizza: The Nastiest Senate Race in the Country Just Started. In: The Washington Post , July 1, 2013.
26. ↑ Melinda Henneberger: The 'Big, Fancy Rollout' of Alison Lundergan Grimes. In: The Washington Post , July 31, 2013; Manu Raju: Grimes takes on McConnell. In: Politico , January 23, 2014; Amanda Terkel: Bill Clinton Backs Alison Lundergan Grimes In His First Senate Ad Of 2014. In: The Huffington Post , Oct. 1, 2014; Megan Carpentier: Hillary Clinton sprinkles her stardust on Grimes campaign in Kentucky. In: The Guardian , November 2, 2014.
27. ↑ Sean Sullivan: The Beshear-Lundergan Family Feud in Kentucky, Explained. In: The Washington Post , July 10, 2013.
28. ↑ Emily Heil: Heiresses Apparent. Daughters Take Their Turn for the Political Dynasty. In: The Washington Post , July 26, 2013. See generally Charles Mahtesian: The United States Of Dynasty: Boom Times For Political Families. In: National Public Radio , July 18, 2013.
29. ^ "Elsie & Thelma" - 2011 Alison Lundergan Grimes TV Ad. In: Alison for Kentucky , Youtube channel, July 25, 2013.
30. ↑ Joe Gerth: Alison Grimes Focuses on Elizabeth Warren, College Costs. In: The Courier-Journal , June 27, 2014.
31. ↑ Jack Brammer: Kentucky's 2014 US Senate race declared a 'toss up'. In: Lexington Herald , Aug 2, 2013. See also Susan Davis: Sen. McConnell Already in Hot 2014 Re-Election Race. In: USA Today , August 4, 2013.
32. ^ Nate Cohn: Ignore the Polls: McConnell Is Still the Favorite in Kentucky. In: New Republic , August 2, 2013; Larry J. Sabato, Kyle Kondik: Ratings Changes - And Non-Changes. McConnell, Grimes and Meaning of Our Ratings. In: Sabato's Crystal Ball , University of Virginia Center for Politics, Aug. 8, 2013.
33. ^ Andrew S. Tanenbaum : Kentucky and National Politics Get Intertwined.  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Electoral-Vote.com , August 7, 2013.  
34. ↑ Chris Cillizza: Kentucky Senate Race Could Top $ 100 Million. In: The Washington Post , Aug. 11, 2013; ders .: The Kentucky Race Is on Track to Be the Most Expensive Senate Contest Ever. In: The Washington Post , July 17, 2014.
35. ↑ 2014 Senatorial General Election Results. In: US Election Atlas.
36. ^ Daniel Desrochers, Bill Estep: Father of Alison Lundergan Grimes indicted in campaign finance conspiracy. In: Lexington Herald Leader , August 31, 2018.