FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- The race to be Kentucky's next attorney general is offering a few political surprises.
On Friday, the front-runner, State Sen. Whitney Westerfield, ended his campaign saying he wants to spend more time with his growing family. The move came just days after Daniel Cameron entered the race for the Republican primary.
Cameron was U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's lawyer for two years in Washington, D.C. He said earlier this week he believes he has the leadership skills to run the office and confront Kentucky's drug epidemic.
Things are happening quickly. Republican State Sen. Wil Schroder just filed for Attorney General. Says he decided to run after his friend, Sen. Whitney Westerfield dropped out. pic.twitter.com/acab9Uu261
— Lawrence Smith (@LASmithReports) January 25, 2019
Another challenger in the GOP primary for attorney general is State Sen. Wil Schroder. The former prosecutor from northern Kentucky filed his paperwork on Friday.
"I'm the only candidate with both a combination of prosecutorial experience and a conservative record," he said. "I look forward to talking to the voters in the next few months and making my case on why I should be the next attorney general."
Schroder told reporters he got into the race because he believes "this job is too important for on-the-job training."
And there's a new major player on the Democratic side. Former Attorney General Greg Stumbo filed to get his old job back. A veteran of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Stumbo was attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was Kentucky's House speaker until 2016, when he lost his re-election bid.
Former Attorney General Greg Stumbo filing now to try and reclaim his old office. pic.twitter.com/FM57mWOsUX
— Lawrence Smith (@LASmithReports) January 25, 2019
Stumbo is the first Democrat to file for the office. The current attorney general, Andy Beshear, is also a Democrat. But instead of seeking re-election, Beshear is running for governor.
Stumbo said combating the state's drug epidemic would be his priority, if he's elected. He filed a lawsuit against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma in 2007. That case settled for $24 million in 2015 after Stumbo left office.
The deadline to file for the May primaries is Jan. 29.
Copyright 2019 WDRB Media. The Associated Press contributed to this story. All Rights Reserved.
