Ky. Secretary of State candidate Adams speaks to Corbin Rotary Club

A Paducah area attorney, who is seeking to become Kentucky’s next Secretary of State, came to Corbin last Thursday to speak to the Corbin Rotary Club.

Republican Michael Adams explained that most Kentuckians, and likely most people in states across the country, don’t understand or appreciate the importance of the office.

“It is the chief election officer in the state,” Adams explained.

As secretary of state, Adams said he would work to purge the voter rolls of ineligible voters every two years as required by state law.

In addition, while Kentucky law requires a prospective voter to show an ID if a poll worker does know the individual, it does not have to be a photo ID.

“It can be a credit card or other document,” Adams said.

“We have the perfect storm for voter fraud with lax voter ID and no purge of the voter rolls,” Adams said.

Adams, a graduate of Harvard Law School, has previously worked as an election lawyer for various Republicans, including: Senator Mitch McConnell, Gov. Ernie Fletcher and President George W. Bush.

He later served as general counsel for the Republican Governors Association.

In his private practice, Adams has represented Vice President Mike Pence’s political committee, and the National Federation of Republican Women.

Gov. Matt Bevin appointed Adams to the Kentucky State Board of Election from which he has since resigned in order to run for secretary of state.

Four candidates from each major party are seeking the nominations in the primary election on May 21. The winners will face off in the November
General Election.

Current Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is barred by term limits from running for re-election.

“I don’t think anyone running for the office, in either party, knows election laws as well as I do,” Adams said.