1. How does your background qualify you for serving in this office? Please provide examples of your work to protect and promote civic engagement in Kentucky.     

Wheatley (D) - As a fourth generation firefighter, public service runs in my blood. I served as Fire Chief in Covington, leading my crew to protect and serve our community. While I was Fire Chief, I was moved to work on behalf of first responders, so I earned my law degree at Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase School of Law. As an attorney, I work closely with labor unions to negotiate fair wages and benefits, because I firmly believe everyone deserves a liveable wage and accessible and affordable healthcare.  I was proud to serve two terms in the state legislature, where I focused on protecting pensions and expanding voting rights. I worked closely with Governor Beshear to ensure our elections were safe during the 2020 election. I played a key role in the passage of HB 574 in the 2021 legislative session and HB 564 in the 2022 legislative session, which permanently established vote-by-mail and early voting in Kentucky. 

Adams (R) - In 2019, I was the first candidate for Secretary of State ever to have had a national election law practice, plus decades of experience in Kentucky elections, from serving as a poll worker while a teenager to serving on the State Board of Elections. Since then I’ve also served as Secretary of State – at the most difficult time for chief election officials in American history. No other candidate can seriously maintain that his qualifications for this Office are superior. In 2020, we learned how critical it is to have a Secretary of State who is prepared for an unpredictable crisis, and can lead.  Stay tuned for our announcements of our Office's Civic Seal program for Kentucky students, and our Civic Health Index, to be released this summer.

2. What is your view on modernizing state election laws? Specifically, do you support automatic voter registration, early voting, universal access to mail-in ballots, later hours at polling locations, offering ballots in multiple languages and other election reforms? Please explain.     

Wheatley (D) - I proudly support the modernization of our elections in Kentucky, including automatic voter registration, expanding early voting to 2 weeks, univermal mail-in ballots, expanding hours at polling locations until 7:00 PM, as allowed for in the Kentucky Constitution, and offering ballots in multiple languages. These are common sense measures that make it easier for Kentuckians to participate in our democracy. I advocated for many of these measures as a State Representative, and I will continue to do so as Secretary of State.

Adams (R) - As Secretary of State, I've done more in 3 years to modernize our election laws than my predecessors did in 200+ years. Early voting, vote centers that prevent a voter from being turned away for showing up at the wrong precinct, the absentee ballot request-and-tracking portal, the absentee ballot cure process, and much more - while other states are going backwards on election administration, we are moving forward, all due to current leadership in the Secretary of State's Office. Just as important, we have prevented bad legislation - of the sort seen recently in other states - from passing, and have effectively countered and sidelined conspiracy theorists who otherwise would pose a threat to our election process.