STUMBO SAILS TO VICTORY AS NEXT ATTORNEY GENERAL

Wood And Galbraith Had Own Hurdles, Less Money

Veteran state Rep. Greg Stumbo fended off attacks on his personal life and
attempts to tar him with scandals in Frankfort, winning the race for
attorney general by a comfortable margin.

Stumbo defeated Republican Jack D. Wood of Louisville and Gatewood
Galbraith of Lexington, who ran as an independent.

Stumbo, 52, of Prestonsburg, had won a dozen terms in the state House, but
the race for attorney general was his first statewide campaign. The win
means he will be the highest-ranking Democrat in the state government.

Stumbo faced some of the sharpest criticism in the race over an allegation
that he reneged on promises to support a child he fathered with one woman
in 1988 while married to someone else.

Stumbo said he began paying child support after a test showed he was the
father, and that he has never been in violation of any payment order. He
also argued the issue was private and had no bearing on his fitness to be
attorney general.

Last night, Stumbo said he was proud he ran a positive campaign. The win
shows voters want to hear about vision and leadership, not attacks, he said.

He said he'll begin work right away on plans for taking over as attorney
general, which will happen in early January. Denis Fleming, who has been
general counsel for Gov. Paul Patton, will be his top deputy, Stumbo said.

Stumbo said he has not made commitments for any other jobs.

Stumbo enjoyed much better name recognition in the race because of his
legislative career, and had an overpowering financial edge.

As of late October he had spent $323,164, while Galbraith had spent $15,607
and Wood had spent $5,628.

Stumbo said one factor in his win was that he put forth the most detailed plan.

Some observers felt that after a primary win over tough opponents, Stumbo
faced weak challengers in the general election.

Galbraith, 56, acknowledged he uses marijuana, and the IRS claims he owes
$110,000 in back taxes. Wood, 52, was disciplined over allegations of
improper conduct or poor performance when he was a district judge in the
early 1980s and an assistant county attorney in the early 1990s, and the
Republican establishment essentially shunned him.

Galbraith said he couldn't overcome Stumbo's money. But he said he was
proud that in Fayette County, where he and his message were best-known, he
received a third of the vote.

Stumbo ran on a platform of getting tougher on drugs. The proposal includes
creating a Kentucky Bureau of Investigation; expanding use of drug courts
to get drug abusers into treatment; and opening branch offices in Eastern
and Western Kentucky to support local prosecutors and to help citizens.

"I won't rest until we have taken our state back" from drug pushers, Stumbo
told cheering supporters at a victory rally in Pres-tonsburg.

His other priorities include helping vulnerable citizens, including the
poor and elderly, with issues such as consumer fraud and identity theft;
and pursuing investigations and lawsuits to protect the environment.

The win gives Stumbo a leg up for future races, some political observers
said. He has been mentioned as a candidate someday for governor or Congress.

But Stumbo said the worst thing he could do would be to begin plotting a
run for governor. He said he likes Republican U.S. Rep. Ernie Fletcher, the
governor-elect, and pledged to work with him for progress.

"All I want to do is be the best attorney general I can for four years," he
said.

Attorney general

Candidate Votes Percent

Greg Stumbo (D) 490,138 47.7

Jack D. Wood (R) 427,632 41.6

Gatewood Galbraith (I) 109,085 10.6

100 percent of precincts reporting