Kentucky: Conway (D) — 54.95 percent over P’Pool (R) — 45.05 percent
Louisiana: Caldwell (R) — Unopposed
Mississippi: Hood (D) — 61 percent over Simpson (R) — 39 percent (unofficial)
Attorneys General Jack Conway (D-Ky.), Buddy Caldwell (R-La.) and Jim Hood (D-Miss.) have been re-elected to four-year terms. Both Conway and Caldwell were re-elected to their second terms, while Hood was re-elected to his third term.
Kentucky
Conway’s winning percentage over Hopkins County Attorney Todd P’Pool (R) was just under 55 percent. When first elected in 2007, he garnered 61 percent of the vote. Prior to his election in 2007, Conway worked as a private lawyer and in the administration of then-Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton (D). In 2002, he ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House of Representatives in Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District, losing to then-incumbent Anne Northup (R). In 2010, he unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate, losing to Rand Paul (R) by a 55-44 percent margin.
Louisiana
Caldwell, who changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in February 2011, was re-elected without opposition. Prior to his election as Attorney General, Caldwell was the district attorney for Madison, East Carroll and Tensas parishes in northeastern Louisiana for 29 years.
Mississippi
Hood was re-elected with approximately 61 percent of the vote over former Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Steve Simpson (R). In 2007, Hood was re-elected with 60 percent of the vote. Prior to his election in 2003, Hood served for eight years as a district attorney and, thereafter, for five years as a special assistant attorney general in the Drug Asset Forfeiture Unit of then-Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore (D), whom he succeeded in office.
Looking Forward
The 2012 election cycle has the potential to be much more volatile, with Attorney General elections scheduled in 10 states. Incumbent Attorneys General in Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Vermont and West Virginia are expected to run for re-election, but the Attorneys General will change hands in Montana and Washington, where current Attorneys General Steve Bullock (D-Mont.) and Rob McKenna (R-Wash.) are running for Governor. In addition, Attorneys General John Kroger (D-Ore.), Linda Kelly (R-Pa.) and Mark Shurtleff (R-Utah) have announced their intention not to stand for election in 2012. Lastly, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, who is not up for re-election until 2014, is vying for the Republican nomination for a U.S. Senate seat in 2012.
For more information, please contact any of the following lawyers:
Nicholas M. Gess
Of Counsel, Bingham McCutchen
Principal, Bingham Consulting
nicholas.gess@bingham.com
202.373.6218
This article was originally published by Bingham McCutchen LLP.