Alison Lundergan Grimes
Alison Lundergan Grimes is the youngest Secretary of State in the nation. Named a “rising star of the Democratic Party,” she is one of the only remaining statewide elected female Democrats in the South. Alison champions the ideal that’s at her core: every person deserves a fair shake and an equal chance.
She took the nation by storm when, at 35 years old, she ran for the United States Senate. She made her campaign about standing up for women’s rights, veterans’ rights, workers’ rights, and human rights. Despite over $70 million spent against her, Alison kept the race neck-and-neck to the very end in one of the most conservative states in the nation.
Hailed as a “Southern steel magnolia,” Alison has led the Democratic ticket in every race she has run and never backed away from a challenge. Her lifelong passion is to give a voice to the voiceless. Alison learned the value of public service at an early age by helping to take people to the polls on election day and by volunteering with her family, including distributing Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless.
As Secretary of State, Alison is recognized nationally as a leading voice in the fight to protect voting rights. She led the opposition to the President’s sham voting commission, noting “there’s not enough bourbon in Kentucky” for her to turn over voter information. She ushered in historic online voter registration in Kentucky and made it easier for military service members to cast ballots. She is a steadfast advocate for the restoration of voting rights for Kentucky’s non-violent felons who have paid their debts to society.
As Secretary, Alison has fought for public education and expanded the role of the office to focus on driving citizen engagement. She is leading a statewide movement to legalize cannabis for medical use in support of thousands of Kentuckians – especially veterans with PTSD – who seek an alternative to addictive opioids. Alison is also active in the fight to end hunger and her office conducts a massive statewide food drive annually.
Before beginning her career in public service, Alison provided free legal help to victims of domestic violence. As a successful business attorney, Alison helped businesses open and expand, allowing them to create jobs and foster economic growth. Alison has always worked to increase opportunities for every Kentuckian.
Alison travels the nation on behalf of Democrats as a high-demand surrogate with an essential message from her experience as a statewide official in Kentucky: rural voters matter. She routinely appears in national media as an authority on voting rights, including MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, NPR, and the New York Times.
Alison received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. She obtained her law degree with honors from American University, Washington College of Law, in Washington, DC. Alison lives with her husband, Andrew, in Lexington, Kentucky.
Keep in touch with Alison at @AlisonForKY on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.