Kentucky AG Conway says he learned from setbacks in prior campaign

Louisville, Ky. (AP) — Jack Conway made a snap decision he soon regretted — launching an attack ad dragging religion into the 2010 U.S. Senate campaign. The backlash contributed to Conway's decisive loss to Republican Rand Paul, but became a defining moment for the Kentucky Democrat.

Conway, now his party's nominee for governor, is in his second statewide campaign since the infamous commercial. But the lessons learned still influence how he confronts big decisions, said Conway, the state's attorney general.

After a full day of campaigning in 2010, Conway got his first look at the ad late at night.

A quick decision was needed. Conway authorized it, but the ad backfired. A furious Paul said the commercial inappropriately questioned his religious faith by raising questions about alleged incidents from his college years.

Looking back on it now, Conway said: "I've learned along the way that whenever anyone is pushing me to make a decision that goes against my gut, that's the time to stop, step back, get all the counsel around me that I need and then make the decision that I simply think is right."

It would be a guiding principle if he defeats Republican Matt Bevin in next Tuesday's gubernatorial election, Conway said.

He's already applied that lesson in making his most politically charged decision as attorney general — opting not to appeal a federal judge's order that Kentucky recognize same-sex marriages.

"I had a lot of people telling me that I had to do something and do it quick," he said. "My gut was telling me that the good-paying jobs of the future were coming to states with policies of inclusivity. So I slowed the process down and followed my gut."

His wife, Elizabeth, played a key role as he sorted out whether to appeal.

"She just sat me down ... and she said, 'You stink when you're not authentic.' She knew where my gut was," he said.

Conway soon announced he would not continue defending the state's same-sex marriage ban, and became tearful as he thanked those who counseled him, especially his wife. The following year, a divided U.S. Supreme Court said same-sex couples have the right to marry nationwide.

Conway shrugs off comments poking fun at his tearful announcement: "Look, I'm human."

It was a rare show of emotion from someone seemingly more comfortable delving into policy.

Conway, 46, has been on ballots since 2002, when he lost to then-U.S. Rep. Anne Northup in the Louisville area. Even in defeat, Conway — with his telegenic looks and educational pedigree — was pegged as a rising Democratic star.

But reaching that potential hasn't come easily.

Conway was elected attorney general in 2007 and re-elected in 2011.

McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said Conway, his friend, showed resilience in defeat in 2010.

"It made him more determined," Hayden said. "It certainly didn't dampen his spirits. ... He bounced right back."

Former Jefferson County GOP chairman Jack Richardson IV said Conway would be unlikely to go against unions and other core supporters. The result, if Conway wins, would be a status-quo governorship when Kentucky needs new direction, Richardson said.

"He's ... not going to do too much to ruffle the feathers that need to be ruffled," Richardson said.

Conway grew up in Louisville. His father was a Southern Baptist from western Kentucky and his mother a Catholic from Louisville.

Conway attended Catholic schools and served as an altar boy. He was the first on his mother's side of the family to attend college, earning his bachelor's degree from Duke University and a law degree from George Washington University.

He planned to clerk for a judge but the clerkship didn't start for a few months. So he volunteered on Paul Patton's 1995 gubernatorial campaign in Kentucky. Conway stayed on, serving in senior-level cabinet positions and meeting his wife.

"It's funny how life can kind of turn like that, but my life certainly did," he said.

The Conways have two young daughters. His family life has given him a broader perspective, he said.

"When I talk about early childhood education, I don't talk about it as a guy that's read a policy paper," he said. "I talk about it as a dad."

By Bruce Schreiner, Associated Press. Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Gayly – October 27, 2015 @ 11 a.m.