Republican candidate for Attorney General Whitney Westerfield says, if elected, he intends to leverage the power of the office to push back against the federal government on a host of issues.
In a recent interview with cn|2, the state Senator from Hopkinsville expressed disappointment with what he calls Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway’s “lack of action” on immigration, religious liberty, healthcare policy, and energy – all of which he characterizes as areas where the federal government has exceeded its authority.
"What the Attorney General can do is fight in court, in the one place that we can fight, to push back against some of these regulations that are hurting Kentucky... Even though President Obama is not going to be there through all my first term in office, he has set forth a dangerous precedent. The immigration issue alone has been the most recent one that comes to mind," he told Pure Politics.
While Conway has joined lawsuits challenging new EPA coal regulations, Westerfield is promising more lawsuits on more fronts. He also wants bolstered resources for state prosecutors, an upgraded cyber crimes unit, and more streamlined policies within agencies.
Westerfield has one challenger in the GOP primary, Lawrence County Republican Mike Hogan. The winner will go on to face Democrat Andy Beshear.
