Most of the political class has already shifted their attention to 2024. But this November, key races are being fought nationwide— most notably in Virginia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi. In Kentucky, Governor Andy Beshear is fighting to keep his position as one of the only Democratic Governors in the Deep South. But he’s not the only Democrat battling it out in the Bluegrass state.
The Root sat down with Colonel Pam Stevenson — who is running to replace Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Stevenson, a Louisville, Kentucky, native, is a relatively new face in politics. The Air Force Colonel was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2020, where she earned a reputation for saying her mind in the Republican-controlled chamber. Stevenson went viral in March for speaking out against a law banning gender-affirming care for transgender youth and placing restrictions on teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity.
She made history earlier this year when she became the first Black woman nominated by a party as Attorney General in Kentucky. Looking back at Stevenson’s career, it’s clear she’s no stranger to breaking barriers.
A Career In Public Service
“I served 27 years in the Air Force and retired as a Colonel and came back to do for Kentucky what I did for America,” she said, “because they gave me the difficult jobs in the Air Force, negotiations, traveling all around the world, just working with people of all different cultures just making things happen for America. And I was pretty good.”
Stevenson served as a Judge Advocate Officer in the Air Force — a type of highly specialized attorney who handles a wide portfolio of legal issues for the military. She says the same passion that drove her in the Air Force is what drives her to want to take up the mantle of Attorney General. “I love serving something bigger than myself,” she says.
The Colonel wasn’t idle in the years between her departure from the Air Force and her entree into the political arena. Before her run for public office, Stevenson, opened up a non-profit law firm for people who didn’t qualify for legal aid. And after serving in the Kentucky House for two years, Gov. Beshear asked Stevenson to run with him for the open Attorney General seat. Spoiler alert: she took him up on his offer.
“We’re running to make a difference for all Kentuckians,” she says, reflecting on how her Air Force experience shaped her perspective. “No matter what country I was in, no matter what the language was, people want the same things. They want their children to do better. They want their lives to matter. And they want it to matter that they were here.”
What Would Stevenson Do As Attorney General?
If she wins next month, Stevenson will replace Daniel Cameron — the much-maligned Attorney General called the killing of Breonna Taylor “justified.”
For her part, Stevenson says that while there are issues with the police, she believes they still have a crucial role in promoting public safety. “We need police officers. Period. So we need to get police officers resources to do the job the way it was designed to be done, to protect and serve people,” she says.
On the issue of abortion, Stevenson draws a clear line between herself and her predecessor. Cameron and her Republican opponent, Russell Coleman, are both staunchly anti-abortion. “I always go back to my service,” says Stevenson, “everybody that died for this country... the older people that died on those battlefields, died so that people can be free. They died for the promise of America. They died so that we could have rights... and that includes the right to privacy, the right to your body.”
Although Stevenson did not discuss specifics on how she would handle the state’s abortion ban, she stressed that while she had to follow the law on this issue, she also had to follow the will of the people of Kentucky.
“The people have spoken,” she said, referencing the fact that the referendum to strip abortion rights from the constitution failed, “The Attorney General is the people’s lawyer... It is about what the people of the state say they want for their lives. And my job is to find that out and make it happen as long as it’s legal.”
As Attorney General, Stevenson said she would focus on marginalized groups in the state.“There are vulnerable populations that we just don’t pay attention to,” she says, “the elderly, children in Foster Care systems, disabled people... So we look for the issues that affect those people and give them a voice in the government.”
Guns, a hot-button issue nationwide, but particularly in the South, was another area where Stevenson wanted to see a shift. “Nobody is going to take everybody’s guns. We’re just talking about responsible gun ownership,” she says. “Every right you have in the constitution has a corresponding responsibility. You can’t yell fire in a theater, and you still have freedom of speech. So with every right, there’s a responsibility.”
Election Day
Stevenson will face off against Coleman, a former US Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky under Donald Trump in November. Election day is November 7th. However, early voting without an excuse runs from November 2nd to the 4th.