‘An even deeper dive into our finances.’ Treasurer Allison Ball to run for State Auditor
Allison Joy Ball is seeking another four years in statewide office.
Limited to two terms in her role as State Treasurer, Ball is looking to make the move to Auditor, according to an interview conducted with Bill Bryant on the program Kentucky Newsmakers.
Ball won two landslide election victories to her current post in 2015 and 2019.
“I have loved being a watchdog of taxpayer dollars in the Treasurer’s office… I think there’s no better place for me to continue to use my services than in the Auditor’s office. It’s an even deeper dive into our finances.”
Auditor Mike Harmon, who like Ball is term-limited in his current role, is seeking the governorship. Harmon’s bid to face Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has not yet caught the same amount of wind that his counterparts in other statewide office have: Ryan Quarles posted the most funds raised of any GOP candidate and has publicized a litany of endorsements from local and state officials; Attorney General Daniel Cameron touts an endorsement from former Republican president Donald Trump and has also amassed more than $300,000 in campaign donations.
A former attorney from Eastern Kentucky, Ball has run Kentucky’s least-funded statewide office with a focus on financial literacy, returning unclaimed property to Kentuckians and limiting fraudulent uses of state funds.
Ball made state history when she became the first statewide elected official to give birth while in office in 2018 – she made it again when she delivered a second child in 2021. Ball is also the first Republican to serve two terms in the Treasurer’s office.
No other candidate, Republican or Democrat, has announced a bid for Auditor thus far. Ball’s name had been floated openly for Auditor as early as this Spring. When asked if she thought the race for Auditor would get crowded, she said she thinks her electoral track record of success speaks for itself.
“I’ve been the top vote-getter twice. Hopefully that shows people that I am a strong candidate, and they can look at my track record and see that I work hard and believe in what I’m doing. Hopefully that gets people excited about my race and they’ll say ‘Allison’s the one we want.’”
Ball told Bryant that her experience as Treasurer and her background as a prosecutor – spent four years as an Assistant Floyd County Attorney – would make her a good fit for Auditor. An attorney by trade and member of the conservative legal group The Federalist Society, Ball also added that she considered running for other offices in 2023, but landed on Auditor after some consideration.
As of late July, only one person has filed to run to replace Ball as Treasurer. Andrew Cooperrider, a Lexington business owner who rose to prominence by defying state COVID-19 restrictions and who lost a Republican primary for Senate, has launched a bid. Former deputy treasurer and current Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU) President OJ Oleka has signaled serious interest in a run as well.
