Will T. Scott, former Kentucky Supreme Court justice, says he will run for governor

FRANKFORT — Will T. Scott of Pikeville, who stepped down Jan. 2 as a Kentucky Supreme Court justice, has decided to run for governor.

Scott, a Republican, said during an interview Tuesday as he was cleaning out his Capitol office that he soon will officially announce his candidacy, and his running mate for lieutenant governor.

Scott, 67, would become the third announced Republican candidate for governor. The other two are state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer of Tompkinsville and Louisville businessman Hal Heiner.

Scott said he "will not run on hate. I will be running on hope and promises, good ideas for government for the 4.1 million Kentuckians."

Scott was elected to the Supreme Court from the 7th District in 2004. He was deputy chief justice from 2006 to 2010.

Scott was a circuit judge from 1984 to 1988. Before that, he practiced law as a trial attorney from 1975 to 1980 and was an assistant commonwealth's attorney for Pike County from 1981 to 1982.

From 1988 to 2004, he practiced law in Pikeville. During that time, he made unsuccessful runs for Congress and state attorney general.

A native of Pike County, Scott attended Eastern Kentucky University for a year before volunteering for the Army in 1966. He was a first lieutenant in Vietnam.

Only two Democrats have said so far that they are in the race: Attorney General Jack Conway and retired engineer Geoff Young of Lexington.

The filing deadline is Jan. 27.

House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, said Tuesday he is being encouraged to run but has not decided.

This story was originally published January 6, 2015 at 7:16 PM with the headline "Will T. Scott, former Kentucky Supreme Court justice, says he will run for governor."