{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Greg Stumbo | image = Greg Stumbo.jpg | caption = Stumbo in 2016 | office = Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives | term_start = January 6, 2009 | term_end = January 1, 2017 | predecessor = Jody Richards | successor = Jeff Hoover | state_house1 = Kentucky | district1 = 95th | term_start1 = February 11, 2008 | term_end1 = January 1, 2017 | predecessor1 = Brandon Spencer | successor1 = Larry D. Brown | term_start2 = January 1, 1980 | term_end2 = January 5, 2004 | predecessor2 = James Allen | successor2 = Chuck Meade | order3 = 48th | office3 = Attorney General of Kentucky | governor3 = Ernie Fletcher<br />Steve Beshear | term_start3 = January 5, 2004 | term_end3 = January 7, 2008 | predecessor3 = Ben Chandler | successor3 = Jack Conway | office4 = Majority Leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives | 1blankname4 = Speaker | 1namedata4 = {{ubl|Donald Blandford|Joe Clarke|Jody Richards}} | term_start4 = January 8, 1985 | term_end4 = January 5, 2004 | predecessor4 = Jim LeMaster | successor4 = Rocky Adkins | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|8|14}} | birth_place = Prestonsburg, Kentucky, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = {{marriage|Mary Karen|June 2, 1998}}<ref>https://www.facebook.com/StumboForAG/photos/a.722431951490307/795928040807364/?type=3&theater {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref> | education = University of Kentucky (BA)<br />University of Louisville (JD) | birth_name = Gregory D. Stumbo | order = 92nd }} '''Gregory D. Stumbo''' (born August 14, 1951) is an American lawyer and former speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Kentucky attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was the Democratic candidate for the 2019 election for attorney general.
==Background and education== Stumbo graduated from the University of Kentucky, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Greg Stumbo|url=https://www.facebook.com/StumboForKentucky/posts/850243205375847 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/715399252193577/850243205375847 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=2020-06-23|website=www.facebook.com|language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He then received his J.D. degree from the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}
==Early career== A native of Prestonsburg in Floyd County, Stumbo served as Assistant Floyd County Attorney and held the position of Martin City Attorney for three years. He also served as trial commissioner to the Floyd County District Court for one year.
Prior to his election as attorney general, Stumbo served in the Kentucky House of Representatives for twelve terms, from 1980 to 2003. During this time Stumbo was Kentucky's longest-serving House Majority Leader (1985–2003). Stumbo returned to the House of Representatives not long after his attorney general term ended.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader|url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article44449347.html|title=House Speaker Greg Stumbo pitching personal-injury law firm in TV commercials.|date=2013-10-17|author=John Cheves}}</ref>
==Attorney General of Kentucky== Stumbo was elected as attorney general in November 2003, taking office in January 2004.<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.e-archives.ky.gov/pubs/AG/ag_2005_biennial_report.pdf |title=2005 Biennial Report |publisher=Kentucky Office of the Attorney General |access-date=2020-06-14 |archive-date=2016-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226225730/http://www.e-archives.ky.gov/pubs/AG/ag_2005_biennial_report.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Stumbo's office led an investigation into the hiring practices of Kentucky Republican governor Ernie Fletcher which resulted in indictments, but was dismissed by agreement with the prosecutors. On September 12, 2007, Stumbo sued Fletcher for appointing too many Republicans to the governing bodies of state universities. State law requires "proportional representation of the two leading political parties" based on voter registration. A majority of registered voters in Kentucky are Democrats, but Fletcher appointed seven Republicans and two Democrats to the University of Kentucky and eight Republicans and two Democrats to the University of Louisville.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Associated Press|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070912/NEWS01/70912016/1008|title=Stumbo sues Fletcher over board appointments|date=2007-09-12|author=Staff writer}}</ref>
Stumbo was also, in his time as Attorney General, known for leading a somewhat controversial and very effective attack on the sale of prescription drugs over the internet and through "pill mills", which led to the most stringent laws preventing these sales in the nation. The Ryan Haight Act, the federal law that prohibits the internet-only-based sale of narcotic prescription drugs by these same websites was modeled on the law Stumbo passed in Kentucky. A large part of the controversy surrounding Stumbo's efforts to control the sale of internet "prescriptions" was based in the objections of other states, who saw Stumbo's efforts intruding on their own state sovereignty and authority, particularly in the states where the internet pharmacy sites were based. Stumbo also faced considerable criticism from pain patient's rights groups, particularly The Pain Relief Network and its president, Siobhan Reynolds, who threatened to file lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the proposed law. The suit was never filed and the law became the first in the nation requiring registration of internet pharmacies, wherever they were located, in the state in order for them to deliver any medication to Kentucky.
In 2019, Stumbo became the Democratic nominee for attorney general once again, running unopposed in the Democratic primary. His major party opponent was Daniel Cameron, a lawyer in private practice who had won the Republican primary.<ref name=drugs/> Cameron had worked for two years, beginning in 2011, for U.S. senator Mitch McConnell. Cameron told ''The Courier-Journal'' on December 21, 2018, that, if elected, he intended to focus on Kentucky's prescription opioid crisis.<ref name=drugs>[https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2018/12/21/mitch-mcconnell-former-legal-counsel-daniel-cameron-potential-kentucky-attorney-general-run/2381931002/ Mitch McConnell's former lawyer may run for Kentucky attorney general], ''Courier-Journal'', Phillip M. Bailey, December 21, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2019.</ref> Cameron defeated Stumbo, 57.7% to 42.3%.
==Other statewide elections== Stumbo was the running mate for Bruce Lunsford in the 2007 Democratic gubernatorial primary, but their ticket lost to that of Steve Beshear and Daniel Mongiardo, 40.9% to 20.4%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=6554860&nav=menu203_2 |title=LEX18 - Lexington, KY - News, Weather, Sports - Fletcher, Beshear to Face off in Nov |accessdate=2007-06-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928094947/http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=6554860&nav=menu203_2 |archivedate=2007-09-28 }}</ref>
Stumbo formed an exploratory committee to run against Senator Mitch McConnell in 2008, but did not run for the office.
==Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives== On January 6, 2009, he was endorsed by Democratic lawmakers to be the party's nominee for Speaker of the House.<ref name="AP">{{cite news|url=http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/37171034.html|title=Stumbo Endorsed For House Speaker|date=2009-01-06|publisher=Associated Press via WKYT-TV|accessdate=2009-01-06}}</ref> He was sworn in as Speaker the next day, January 7.<ref name="C-J">{{cite news|url=http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/90107011/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722171203/http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090107/NEWS01/90107011/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-22|title=Stumbo takes gavel as House speaker|publisher=Associated Press via The Courier-Journal|accessdate=2009-01-07}}</ref>
Stumbo advocates creating new usable land for recreational opportunities from strip mining techniques, as well as other forms of post-mining economic reclamation. As an indication of his commitment to Kentucky's coal industry, Stumbo built his home in Prestonburg on a clearing where a mountaintop used to be, near the manicured 18-hole Stone Crest Golf Course.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/29/AR2010122902401_3.html|title=AP Enterprise: Few sites redeveloped after mining|date=2010-12-29|publisher=Associated Press via The Washington Post|accessdate=2011-01-01}}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
On November 8, 2016, Stumbo was defeated by Republican challenger Larry D. Brown<ref>{{cite news | last1=Brammer | first1=Jack | title=House Speaker Greg Stumbo Ousted by Eastern Kentucky Voters | url=http://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article113430693.html | date=November 8, 2016 | newspaper=Lexington Herald-Leader | accessdate=November 26, 2016}}</ref> In reaction to this, the Republican Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, who had strongly opposed Stumbo and vice versa, remarked "'good riddance'...he will not be missed one bit. Kentucky will be better for his absence."<ref>{{cite web | last1=Loftus | first1=Tom | title=Gov. Bevin: 'Good Riddance' to Greg Stumbo | url=https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/ky-governor/2016/11/09/gov-bevin-good-riddance-greg-stumbo/93536558/ | date=November 9, 2016 | website=courier-journal.com | accessdate=November 26, 2016}}</ref>
== Law career == In 2013, Stumbo became a partner at the Florida-based personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Greg Stumbo}} *[http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legislator/h095.htm Representative Greg Stumbo (D), Speaker of the House] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100728123324/http://www.lrc.ky.gov/legislator/H095.htm |date=2010-07-28 }} ''official Kentucky Legislature site'' * {{CongLinks | congbio= | votesmart=4137 | fec= | congress= }}<!-- Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template: * [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=19712 Financial information (state office)] at the National Institute for Money in State Politics * --> * [http://www.kentuckyvotes.org/SearchVotes.aspx?EntityID=14354 Bills, amendments and roll call votes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113183423/http://www.kentuckyvotes.org/SearchVotes.aspx?EntityID=14354 |date=2016-01-13 }} from KentuckyVotes.org * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040422115119/http://ag.ky.gov/bio.htm |date=April 22, 2004 |title=Attorney General Greg Stumbo }} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070317041621/http://www.lunsfordstumbo2007.com/ |date=March 17, 2007 |title=2007 Campaign Site }} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080124185329/http://www.stumbo2008.com/ |date=January 24, 2008 |title=2008 Exploratory Campaign Site }}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef | before = Ben Chandler}} {{s-ttl | title = {{nowrap|Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Kentucky}} | years = 2003}} {{s-aft | after = Jack Conway}} |- {{s-bef | before = Andy Beshear}} {{s-ttl | title = {{nowrap|Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Kentucky}} | years = 2019}} {{s-aft | after = Pamela Stevenson}} |- {{s-legal}} {{s-bef | before = Ben Chandler}} {{s-ttl | title = Attorney General of Kentucky | years = January 5, 2004 – January 7, 2008}} {{s-aft | after = Jack Conway}} |- {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before = Jim LeMaster}} {{s-ttl | title = Majority leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives | years = January 8, 1985 – January 5, 2004}} {{s-aft | after = Rocky Adkins}} |- {{s-bef | before = Jody Richards}} {{s-ttl | title = Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives | years = January 6, 2009 – January 1, 2017}} {{s-aft | after = Jeff Hoover}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stumbo, Greg}} Category:1951 births Category:American prosecutors Category:Kentucky attorneys general Category:Living people Category:People from Prestonburg, Kentucky Category:Speakers of the Kentucky House of Representatives Category:Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Category:University of Kentucky alumni Category:University of Louisville School of Law alumni Category:20th-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly Category:21st-century members of the Kentucky General Assembly