Fmr. Democratic Nominee for Treasurer Plans to Run Again in 2023

A former Democratic nominee for state Treasurer Michael Bowman plans to run again for the Constitutional office next year in an open seat race.

Bowman was the 2019 Democratic nominee for Treasurer, who lost to Allison Ball in her re-election. Ball finished the contest with nearly 61 percent of the vote to Bowman’s 39 percent.

“Three years ago today, I became the Democratic nominee for State Treasurer…and a year from now, I plan to do it again,” Bowman wrote online over the weekend.

Ball, R-Kentucky, is term-limited next year, which creates an opportunity for her former Chief of Staff OJ Oleka to run on the Republican side of the ticket. Oleka currently serves as the President of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU). A source familiar with Oleka’s thinking says he is very likely to run.

Open seat races nearly always draw out other potential candidates. So far, no one has officially filed paperwork with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance to begin raising money for the race.