John William Conway (born July 5, 1969) is an American lawyer and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, Conway served as the 49th Attorney General of Kentucky from January 7, 2008 to January 4, 2016. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was the nominee for in the 2002 elections, narrowly losing to Republican incumbent Anne Northup. Conway was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 U.S. Senate election, seeking the seat of the retiring Republican Senator Jim Bunning. He lost the general election to Republican nominee Rand Paul on November 2, 2010. He won re-election to a second term as Attorney General in 2011 with 55% of the vote. Conway ran for Governor of Kentucky in the 2015 gubernatorial election, with State Representative Sannie Overly as his running mate. During the primary election held on May 19, 2015, Conway easily defeated retired engineer Geoff Young for the Democratic Party nomination. The Republican nominee Matt Bevin defeated Conway 52.5% to 43.8% with independent candidate Drew Curtis receiving 4% in the November 3, 2015 general election. Conway currently practices law with Thompson, Shepherd & Conway, focusing primarily on medical negligence, products liability, personal injury, trucking and auto accidents, and general negligence. He also sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center. Personal life Conway was born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in a Roman Catholic family, the eldest of four siblings. His parents are Tom, a Louisville lawyer, and Barbara Conway. A graduate of St. Xavier High School, Conway earned a bachelor's degree in public policy studies from Duke University in 1991. From 1991-97, he worked as legislative aide to the U.S. House Banking Committee. He graduated with a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School in 1995. On May 20, 2006, Conway married Elizabeth Davenport; the couple has two children. Conway and his father are partners in thoroughbred racehorse Stately Victor, named after Jack's childhood best friend, whose given name was Victor, who died at age 23. On April 11, 2010 the colt won the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes and later ran in the Kentucky Derby. Political career Conway joined Paul E. Patton's gubernatorial campaign in September 1995. After being elected, Patton employed Conway as legal counsel to his executive cabinet and his chief energy advisor. Conway was the primary architect of the Kentucky Higher Education Reform Act of