[15] He also co-chaired task forces charged with investigating changes to the state's regulation of electrical utilities and the exposure of workers at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant to radioactive plutonium.

[25][30][31] Conway countered with a rally at the headquarters of the local chapter of the United Auto Workers – who gave him their endorsement – featuring then-Democratic House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt.

[34] The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee tried to convince Conway to run again for the same seat in 2004, but he declined, saying another loss could damage his nascent political career.

[38] After State Auditor Crit Luallen and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson declined to seek the 2007 Democratic nomination for governor, Conway told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he would "step up and look at the race", although he conceded he would need to move quickly to raise enough money to run a competitive campaign.

[11] The paper's editorial board endorsed Conway, although it opined, "Democrats can't go wrong Tuesday when they pick a nominee for attorney general.

[55] During the forum, Conway reiterated his priorities of reducing drug and Internet crimes, while Lee trumpeted his support for right-to-work laws and opposition to Kentucky's prevailing wage requirements.

[55] Conway responded that he opposed caps on medical malpractice awards but favored other "common sense" ways to reduce frivolous lawsuits.

[56] Conway said he supported rehabilitation activities in lieu of jail time for nonviolent offenders, while Lee maintained that incarceration was a deterrent to crime and said the state should study whether or not more penal institutions should be constructed.

[56] Lee attacked incumbent Attorney General Greg Stumbo's investigation of Governor Ernie Fletcher's hiring practices as politically motivated.

[56] He also thought politics motivated Stumbo's suits against OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma for the drug's widespread abuse in Appalachia and Marathon Petroleum for price gouging in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

[59] The bill, which The Hazard Herald reported was written by Conway – was reintroduced by Representative Johnny Bell in the 2009 General Assembly, passing both chambers and being signed into law by Beshear in late March 2009.

[60] In April 2008, Governor Steve Beshear requested a non-binding legal opinion from Conway regarding the hiring of Brad Cowgill as president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.

[68] After Ike triggered strong winds and storm damage in Kentucky, Conway's office issued a notice that the consumer protections also extended to construction contractors and individuals selling electrical generators to residents without power.

[70] Conway proposed a settlement in the dispute between the states of Kentucky and Ohio over the Indian Head Rock, an 8-short-ton (7,300 kg) boulder registered as a historical artifact in 1987.

In October 2009, his office announced the arrest of 322 people in Eastern Kentucky in connection with a joint state-federal investigation of a multi-state prescription drug pipeline stretching from Pennsylvania to Florida.

[79] Asked in November 2008 if he would consider challenging incumbent Republican Senator Jim Bunning for his seat in the 2010 election, Conway responded, "It's nice to be talked about.

"[80] Politico described Conway as a viable candidate, citing his large margin of victory in the 2008 campaign for attorney general, his fundraising ability, and the age difference between him and Bunning.

[82] With two Democratic candidates – Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo and former U.S. Customs agent Darlene Fitzgerald Price – already in the race, Conway said in February 2009 that he would make an announcement about his plans after the General Assembly adjourned on March 27.

[94] Saying he would ask to be assigned to the Senate Armed Services committee if elected, he criticized President Barack Obama's decision to increase the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan in the lead-up to Operation Strike of the Sword in June 2009.

[95] Mongiardo opposed the bill, saying "If Jack Conway believes this is the magic solution to health care, it's proof that we need to send a doctor to the Senate, not just another politician.

"[citation needed] On May 18, 2010, Conway narrowly won the primary election to secure the Democratic nomination and face Republican nominee Rand Paul for the Senate seat in November 2010.

[106] In the general election held on November 3, 2015, Republican Matt Bevin defeated Conway 52.5% to 43.8% with independent candidate Drew Curtis receiving 4% of the vote.

[6][107] A July 2010 review of Conway's public statements over the last decade by The Courier-Journal found that while he does have liberal views on some issues such as reproductive rights and health-care reform, his outlook is conservative or moderate on others, including the death penalty.

[110] In March 2014, Conway joined Kentucky to a lawsuit filed by Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster against California's egg production standards.

Judge Kimberly Mueller ruled that Kentucky and the other states lacked legal standing to sue on behalf of their residents and that the plaintiffs were representing solely the interests of egg farmers, not "a substantial statement of their populations.

[116] In a 2002 Project Vote Smart survey, Conway stated, "I support the 2nd Amendment--and believe there is nothing wrong with owning a gun for personal protection or recreation."

[118] In 2010, Conway told The Courier-Journal that he now opposes the Iraq War because the Bush administration overstated Saddam Hussein's efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction, adding that "In this case, they trumped up the intelligence and then they didn't have a plan for winning the peace".

[121] If elected to the Senate, Conway says the first piece of legislation he will introduce would repeal what he calls a "sweetheart deal" for the pharmaceutical industry that currently prohibits Medicare from negotiating for lower prices on prescription drugs.

[123] In his 2002 run for Congress Conway stated that raising the retirement age and cutting benefit levels "to save Social Security" has to be considered, but retracted these comments by November 2002.

[127][128] Conway has pledged his steadfast support of Operation UNITE,[129] an anti-drug initiative in Kentucky that receives the majority of its funding at the federal level.