Former two-term Republican State Auditor Mike Harmon says he is “considering” running for either Secretary of State or, perhaps, a congressional seat.
“There's always the potential if I feel like God leads me,” Harmon told Kentucky Today. “If I were to look at anything, I would probably look at Secretary of State.”
Current Secretary of State Michael Adams is term-limited and leaves office at the end of 2027.
Harmon says he is also keeping an eye on possible run for Congress if 1st District Rep. James Comer decides to run for governor.
“If he were to run for the governor’s office, I think he would stand a good chance of winning, and if he did win that would open up the first congressional district,” said Harmon. “I would consider either one of those and will certainly be in prayer about it. But right now, I very much enjoy being at the Commonwealth Policy Center.”
Harmon became State Outreach Director for the Commonwealth Policy Center, a Christian conservative public policy advocacy group, in May after leaving the Auditor’s office a few months earlier.
“I took early retirement, spent some time with grandkids, we did some home improvements. Then I went and sold insurance for a while. Then out of the blue, Richard Nelson, who's the executive director (of Commonwealth Policy), called and asked me to consider being on the board.”
Harmon agreed and, soon after, was asked to join the staff.
“It was a true blessing. Over the years of my career, I've always tried to have a biblical worldview.
Harmon says he quickly discovered that the job is a lot like running a political campaign.
“Going to a lot of Lincoln Day dinners, going into a lot of events, reaching out to our legislators,” he said. “I've written some articles … and we do candidate training.”
Harmon lost his last run for statewide office, the Republican primary for governor in 2023, but he said God taught him a lot in the process.
“We need to follow God's calling, whatever it is. But it doesn't always mean it's going to be easy. It doesn't mean you're going to win. But we still got to follow his calling,” said Harmon. “I'm not saying God had me run for governor necessarily to humble me, but over my life, there have been events in my life that God has used to humble and mold and make me.”
Harmon, a long-time member of Junction City First Baptist Church, says Christians should not shy away from running for office. He points to what someone said to him when it became clear that he would win a seat in the State House of Representatives.
“Somebody came up to me and said, ‘You know if you win, you have to set your faith aside when you go up to Frankfort.’ I was like, ‘Well if I can set my faith aside, I really don't have a faith because God wants us to take our faith into politics as well.’
“Some people are called to preach. Some people were called to be bakers or carpenters or plumbers — and some people were called to be politicians. We need politicians that will be up there, that will stand in the gap.”
You can listen to the entire interview on the Kentucky Today podcast.
FILE -Former State Auditor Mike Harmon told Kentucky Today he may not be through with politics. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)
