By Jill Laster and Josey Montana McCoy

FRANKFORT — As supporters thronged around Jack Conway, the Democratic attorney general candidate happily shook their hands and answered questions from the media.

Conway had just won the election for attorney general with about 61 percent of the vote, beating his Republican challenger, Stan Lee.

When he left the Farnham Dungeon Civic Center in Frankfort to meet his wife, Conway’s smile faded as he strode down the hallway, followed by members of his campaign team.

“The fear of failure scares you,” Conway said. “You have to campaign like you’re running scared. You’ve got to run like you’re 10,000 behind.”

After running a campaign under those terms since he announced his candidacy in January, Conway said he knew the first thing he would do now that the race was over.

“I’m going to sit down in my chair and relax,” Conway said.

But Conway must begin preparing the budget for the attorney general’s office to present to the General Assembly, which convenes in January.

Along with the new budget, Conway said he will also begin work to create an Internet crimes unit to fight sexual predators and scams targeting senior citizens, to crackdown on illegal drugs and to protect Kentucky resources like clean air and national forests.

Lee, a state representative of District 45, which covers part of Fayette County, and minority whip in the Kentucky House of Representatives, said last night in his concession speech at the Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington that he is proud of the work he has done for the commonwealth and is looking forward to continuing that service.

“It is a good night to be an American, it is a good night to be a Kentuckian and it is a good night to be a Lexingtonian,” Lee said. “I’m very glad to be here.”

Lee said he thanked the Lord for giving him the opportunity to run for attorney general.

“I never in my wildest dreams would have thought a little boy from Lebanon, Kentucky, an old farm boy, would have an opportunity to run for statewide office,” he said.

Lee thanked many others including his wife, Tammy, for her support and daughter, Addie, for allowing him to “shamelessly put her picture” on many of his campaign advertisements.

“I did have an opportunity to call Jack Conway and congratulate him on his win,” he said. “I pledged to him to continue to work to make Kentucky a safer place for all of us, and that’s what I intend to do.”