Bipartisan keynote conversation on the 2026 midterms, civic participation, and what comes next.
Michael G. Adams is Kentucky's 86th Secretary of State. He was inaugurated as Secretary of State in 2020, just before the onset of coronavirus, and used emergency powers to conduct safe and secure elections that became a model for other states. Having expanded voter access while also tightening election integrity, in 2021 Adams presented the state legislature with the most ambitious election reform plan since 1891, and it passed both chambers with near-unanimous support. Michael's work in making it easy to vote and hard to cheat has earned praise throughout America and across party lines.
In 2024, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented Michael the JFK Profile in Courage Award, which recognizes public servants who have risked their careers by putting the public interest ahead of their own political standing. In 2025, Michael was named Public Official of the Year by Governing Magazine, one of seven nationally.
Sessions
- Bipartisan Keynote Conversation: Elections & Civic Engagement Tuesday, November 17, 2026