The Daily Independent: Ashland native runs for County attorney
Aaron Snyder, The Daily Independent
An Ashland native has launched a campaign to become the attorney for the most populated county in Kentucky.
Sarah Martin, a 1994 graduate of Ashland Blazer High School, has announced she is running for Jefferson County Attorney after Mike O’Connell said he’s not seeking re-election.
O’Connell, the longest-serving county attorney in Jefferson, has endorsed Martin. The election will be in 2026.
Martin is the daughter of Richard “Sonny” Martin and Francie Martin. Sonny Martin served as Ashland’s city attorney for 38 years. He is currently an Ashland city commissioner.
Sarah Martin grew up in South Ashland, attending Hager Elementary, Verity Middle and Ashland Blazer.
Martin was back in her childhood home in October for her 30-year high school reunion.
“I stayed in my old bedroom, sat on my back porch with my friends,” Martin said. “It was a nice, beautiful fall weekend connecting with old friends.”
Martin studied collegiately at Miami (Ohio). She took a couple years off, working for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., before law school at the University of Louisville.
She’s been in Louisville since.
“I like a little bit of a bigger city, with the hubbub and excitement, so I ended up staying here,” Martin said.
Martin is married to Ted Steinbock, who has four children. They have two grandchildren.
“I skipped the hard part,” she said with a laugh.
Martin is the second assistant and civil division director in the Jefferson County Attorney’s office.
Martin has been professionally connected to O’Connell for about 25 years. She was a clerk for him during law school.
She became involved in government work about 16 1/2 years ago. As a criminal prosecutor, she dealt with traffic tickets, misdemeanor trials and more.
Now, in leading the civil division, she works closely with various city departments. She oversees about 45 attorneys and a staff of around 85.
“There’s never a dull moment, I love it,” Martin said. “I get to work with fabulous and interesting, smart attorneys.”
Martin said she never intended to run for county attorney one day, but she fell in love with the office.
“It’s so meaningful to help victims, or help parents who can’t collect child support,” Martin said.
With Louisville’s structure, the city and county government are merged. Eighty-two small cities are part of the operation, too, which, as Martin said, “makes for a lot of overlapping jurisdiction.”
Jefferson County’s population is about 750,000.
The county attorney’s position, as Martin views it, is centered upon standing up for victims and “taking care of the vulnerable.”
Martin said choosing the path of public service, to her, means being “really driven to do the right thing.”
Martin said a career in law was natural for her, having spent a lot of time in her dad’s office growing up.
“The tug of law school was always there,” Martin said. “It’s in my blood.”
Sonny and Francie Martin have a condo in the Louisville area, so they visit often. Sarah comes to Ashland a few times a year, she said. Her father is her No. 1 mentor, she said, and her mother is a strong influence.
“I hit the parental lottery for sure,” Sarah Martin said.
