Crit's future

As Adam Edelen prepares to fill in some really huge shoes, State Auditor Crit Luellen shares her plans with Tom Eblen.

sked what advice she would give her successor, Luallen said Edelen should surround himself with an outstanding professional staff, as she has done. Also, she said, "Never let political considerations or personal relationships color your decisions in this job."

Luallen thinks she accomplished that, despite the fact that many audits had political implications or involved people she had known for years, if not decades. "I can't think of a single thing we did that was not carefully grounded in the facts," she said.

As for her future, Luallen, 59, said she plans to seek elected office again but hasn't decided which one. She has been mentioned as a challenger to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in 2014 or a future candidate for governor. "I'll be looking at all of my options," she said.

After leaving the auditor's office next month, Luallen said she plans to take a break to travel and spend time with her husband, Lynn, and their large extended family.

"My husband is a big advocate for me taking a break," she said. "We're negotiating on how long the break is. He's thinking maybe a year. I'm thinking maybe 15 minutes."