Gov. Andy Beshear holds up his $20 parlay bet at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first day of legal sports betting in Kentucky, Sept. 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

FRANKFORT? – Gambling interests ponied up big to outside groups that spent more than $30 million on last year’s race for Kentucky governor.

Kentucky’s horse race tracks that have expanded into new forms of legalized gambling gave big to the Democratic Governors Association in 2023 which spent $19.2 million backing Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection.

In reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service last week the DGA disclosed that it got $250,000 from Churchill Downs, $200,000 from Kentucky Downs, and $50,000 from Revolutionary Racing Kentucky during the second half of 2023.

Meanwhile, Pace-O-Matic, the Georgia-based manufacturer of gaming machines, and officials of the company gave at least $362,000 to the Republican Governors Association in 2023. The RGA, in turn, spent $12.7 million backing Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s campaign for governor.

The DGA and RGA are big Washington-based political committees that exist to elect members of their party as governors of the 50 states. They are called “527 organizations” — groups organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Service Code that can accept contributions of unlimited amounts from people, corporations, unions and other groups.

By contributing to the two 527 organizations, people and groups were able to give as much as they wanted to support Beshear or Cameron. By contrast, state law limits the amount a person or traditional political action committee can give to a campaign to $2,100. Contributions from corporations are not allowed.

Kentucky was one of only three states that held its election for governor last year, and the only one of the three considered to be competitive.

And both the DGA and RGA made Kentucky a priority. Beshear won the election, capturing about 52.5 percent of the vote.?

The DGA and RGA must disclose names of donors and expenses with the IRS. On Saturday, an IRS website posted reports from each group which disclosed donors for the period between July 1 and Dec. 31. The vast majority of money contributed to each group came in large donations from corporations and individuals from across the country.Because Kentucky had the only competitive election for governor last year, many large donors during this period were from Kentucky or had financial interests in Kentucky.

Here’s what the new reports show about Kentucky donors to each group in the last half of 2023:

Democratic Governors Association

The DGA reported raising $32.4 million during the six-month period.

Three large donors were owners or affiliates of horse racing tracks that hold Kentucky licenses as sports wagering operators. The legislature legalized sports gambling in Kentucky last year. The new law authorizes only race tracks to operate retail sports gambling sites. The law also allows each track to partner with up to three marketing platforms for mobile wagering.

Churchill Downs donated $250,000; Kentucky Downs, of Franklin, gave $200,000; and Revolutionary Racing, of Boston, gave $50,000.

Also, the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, of Lexington is listed as giving $25,000

The health insurance giant Humana Inc. gave big to both governors associations: $110,000 to the DGA, and $165,500 to the RGA.

Another big donor to both groups was CoreCivic, the operator of privately-run prisons. CoreCivic is listed as giving $155,000 to the DGA and $285,000 to the RGA last year.

Two corporations based in Louisa and headed by Tim Robinson, best known as the chief executive and founder of Addiction Recovery Care, gave big to the DGA. According to the reports Pioneer Health Group gave $40,000; and London ValuRite Pharmacy gave $20,000. (London ValuRite Pharmacy Pharmacy also gave $50,000 to the DGA in the first half of 2023.)

A company called SK FL Investments, of Midway, contributed $50,000. Kentucky Secretary of State records show the owners of this company are Sandeep Kapoor and Frank Lassiter, who are former officials of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services who founded the consulting firm HealthTech Solutions which previously contributed to the DGA.

Other Kentucky donors to the DGA in the second half of 2023 include:

• Sazerac Company, Louisville, $25,000
• Brown-Forman Corporation, Louisville, $25,000
• Pace-O-Matic of Pennsylvania, $25,000
• Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline, Owensboro, $25,000
• LG&E and KU Services, Louisville, $20,000
• New Day Recovery Center, Lexington, $20,000
• John Ridley, Bowling Green, managing director, Stifel Financial, $15,000
• Case Coal Sales, Louisa, $11,600
• Seneca Place LLC, Louisville, $10,000
• Gary L. Taylor, Berea, retired, $10,000
• Southeast Construction Welding, Hazard, $10,000
• Valley Stream Operator LLC, Richmond, $10,000

Republican Governors Association

The RGA reported raising $28.8 million in the second half of 2023.

Karmin A. Pace, the owner of Pace-O-Matic, from Duluth, Georgia, contributed $200,000 to the RGA during the period.

In addition, the Pace-O-Matic corporation is listed as making contributions during the period totaling $95,000.

And nine officials of Pace-O-Matic are listed as donors who, when combined, gave a total of $67,000 more to RGA during the period.

Pace-O-Matic is a manufacturer of video games with cash payouts. Critics call them “gray machines” because of their murky legal status, but supporters call them “games of skill.” The most heavily-lobbied bill of the 2023 General Assembly — and one that eventually was enacted into law — banned such machines from the state. That bill pitted Pace-O-Matic against Kentucky’s race tracks.

Pace-O-Matic has filed a lawsuit asking to strike down that law.

The RGA did get some donations from race tracks: Revolutionary Racing of Kentucky, Boston, Massachusetts, gave $25,000. Lexington Trots Breeders Association (the Red Mile), Lexington, gave $25,000.

Other donors to the RGA in the second half of 2023 include: ResCare, Louisville, $50,000;?Cleary Construction, Tompkinsville, $25,000;?Houchens PAC, Louisville, $10,000.

School Freedom Fund ran this ad in the Kentucky governor's race. (Screenshot)

FRANKFORT – Two billionaire mega-donors bankrolled a quartet of super PACs that spent nearly $10 million over five months last year in an effort to elect a Republican governor in Kentucky.

Reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission show that Jeff Yass, a billionaire options trader and “school choice” crusader from the Philadelphia suburbs, and Richard Uihlein, the billionaire founder of the shipping supplies company Uline, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, provided the vast majority of financial fuel for independent efforts to unseat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and elect then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Super PACs are unlike traditional political action committees because they can accept contributions of unlimited amounts but cannot contribute directly to or coordinate with a candidate’s campaign. Federal courts cleared the way for super PACs by striking down earlier limits on political money.

Together, the four national super PACs spent nearly $10 million, the lion’s share coming from Yass and Uihlein, between July and November promoting Cameron and attacking Beshear.?It was part of more than $70 million spent to woo voters in the governor’s race in which Beshear had a financial advantage that Cameron partially offset with outside spending.

Beshear defeated Cameron by five percentage points or 67,025 votes. Cameron recently became chief executive officer of the 1792 Exchange which describes its mission as steering “public companies back to neutral on divisive, ideological issues.”

The reports filed with the FEC show that one of the super PACs (Protect Freedom PAC) was bankrolled almost totally in 2023 by Yass, who has also been a financial booster of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.

A second super PAC (American Principles Project) was nearly totally funded by Uihlein.

And it was money from both Yass and Uihlein that fueled independent advertising purchased by two other Republican super PACs, School Freedom Fund and Club for Growth Action, in the Kentucky governor’s race.

Here’s a look at what each of those four super PACs reported to the FEC this week.

Protect Freedom PAC

According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Protect Freedom PAC spent at least $2.4 million last year advocating Cameron’s election.

Protect Freedom PAC reported this week it got $3,034,584 in contributions during the last six months of 2023. And $3 million (99 percent) came from Yass — $2 million on July 14 and $1 million on Oct. 6.

This is in addition to another $3 million that Yass gave to Protect Freedom PAC earlier in 2023.

Protect Freedom PAC is run by former staffers of Sen. Paul and its website says it supports candidates who share the libertarian policies backed by the Kentucky Republican who’s serving his third term in the U.S. Senate. The PAC’s website prominently displays a photo of Paul.

Including the donations made in late 2023, Yass has contributed $20,898,000 to Protect Freedom PAC since it was founded in 2017. That’s well over three-fourths of the total contributions that Protect Freedom has gathered over that time period.

School Freedom Fund?

According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, School Freedom Fund spent about $3 million last year advocating Cameron’s election.

School Freedom Fund reported this week receiving $6 million in contributions during the last half of 2023. Of that, $3 million was donated by Yass — $2 million on July 19 and $1 million on Dec. 22. Uihlein gave $2 million to School Freedom Fund on July 21. And Atlanta billionaire Bernard Marcus, the co-founder and former chief executive of The Home Depot, is listed as giving $1 million on Oct. 25.

School Freedom Fund is closely affiliated with the massive national conservative super PAC Club for Growth Action.

Its website prominently displays this message: “COVID school shutdowns have made parents and the public aware of countless abuses of power by education bureaucrats seeking self preservation over student education. By repeatedly impeding our children’s learning these individuals have hindered the development and education of our youth through school closures, mask mandates, critical race theory, and more. This creates a unique opportunity to promote School Choice as the structural solution to dramatically improve education in America.”

The Kentucky General Assembly is expected to approve a school choice constitutional amendment during its current session. The amendment, which still would have to be approved by Kentucky voters in November, would remove restrictions in Kentucky’s current constitution that bar public funds from being spent on private schools.

Club for Growth Action

According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Club for Growth Action spent about $2.4 million last year advocating Cameron’s election.

Club for Growth Action is a large super PAC that advocates for lower taxation and has many conservative donors. However, Yass and Uihlein were its largest donors by far in 2023, according to FEC reports. Yass donated $16 million to Club for Growth Action in 2023 — half of the total $32 million in contributions to Club for Growth Action in 2023. Uihlein was the second largest donor in 2023, giving $8.76 million, according to FEC reports.

American Principles Project?

According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, American Principles Project spent nearly $1.7 million last year advocating Cameron’s election.

American Principles Project is mostly funded, in an indirect way, by Uihlein.

Its report to the FEC covering the last half of 2023 shows that American Principles Project got nearly $2.3 million in donations during that period. Of that, about $2.1 million came from a different PAC called Restoration PAC.

But reports filed with the FEC by Restoration PAC show it is almost exclusively funded by contributions from Uihlein.

Gov. Andy Beshear and his family participate in the Grand March a tradition of Kentucky inaugurations, in the Capitol, Dec. 12, 2023.(Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

FRANKFORT — Special interest political action committees and wealthy political donors provided the vast majority of $684,000 raised in the closing weeks of 2023 by the inauguration committee of Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jaqueline Coleman, according to a report filed Wednesday by the committee with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

The report also lists about $464,000 in expenses paid by the committee, leaving it with a balance on hand of about $220,000 to cover any late bills. The balance on hand seems likely enough to pay any remaining bills. Beshear’s 2019 inauguration committee raised $604,000 and after paying all bills had about $40,000 left over which it gave to various charities.

Events surrounding the inauguration of the governor every four years are paid for by state government and the newly-elected governor’s inaugural committee. Generally, state government pays costs to conduct the big official event of swearing in the governor and lieutenant governor. The inaugural committee pays for the parties and any other unofficial costs.

Jim Gray, secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and chairman of the inaugural committee, declined to comment on the contributions or other details listed in the report.

Political action committees provided slightly more than half of the donations that filled the Beshear-Coleman inaugural committee’s coffers. The largest contribution was $30,000 from Elevance Health PAC, of Washington.

Political action committees of these eight groups contributed $25,000 each:?

• Charter Spectrum Employees PAC, of Louisville;?
• Deloitte PAC, of Washington;?
• Molina Healthcare Inc., of Long Beach, California;?
• United Health Group, of Washington;?
• UPS PAC, of Atlanta;?
• United Auto Works PAC, of Detroit;?
• Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 502, of Louisville;?
• Houchens PAC, of Louisville.

The largest individual contributor was Tim Robinson, of Louisa, the chief executive of Addiction Recovery Care, who is listed as giving $29,000. Beshear recognized Robinson, who was in the gallery, during his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night.

Lisa Lourie, a retiree from Wellington, Florida, and owner of Spy Coast Farm, gave $25,000. Cynthia Adkins, of Danville, West Virginia, who is also listed as being retired, gave $20,000.

The following donors are listed as having contributed $10,000 each: Lobbyist Bob Babbage, of Lexington; Laura Babbage, of Lexington; William P. Butler, of Covington, chief executive of Corporex; Todd Case, Louisa, owner of Todd Case Trucking; Pauletta Case, of Louisa, president of Rock Trucking; Charles Vinson, of Louisa, an environmental scientist employed by the state; Mark Workman, Paducah, an engineer with BFW Engineering; Chester Thomas, Hanson, a coal operator; William T. Young, of Lexington, president of WT Young; Barbara Young, of Lexington; Wayne Carlisle, of Newport.

Also, Barbara Banke, the chair of Jackson Family Wines in Santa Rosa, California, is listed as making an in-kind contribution worth $10,449.

The largest expenses listed in the report are: $105,595 to The Rental Depot; $95,654 to MSI Production Services; $57,700 in reimbursements to the state Parks Department; and $25,000 to Wasserman Music.

Gov. Andy Beshear delivers his second inaugural address, Dec. 12, 2023, Frankfort. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign raised and spent more than four times the dollars raised and spent by his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron in this fall’s general election — a difference that figured in Beshear’s victory.

Reports filed this week by the two campaigns covering fundraising and spending through the Nov. 7 election showed that Beshear raised nearly $19 million and Cameron raised $4.3 million.

Cameron was able to compete on television airwaves during the fall because of advertising bought by conservative super PACs, organizations that operate independently of campaigns and can raise and spend unlimited funds from individuals, corporations, unions and associations. When funding from all sources is counted, about $65 million was spent to woo voters in this year’s race for governor.

Beshear’s campaign built up a massive fundraising lead by starting early — on Oct. 1, 2021 compared to Cameron’s campaign launch of May 26, 2022.? A much bigger advantage was that Beshear drew no serious opponents in the May Democratic primary, while Cameron faced a slew of opponents in the Republican primary.

Cameron won his primary in a landslide, but spent virtually all the $1.5 million he had raised through mid-May. Beshear, meanwhile, was able to roll more than $6 million from his primary fundraising into his general election coffers.

Beshear also reported getting much more support from the Kentucky Democratic Party than Cameron reported getting from the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Beshear’s campaign total includes $3.75 million from the KDP, while Cameron reported getting just under $1 million from the RPK.?

And throughout the primary and general elections Beshear took full advantage of being the incumbent and perceived frontrunner, raising large numbers of contributions from state employees, his appointees to state boards and commissions, state contractors and officials of businesses closely regulated by the state.

The disclosure filed by his campaign this week with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance showed that for the general election Beshear raised $18,970,000.

Of that: $8.8 million came from people, $215,000 from traditional political action committees, $3.7 million in transfers from the Kentucky Democratic Party, and nearly $6.2 million in money rolled into his general election campaign from his primary committee.

Beshear’s campaign reported spending all of it except $113,000 — the campaign’s current cash on hand to pay late expenses.

People are prohibited from giving more than $2,100 to a candidate for state office per election. Among those listed in this week’s report as giving $2,100 to Beshear’s campaign in the final two weeks before the campaign are: James Booth, a coal operator from Inez; Jerry Bruckheimer, the film producer from Encina, California; Jonathan Soros, chief executive of JS Capital Management, of New York; and Lexington architects Les Haney and Albert Gross. University of Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops is listed as giving $1,500.

The Cameron campaign this week reported it took in a final total of nearly $4,350,000 for the general election.

Of that: nearly $3.2 million came in contributions by people, $122,000 from traditional political action committees, and a bit more than $1 million in transfers from the Republican Party of Kentucky and other county GOP committees.

Cameron’s campaign reported having $42,000 in cash on hand to pay the late bills.

Among those listed as giving $2,100 to Cameron during the last two weeks of the campaign are: Louisville entrepreneur Ulysses Bridgeman, Bowling Green attorney Marshall Hughes, and Dallas businessman and real estate developer Ross Perot Jr.

Gov. Andy Beshear reaches out to a supporter at his victory party at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Nov. 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

FRANKFORT — Ahead of? last month’s governor’s race, London Mayor Randall Weddle and other Kentuckians gave big to a type of political committee that allows wealthy donors to make massive legal contributions.?

Weddle, whose earlier excess contributions to Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection effort had drawn regulatory scrutiny, contributed $550,000 on Oct. 3 to a national Democratic Party committee known as the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund (DGVF).

The donation is listed in a report filed recently with the Federal Election Commission.

Weddle’s was by far the largest contribution reported by the DGVF during the general election season, but within the legal limits of how much a person can give to such a committee.

It was one of 25 contributions this fund received during the general election season from some of Beshear’s most loyal supporters and largest donors.

An examination of reports filed by Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund and posted on the FEC website shows that — while the fund is a major national Democratic political committee that gets contributions from across the country — its only donors since late July were Kentuckians and a couple out-of-state people who have been donors to Beshear’s campaign.?????

Other donors to the fund include Steve Wilson, the founder of 21C Museum Hotels, who gave $200,000; Jim Gray, secretary of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, who gave $100,000; and Louisville philanthropist and major Democratic donor Christina Lee Brown, who gave $100,000.

Perhaps the only surprising donor in DGVF’s recent reports is John Calipari, the University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach who does not have a history as a large political donor. The fund reported that Calipari donated $50,000 on Oct. 19, according to the FEC website.

Together,? 25 individuals — mostly Kentuckians plus a few out-of-state donors to Beshear — are listed as donating $1.65 million to Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund between July 25 and Oct. 31.

The reports show that Weddle, a registered Republican who until recently had been a donor to Republicans, has not been deterred from showing his enthusiasm for Beshear and other Democrats by the controversy over his apparent excess contributions to Beshear’s campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party. The controversy is rooted in an April report by Kentucky Lantern that said Weddle’s family and associates combined to give more than $305,500 to the Kentucky Democratic Party and Beshear’s campaign. Beshear’s campaign manager initially defended the contributions, but later revealed that $202,000 of those contributions were all made on Weddle’s credit card. In October the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance began a civil investigation of that matter.

Weddle did not return a phone message left at the London mayor’s office on Monday. And state and national Democratic Party officials shed no light on why Weddle and so many Beshear supporters gave to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund during the general election season.

The Kentucky Democratic Party did not return a phone call or respond to an emailed list of questions Monday from Kentucky Lantern. And the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund did not respond to a phone call and email sent to it by Kentucky Lantern on Monday.

Calipari was not available for comment, said UK spokesman Jay Blanton.

U.S. Supreme Court loosened restrictions

State and federal laws put limits on the amount of money any person can give to most political committees. For instance, Kentucky law sets a $2,100 cap on how much a person can give to a candidate for governor per election. Individuals are limited to giving no more than $15,000 a year to a state political party — $10,000 to the state party committee registered with the FEC, plus $5,000 to the state party committee regulated by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund is a large “joint fundraising committee” based in Washington and first registered with the FEC in 2017 to raise money for the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party committees in the 50 states and District of Columbia. Because of the way it is structured, the limit on individual contributions? is extremely high. A person may give up to the $41,300 annual limit on contributions to the Democratic National Committee, plus the $10,000 allowed in contributions to each state committee and the District of Columbia, according to the FEC’s press office.

That would place the limit at $551,300 per year. Weddle’s contribution was just under that limit.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision, McCutcheon v. Federal Election Committee, in 2014 loosened restrictions on how much money could flow into joint fundraising committees such as the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund. Near the time of its creation, the Washington-based watchdog group Issue One criticized this type of political committee as one that would allow wealthy donors undue influence by making massive, legal political contributions. “The Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund seems to be drawing a roadmap for how wealthy people can give more than half a million dollars a year in a single check to the political party of their choice,” an Issue One official said at the time.

The fund has reported raising $12.3 million this year through Oct. 31 and transferring? nearly $7 million of that to the Democratic National Committee. The rest, other than some expenses, was disbursed to the state party organizations. The vast majority of that money was raised and distributed early this year, and the only contributions DGVF received since July 25 (other than a handful of contributions of $50 or less) was the $1.65 million from Kentuckians and Beshear supporters.

The Democratic National Committee was a major source of funds for the Kentucky Democratic Party this year. Reports filed by the KDP show it received more than $3.2 million in transfers from the Democratic National Committee, with the vast majority of that transferred in the six weeks before the Nov. 7 Kentucky election.

Weddle refunded $202,000 given to Beshear campaign, party

Weddle is a co-founder of WB Transport which is engaged in the reverse logistic business — the shipping, storing and reselling of merchandise that has been returned to retailers by buyers. On April 17, Kentucky Lantern reported that Weddle family members and associates (though not Randall Weddle himself) had combined to give the? biggest batch of contributions to support Beshear’s reelection. The 19 Weddle-related donors —? none of whom had made big political contributions before — were listed in reports as giving a combined amount of more than $305,500 to Beshear’s campaign and party.?

Beshear and the Democratic Party initially defended the contributions, noting that each was within the limit allowed by law and insisting that no favors are ever granted in exchange for a contribution.

But on June 19 the Beshear’s campaign manager announced that Weddle had informed the campaign that $202,000 in contributions from Weddle relatives and associates to the party and Beshear campaign were all made on a credit card belonging to Randall and Victoria Weddle. These were excess contributions, he said, and were refunded by the party and Beshear campaign.

A longstanding opinion of the Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission bars? candidates from using their elected? offices to investigate an election opponent, so Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Beshear’s Republican opponent, was barred from investigating the matter. Cameron’s office asked the FBI to investigate.

The FBI has declined to comment on whether it is investigating.

But in late October the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance initiated an investigation of the Weddle contributions. If it concludes that someone knowingly violated state campaign finance laws, the registry can impose a fine of $5,000 per violation.

Since the controversy surfaced in the spring Weddle has become a prolific donor —? primarily, but not exclusively, to Democratic committees. Websites of the election registry, the FEC and the IRS, show that Randall Weddle and his wife Victoria Weddle gave:

• $75,000 on May 10 to the Democratic Governors Association, which was funding a super PAC supporting Beshear.?
• $2,000 on June 20 to the campaign of Democrat Pamela Stevenson for attorney general.??
• $100,000 on June 22 to the Democratic Attorneys General Association, which was funding a super PAC supporting Stevenson
• $25,000 on Sept. 6 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
• $25,000 on Sept. 19 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.
• $550,000 on Oct. 3 to the Democratic Grassroots Victory Committee.
• $40,000 on Oct. 23 to DAGA Kentucky People’s Lawyer Project, the super PAC supporting Stevenson.

?

A $1.9 million transfer last month from the Democratic National Committee to the Kentucky Democratic Party helped ensure that Gov. Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear, above, would have something to celebrate on election night. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

FRANKFORT — The aggressive fundraising drive by the Kentucky Democratic Party in support of Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection did not take its foot off the gas in October, raising more than triple what the Republican Party of Kentucky collected in the same period.

The KDP brought in? $491,474 in contributions during the final full month before the Nov. 7 election, while the RPK raised $161,858, according to reports the parties filed early this week with the Federal Election Commission.

The contributions (most from people but a few from traditional political action committees) represent only part of the financial picture as each party also gets transfers of money from affiliated political committees. And this is where the KDP padded its lead in October, getting $1.9 million from the Democratic National Committee.

When all contributions and transfers are accounted for, the KDP reported $2.45 million in total receipts in October compared to $413,000 for the RPK in total receipts for the month.

The big fundraising margin for the Democrats mirrored the huge financial margin Beshear’s campaign committee had over the campaign of Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron and was a factor in Beshear’s win on Election Day when he gathered 52.5 percent of the vote.

Republican candidates, however, won by wide margins the elections for other statewide offices: attorney general, secretary of state, agriculture commissioner, auditor and treasurer.?

The Democratic Party’s biggest expenses during the month, according to the party’s FEC report, included $1.9 million for direct mail and $425,000 for canvassing voters. It also reported making a $200,000 transfer to the Ohio Democratic Party on Oct. 5. The Lantern was unable to reach KDP officials on Wednesday for an explanation of the transfer to the Ohio party.

The largest expenses for the Kentucky Republican Party for the month were about $707,000 for direct mail and $400,000 in contributions to Cameron’s campaign committee.

As of Oct. 31, one week before Election Day, the Republican Party reported having $1.45 million in cash on hand, the Democratic Party reported having $1.1 million on hand.

An interesting aspect of the list of donors filed by each party is that most of the largest donors — those giving the maximum $10,000 allowed under federal law — could not have voted for either Beshear or Cameron if they vote in the same state as their home addresses listed in FEC reports.

Donors listed as giving $10,000 to the Kentucky Democratic Party in October:

Curtis Aiken, Pittsburgh, Pa., ProTech Compliance

Frank Antonacci, Somers, Conn., Antonacci Horse Breeding

Gerald Antonacci, Enfield, Conn., F&G Recycling, owner/partner

Rita Armitage, Vestavia, Ala., ophthalmologist

Ann Bakhaus, Lexington, Kentucky Eagle, president

Lee Douglas Beard, Bowling Green, Gaddie Shamrock, road contractor

Roy Beard, Bowling Green, Gaddie Shamrock, road contractor

Laura Lee Brown, Louisville, retired

Cheetah Clean Holding Company, Bowling Green

Darren Cleary, Tompkinsville, Cleary Construction, owner

James C. Davis, Hanover, Md., Allegis Group, co-founder

Marc Falcone, Las Vegas, Nev., executive

Tracy W. Farmer, Naples, Fla., Shadowlawn Farm, owner

Sean Flaherty, Bridgewater, Mass., Keches Law Group, attorney

David Heidrich, Villa Hills, Zalla Companies, CEO

Sandeep Kapoor, Frankfort, Health Tech Solutions, CEO

William Little, New York, N.Y., retired

Joseph Loconti, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, Evergreen Insurance, CEO

John Moore, Louisville, Altria, executive

Mary Niehaus, Falcon Heights, Minn., Health Tech Solutions

John Osborne, West Palm Beach, Fla., Global Risk Capital, managing partner,

Whitney Parke, Summer Shade, retired

Andy Penry, Raleigh, N.C., attorney

John Potter, Lexington, Hawkeye Construction, owner

John Sall, Cary, N.C., SAS Institute, executive

Virginia Sall, Cary, N.C., homemaker

John Selent, Louisville, Dinsmore and Shohl, attorney

Duane Wall, New York, N.Y., White and Case, lawyer

Steve Wilson, Louisville, 21C Museum Hotels, CEO

Donors listed as giving $10,000 to the Republican Party of Kentucky in October:

Jo Barron, Owensboro, homemaker

James Davis, Hanover, Md., retired

Kelly Loeffler, Atlanta, Ga., vice president, International Exchange Inc.

1. Ross Perot Jr., Dallas, Texas, Hillwood Development, chairman

Joseph Popolo Jr., Dallas, Texas, Charles and Potomac Capital, CEO

Kenny Trout, Dallas, Texas, Winstar Farm, owner

Kelcy Warren, Dallas, Texas, Energy Transfer Partners, CEO

Holly Whitaker, West Somerset, retired

Michael Whitaker, West Somerset, Eagle Realty, owner

Kim Withrow, Owensboro, Henry’s Plumbing, co-owner

A voter approaches the Morton Middle School polling site in Lexington, Nov. 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

The Kentucky attorney general’s office will begin its post-election audits after selecting 12 counties from a drawing Tuesday.?

As it has regularly done after elections, the office will review audits from the selected counties to ensure the most recent general election was conducted properly and without issues. Deputy Attorney General Vic Maddox drew the names from a small barrel and signed the order during a press conference.?

“Because these are random drawings, no county can be sure that it’s not going to be audited for review,” Maddox told reporters. “So any time that’s the case, I think you’ve got sort of an extra element of assurance for the process.

Department of Criminal Investigations Commissioner Greg Wolf, who’s department reviews results, said the audits are part of a routine process.?

“We had people out on Election Day also monitoring the polls. We were doing reports. We’re talking to the clerks,” Wolf said. “We feel like this just keeps a good line of communication open. If they’re having any issues, having any problems, they know who of our group to get a hold of.”?

Tuesday’s drawing was also the first time that counties previously selected were still included in the drawing because of a recent change in state law, Maddox said. The law requiring a dozen counties to be audited after an election was passed by the General Assembly in 2022.?

Wolf said the review of audits can take some time, especially with larger counties. He added that audits from the spring are almost complete.?

The counties selected for the general election audit were:

• Fayette
• Webster
• Perry
• Fleming
• Meade
• Greenup
• Mercer
• Hancock
• Johnson
• Martin
• Oldham
• Grayson

Russell Coleman walks to the stage in Louisville to give his acceptance speech after wining the office of attorney general on Nov 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

FRANKFORT — Kentucky’s next attorney general, Republican Russell Coleman, said Tuesday that combating public corruption will be one of his priorities but declined to speak specifically about London Mayor Randall Weddle’s use of “straw donors” to make excessive contributions to Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Flanked by his transition team and speaking to media in the Capitol Rotunda, Coleman said that? prosecuting public corruption is? one of the attorney general’s “core responsibilities” and that “for too long” the state “has had to rely” on federal authorities to investigate corruption involving government officials.

Coleman said his other top priorities would be:?

• “Tackling the poison” flowing in from our “porous southwest border” that contributed to the drug overdose deaths of more than 2,100 Kentuckians last year.?
• Addressing violence, particularly in Louisville.
• Combating child exploitation and sex abuse.
• “Leaning in on how we support our county and commonwealth’s attorneys.”

Coleman, who served as U.S. attorney in Kentucky’s Western District under then President Donald Trump, said he reached out to newly elected Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers the day after the Nov. 7 election. “We’re looking forward to sitting down and talking about how the attorney general will play a role in (violence) reduction in Louisville. I don’t know what that looks like yet.”?

Coleman called Kentucky’s largest city “a very dangerous place, particularly in some neighborhoods” and said that violent crime also is significantly up in rural Kentucky.

Asked by the Lantern for a response, Whethers’ office emailed a statement: “The Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office is focused on building a foundation that fosters trust, transparency, and the well-being of the citizens of Jefferson County, which has always been a primary focus of the Whethers administration. The Commonwealth’s Attorney Office collaborates with multiple agencies, including law enforcement. We aim to ensure safer communities and victims and their families receive justice.”

As attorney general, Coleman will oversee a commission that’s responsible for steering spending from Kentucky’s legal settlements with drug companies whose practices fueled the opioid epidemic.

The commission is considering putting $42 million into research on an illegal psychedelic plant, ibogaine, that is reputed to ease opioid withdrawal and help opioid users overcome addiction.?

Coleman said he found ibogaine’s possibilities “fascinating” and that he planned to “take a hard look” at whether it would be a smart use for $42 million, which he called “a lot of money.”

Praising Kentucky’s progress on expanding access to drug treatment, Coleman said he wants to strengthen prevention, which he said is now piecemeal.

?“We need a statewide standard data-based prevention effort,” Coleman said. Kentucky lost 2,135 lives to overdose in 2022.

Coleman said he has reached out to the newly reelected Beshear and members of his administration and looks forward to “pragmatic” cooperation. “There is no ‘R’ and ‘D’ when it comes to protecting our families” from crime.?

Coleman also said he plans to push back “on an agenda coming out of Washington, D.C., that just doesn’t comport with common sense or the views of our founders.”

Last week, the Lantern reported that the Registry of Election Finance has opened a civil investigation into $202,000 in political contributions made on a credit card belonging to Weddle and his wife. The contributions had been made in the names of Weddle family members, friends and associates who had never before been political donors. The Beshear campaign and Kentucky Democratic Party later returned the $202,000. State and federal laws limit how much an individual can give to a candidate or party and make it illegal to evade the limits by giving through “straw donors.”

Attorney General Daniel Cameron was precluded by an ethics commission ruling from investigating Weddle’s contributions to Beshear as long as he was Beshear’s opponent in the race for governor. Cameron’s office referred the matter to the FBI, which has not said if it is investigating.

Coleman said he was aware of the Weddle case “from afar” but had nothing to say about it specifically.

Coleman announced two hires. Rob Duncan, former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, will serve as deputy attorney general.

Former state Sen. Wil Schroder will serve as the office’s senior counsel, including acting as a liaison to the legislature.

Coleman also recognized Andrew McNeill, an adviser to former Republican Govs. Matt Bevin and Ernie Fletcher, who is senior adviser to the transition but will not be serving in the Coleman administration.?

Coleman and other constitutional officers will take office Jan. 1.?

The governor and lieutenant governor will be inaugurated on Dec. 12.

This story has been updated with a statement from Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear embraces then-Rep. Angie Hatton as Whitesburg Mayor Tiffany Craft speaks to the media on July 31, 2022 in Whitesburg. At that time, 28 people had been identified as killed in flooding in southeastern Kentucky; the number rose to 45. (Photo by Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

Rural voters were part of a statewide shift toward incumbent Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear this week, helping give the Democrat a 5-point election victory in a state that Donald Trump won by over 25 points three years ago.

Beshear won the statewide vote 52.5% to 47.5%, a comfortable margin compared to his 2019 election victory of 0.4 points.

Beshear did 2.4 points better with rural voters this year compared to 2019 (see the graph at the top of the story). He still lost among rural voters, 43.3% to 56.7%, to Republican challenger Daniel Cameron. But with less of a rural deficit, his advantage in other parts of the state more than made up the difference.

Beshear won 17 of Kentucky’s 85 rural (nonmetropolitan) counties this year, compared to 13 in 2019. The Democrat flipped five rural counties, while his challenger flipped one rural county back to the Republican side.

Beshear also flipped three metropolitan counties. Two were in outlying counties of the Lexington metro, and one, Daviess County, is the central county of the Owensboro metropolitan area. Republican Cameron flipped Hancock County, also part of the Owensboro metropolitan area.

The Kentucky governor’s race drew national attention as a test of whether a Democratic candidate could hold a state that supported Trump so strongly in 2020.

During his first term, Beshear has focused on traditional Democratic issues like infrastructure and investment. He mentioned new road construction in his victory speech Friday night.

The governor’s handling of the catastrophic 2022 flood in Eastern Kentucky may have been a factor with some voters. The disaster killed 45 people and destroyed and damaged thousands of homes in East Kentucky.

The seven counties that gave Beshear his largest percentage-point increase compared to 2019 were all affected by the flooding. Two of the hardest hit, Letcher and Perry, flipped from Republican to Democratic. Beshear lost those counties by 9 points in 2019. After recovery efforts that included several gubernatorial visits, Beshear won Letcher by 5 points and Perry by 11.

This article first appeared on The Daily Yonder and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Attendees react to early election results at an election night party on Nov. 7, 2023 in Columbus, Ohio. The results of this year’s state and local contests, advocates say, could make future elections, including the 2024 presidential contest, freer and fairer.?(Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)

The big news out of Tuesday’s elections was wins for Democrats and for reproductive rights in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

But small “d” democracy also had a good night:

• Virginians elected pro-voting majorities in both chambers, stymieing efforts to pass restrictive new voting laws.
• Ohioans turned out in large numbers to pass two popular ballot measures, showing direct democracy is alive and well despite a concerted campaign in the state to restrict it.
• Pennsylvanians rejected a state Supreme Court candidate who has baselessly stoked fear about voter fraud.
• Two top Kentucky officials who have offered a model of how to work across party lines to expand voter access were both easily reelected.
• And five cities supported a fast-growing democratic reform aimed at producing outcomes that better reflect voter preferences.

The result, advocates say, could be to make future elections, including the 2024 presidential contest, freer and fairer.

“Americans sent a clear message that they reject MAGA extremism and want leaders who will stand up for our fundamental freedoms and our democracy,” said Christina Harvey, executive director of Stand Up America, a progressive pro-democracy group. “Together with last year’s wins in secretary of state races across the country, these victories help build a firewall for democracy in 2024.”

Virginia

Virginia Republicans last year passed bills through the House of Delegates to ban ballot drop-boxes and end same-day voter registration. Had they won control of the Senate Tuesday, those measures could very well have become law — and they could have significantly hampered voter access.

Instead, Democrats held the Senate and even flipped the House, ensuring that anti-voter legislation in the state is dead.

The competitive races for both houses also demonstrated the success of the redistricting reforms approved by the state in December 2021, advocates said, after a Republican gerrymander had been in place for a decade.

“Fair maps are essential to a functioning democracy, and they are critical in this moment to beat back … attempts to roll back voters’ fundamental rights,” former Attorney General Eric Holder, the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, said in a statement.

Ohio

Ohio’s results were good news for democracy for a different reason.

Republicans in the state had worked to restrict and complicate Ohio’s ballot initiative process, aiming to make it harder for voters to pass popular measures, including abortion protections. It was part of a national effort to create obstacles to popular democracy.

First, Ohio Republicans put an initiative on the ballot that would have raised the threshold required to pass ballot measures to 60%. Voters overwhelmingly rejected that in August.

Then state officials approved what reproductive rights supporters called misleading and biased language for the abortion measure’s ballot summary, which told voters that the amendment would “always allow an unborn child to be aborted.”

Nonetheless, voters approved the measure, as well as another ballot initiative legalizing marijuana. In doing so, they made clear that Ohio’s process for allowing its citizens to directly pass laws and amend the state constitution — which has often allowed for the passage of popular reforms that lawmakers had kept bottled up — remains viable and robust.

Nearly 4 million voters turned out in an odd-numbered year — nearly as many as in last year’s midterms, when governor and U.S. Senate races were on the ballot.

Ohio’s legislative leaders have limited power to weaken or undo the abortion rights measure because it’s a constitutional amendment. Still, they said they were willing to go against the will of voters to try.

“The legislature has multiple paths that we will explore to continue to protect innocent life,” said House Speaker Jason Stephens.

Despite the high turnout, voter advocates said there were a few signs of problems caused by a new voting law that stiffened ID requirements and put new restrictions on mail voting.

They said poll monitors at Ohio State University in Columbus reported many students saying they hadn’t received their mail ballot in time, and were forced to vote provisionally. And, advocates said, many voters, especially students, didn’t know that their ballots needed to be physically postmarked — not just dropped in a mailbox — by the day before Election Day.

Pennsylvania

Meanwhile, Pennsylvanians helped boost the prospects for future fair elections. They elected Democrat Daniel McCaffery to the state Supreme Court, rejecting Republican Carolyn Carluccio.

On the campaign trail earlier this year, Carluccio stoked unfounded fears about widespread fraud.

“We should be able to go to the polls and understand that our vote counts and understand that there’s not going to be some hanky-panky going on in the back,” she said.

Carluccio also said she would “welcome” a challenge to a Pennsylvania law that expanded mail voting, adding that the measure has been “very bad for our commonwealth.”

Ahead of the 2022 midterms, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court ruled that mail ballots with missing or incorrect dates could be rejected. Carluccio’s defeat, which gives Democrats a 5-2 majority on the court, makes it less likely that it will issue similar anti-voter rulings next year, in what’s likely to be a pivotal state.

McCaffery has said he supports efforts to increase participation, and that he backs a 2018 Supreme Court decision striking down the state’s gerrymander.

Kentucky

In Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear and Secretary of State Michael Adams were both easily reelected. Beshear, a Democrat, and Adams, a Republican, worked closely together in 2020 to ensure an accessible election in the face of the pandemic.

Then in 2021, they teamed up to convince the GOP-controlled legislature to make some of those changes permanent, creating early-voting centers and expanding the period for mail voting.

“I do think it was good overall for public confidence in the election to have a D and an R at the table together working it out, appearing jointly at press conferences, because that meant that it was unlikely that one side would claim the other side was going to rig the rules,” Adams said recently. “The Democrats saw the governor, and the Republicans saw me. And so, both sides thought, ‘Well, this must be fair because my guy’s at the table, right?’”

Local elections

Finally, a democratic reform that backers say leads to fairer elections also fared well. Voters in three Michigan cities — Kalamazoo, East Lansing, and Royal Oak — approved the use of ranked choice voting for their elections. Meanwhile, Minnetonka, Minnesota, voted to keep RCV, while Easthampton, Massachusetts, voted to expand it.

RCV, which has been adopted by Maine, Alaska, and Nevada, as well as numerous local governments, allows voters to rank candidates, ensuring that the winner better represents voter preferences.

“American voters are dissatisfied with our politics, and in 27 city ballot measures in a row, they’ve said yes to better choices, better campaigns, and better representation,” Deb Otis, director of research and policy at FairVote, which advocates for RCV, said in a statement. “Everywhere it’s used, voters like and understand RCV, taking advantage of the opportunity to vote honestly and express more choices.”

Mississippi

It wasn’t all good news for democracy.

In Mississippi, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, was reelected despite a strong challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley. Reeves signed a law this year — later blocked by a court — that banned third parties from collecting mail ballots, making it harder to vote for some seniors and people with disabilities, according to voter advocates.

Another law signed by Reeves makes it easier to remove people from the voter rolls, making it more likely that eligible voters could be purged.

Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson also was returned to office. Watson successfully fought efforts to have the state’s ban on voting for people with certain convictions overturned. In 2021, Watson criticized the Biden administration’s efforts to promote voter registration, saying they will encourage “woke college and university students” to cast a ballot.

“You’ve got an uninformed citizen who may not be prepared and ready to vote,” Watson said.

Fewer Kentuckians turned out to vote than four years ago. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

More than 1.3 million ballots were cast in Kentucky’s general election — a turnout of 38.07% of registered voters, according to unofficial results from the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

This year’s turnout was down from four years ago by about 6 percentage points. In 2019, the general election turnout was 44.2%.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman were reelected Tuesday while Republicans won the other five statewide races. The election results will be certified Monday.?

In this year’s election, 1,326,801 Kentuckians voted compared with 1,452,616 in 2019, when Beshear unseated Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.

In Jefferson County, Kentucky’s most populous county, voter turnout this election was higher than the statewide average at 41.45%. Second-largest, Fayette County saw a 42.77% turnout.?

Before Tuesday’s polls opened, Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, also reelected this week, predicted turnout of? around 42% after early voting numbers came in. This election, about 7,000 more Kentuckians voted early than did in last year’s early voting period.?

“I’m glad numbers went up each of the 3 days over last year’s, but I’m disappointed the early turnout wasn’t higher, as this time both sides put energy and resources into promoting it,” he added on Monday.?

According to unofficial returns, the Beshear-Coleman ticket received 694,167 votes compared with 627,086 votes for the Republican ticket of Attorney General Daniel Cameron and state Sen. Robby Mills.

Randall Weddle, then a candidate for London mayor, listens as Gov. Andy Beshear helps celebrate the opening of WB Transport's new warehouse in April 2022. (Screenshot with permission of WYMT)

FRANKFORT —? State campaign finance regulators have launched a civil investigation into the excess campaign contributions given by London Mayor Randall Weddle to the reelection campaign of Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party.

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF) on Monday mailed notice of the investigation to Weddle and other interested parties.

The action marks the first evidence that any public agency is investigating the bundles of more than $300,000 in political contributions to Beshear and the KDP first identified as being large and unusual in a story by Kentucky Lantern on April 17.

State law gives KREF authority to investigate suspected violations of campaign finance law and — if it concludes a violation has occurred — impose a fine. KREF also can refer the matter to the attorney general or local prosecutor for further investigation of possible criminal violations.

The notice sent out Monday included a copy of an “internal complaint” signed by KREF Executive Director John Steffen alleging that Weddle and his wife Victoria “may have violated” the state law that prohibits a person from giving excess donations to a candidate or political party by donating in the names of other persons.

The notice says KREF has merged this new investigation with an earlier complaint filed against Weddle alleging violations of campaign finance laws in his 2022 campaign for mayor of London, the county seat of Laurel County. A copy of the notice was mailed to the person who filed that earlier complaint, Charles Douglas Phelps, who provided a copy of it to the Lantern.

The investigation process outlined in state laws and regulations gives Weddle 15 days to respond to the notice.

Weddle did not return a phone message left Thursday at the London mayor’s office. His attorney, Douglas McSwain, of Lexington, also did not return a phone message.

Steffen of KREF declined comment.

On April 17 Kentucky Lantern published a story that said campaign finance reports showed that Weddle’s family, employees and close business associates comprised a group of 19 donors who had given more money than any other group to boost the reelection hopes of Beshear — at least $305,500 in contributions to the Beshear campaign and Kentucky Democratic Party. None of these donors, Kentucky Lantern reported, had ever before made a large political donation.

At the time, Weddle noted he was not listed as a donor, and said he did not know how the big contributions of all of his family members and persons associated with a company he co-founded, W.B Transport, came about.

Initially Beshear, his campaign and party said there was no reason to suspect the contributions as being improper.

But on May 2, attorneys for the Beshear campaign and KDP contacted the election registry to report that they had been told by Weddle that $202,000 in contributions attributed in required disclosures to various relatives or associates of Weddle were actually made on a credit card belonging to Randall Weddle and his wife Victoria.

Steffen cited correspondence the registry received from attorneys for the Beshear campaign and the KDP stating that the contributions were made on the Weddle credit card as the basis for the “internal complaint” he signed against Weddle.

On June 19, the Beshear re-election campaign made this information public in a news release that said the campaign and KDP had inadvertently accepted $202,000 in “excess” contributions made in the names of other people but drawn on the Weddle credit card. The news release said the campaign and party had refunded these contributions.

State and federal laws limit how much a person can donate to a candidate or political party. At the time of the questionable contributions, the limit was $2,000 per election to a candidate and no more than $15,000 a year to a state political party. The limit on contributions to candidates has since been raised to $2,100 per election. State law makes it a crime for someone to willfully make excess donations by giving through the names of third-party “straw” donors.

Because he was actively running against Beshear for governor this summer when word of the excess contributions became public, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron was barred by a state ethics commission opinion from investigating this matter. Cameron’s office referred the matter to the FBI, but the FBI has declined to say whether it is investigating.

If the registry’s board ultimately finds that someone violated campaign finance laws, it can impose a fine of up to $5,000 per violation. If it finds evidence of possible criminal violations, it can only refer that evidence to the attorney general or local prosecutor for possible investigation.

Eric Hyers, manager of Beshear’s campaign, did not return an email from Kentucky Lantern.

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Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon. (LRC Public Information)

Kentucky Republican Treasurer-elect Mark Metcalf named his transition team co-chairs — state Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, and Caroline Cash, U.S. Rep. James Comer’s chief of staff.?

A press release said both Bray and Cash “share Metcalf’s vision of the Treasurer’s office doing more with less, protecting pensions, advocating for taxpayers, and faithfully serving the people of the Commonwealth.”?

“Rep. Josh Bray has become a strong voice in the General Assembly and has proven he understands the importance of small and smart government,” Metcalf said in a statement. “Ms. Cash’s leadership in DC has been vital as Kentucky’s James Comer works to provide needed oversight over the Biden administration. Both are trusted friends and respected leaders. I am grateful they have agreed to help lead our transition efforts as we prepare to get to work for the people of Kentucky.”?

A website for Metcalf’s transition will launch soon and include ways to inquire about employment opportunities and submit inquiries.?

Outgoing Treasurer Allison Ball, a Republican, was recently elected Kentucky’s next state auditor. She served two terms as treasurer.?

Bray was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020. He is a co-chair of the General Assembly’s Jail & Corrections Reform Task Force and serves as vice-chair of the House’s Local Government Committee. Additionally, Bray is a member of the Banking & Insurance, Health Services, Judiciary, and the Appropriations & Revenue committees. ?

Cash of Graves County became Comer’s chief of staff in 2016.

The news was happier for supporters of reproductive rights in Kentucky as they celebrated the defeat of an anti-abortion constitutional amendment in November 2022. Less than five months earlier the Dobbs decision has allowed a near-total ban on the procedure to take effect in Kentucky. (Photo for Kentucky Lantern by Arden Barnes)

Standing before cheering supporters on election night, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, wrapped up his reelection celebration with a round of thanks.

“First to my parents,” he said, embracing Jane and Steve Beshear — his father himself a former, two-term governor.

Andy Beshear, who defeated his Republican opponent, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, with about 52.5% of the vote, next thanked his wife, Britainy and their children, Will and Lila.

Then Beshear thanked a young woman in the crowd who appeared in a television ad that became the flashpoint of his campaign — describing her childhood rape and pregnancy and blasting Cameron for his support of Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion.

“To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of the stepfather who raped her is unthinkable,” she says in the ad.

“Hadley is here tonight,” Beshear said of Hadley Duvall, a 21-year old from Owensboro who appeared in what political observers say was a devastatingly effective ad. “Because of her, this commonwealth is going to be a better place and people are going to reach out for the help they need. Thank you, Hadley.”

Abortion remains essentially illegal in Kentucky under a pair of laws enacted by the Republican-controlled General Assembly that provide no exceptions for pregnancies from rape or incest — laws Cameron, as attorney general, has defended.

The laws took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, establishing abortion as a constitutional right.

And the Republican supermajority in the state legislature has shown little interested in changing Kentucky’s laws, even to add exemptions for rape or incest.

But supporters of abortion rights are hopeful that Beshear’s reelection in a deep red state marks a turning point in attitudes about access to abortion as well as an awakening among voters about the real-life impact of laws that ban it.

“I think it is very obvious that abortion has become an issue that people are not afraid to talk about any longer and that certainly does drive people to the polls,” said Angela Cooper, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky.

Tamarra Wieder, state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Kentucky, noted that the Nov. 7 reelection of Beshear, a supporter of abortion rights, came the same day?voters in Ohio,?also a conservative state, approved a ballot measure establishing abortion as a state constitutional right.

And Beshear’s win comes one year after Kentucky voters rejected a ballot measure that would have declared Kentucky’s Constitution contains no right to abortion.

About 52% of the state’s voters opposed the measure — about the same share of voters who elected Beshear to a second term, Wieder said.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that those numbers are the same,” Wieder said. “Abortion is a winning issue.”

Who’s on offense?

Political observers say it’s likely Beshear would have won for other reasons — his overall popularity, his advantage as the incumbent,? and his management of crises in his first term including the COVID-19 pandemic and devastating tornadoes of December 2021 followed by deadly flooding the following year in Eastern Kentucky.

But the abortion issue — in particular, the ad featuring Duvall — deepened the contrast between Beshear and Cameron.

While Beshear has said he supports abortion access previously conferred by Roe v. Wade, he has focused in recent months on the fact current law contains no exemptions for rape or incest, which he has called “cruel.”

Cameron, who has defended Kentucky’s laws, was left struggling to explain his stance, giving conflicting responses to the issues raised in the ad.

And that worked to Beshear’s benefit, said Danny Briscoe, a long-time Democratic consultant from Louisville.

“You can’t say she won the campaign for him but you can say she played an awfully valuable role,” Briscoe said. “They put the ball in Cameron’s court and he never really got rid of it.”

Tres Watson, a GOP campaign consultant, said Republicans who once confidently campaigned on ending abortion are in an awkward spot now that it is effectively banned in 14 states and restricted in 11 more.

“I think it’s a new reality,” said Watson, a co-host of the Kentucky Politics Weekly podcast. “I don’t think the general public has changed. Who’s on the offense and who’s on the defense have changed.”

Briscoe was blunt about the impact on Republicans, who were responsible for appointing the justices who tipped the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of overturning the almost 50-year-old Roe v. Wade, “a huge mistake,” Briscoe said, for the GOP. “It’s haunting them.”?

A majority of Americans oppose the 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and a majority continue to support at least some measure of access to abortion, according to a Marist poll in April.

Duvall ad ‘outstanding’

Both Briscoe and Watson thought the ad featuring Duvall was impressive.

“I think it will be remembered as the most outstanding ad of this election without question,” Briscoe said.

“I thought it was very effective,” Watson said. “It’s certainly a very emotional ad.”

The enthusiasm is not shared by Addia Wuchner, executive director of Kentucky Right to Life, which endorsed Cameron through its Victory PAC as “an unwavering defender of Kentucky’s pro-life laws.”

Wuchner, a nurse and health educator, said she found the Beshear ad “concerning and disappointing.”?

“We always hope that sexual violence is rare but using it to commercialize a campaign to his benefit is very concerning,” she said.

All other five constitutional offices on the Nov. 7 ballot were won by Republicans and all were endorsed by Right to Life, including Russell Coleman, who will replace Cameron as attorney general.

As for the outcome of the governor’s race in Kentucky, Wuchner said, “We’re still trying to evaluate everything.”

Kentucky’s laws ‘extreme’

Whether the Kentucky General Assembly will consider adding exemptions to the state’s stringent abortion laws remains in question.

Two laws are in in effect: A ?“trigger law” that banned all abortions once Roe v. Wade was overturned and another that bans abortions after six weeks, before many women realize they are pregnant. Neither law has exemptions for rape or incest and allow abortion only in rare instances to save the life or prevent disabling injury of a pregnant patient.

Beshear, the day after the election called on lawmakers to add exceptions for rape or incest, calling Kentucky’s laws among the “most extreme” in the nation.

Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, previously filed such a measure only to have it ignored by lawmakers in the 2023 legislative session.

He told the Lantern on election night that the matter deserves consideration.

“I think our people believe in the exemptions,” Nemes said. “And at some point, we’re representatives of the people, and we have to do what their demands are.”??

Wuchner said Right to Life is focused on pushing for more supports for women and children in the 2024 legislative session.

“When we look at the moms and young children in the state, can we do better?” she asked. “That’s the next step for the Kentucky General Assembly.”

Advocates for reproductive rights say they will continue to press on for full access to abortion in Kentucky.

“Exceptions for rape and incest are the minimum,” said the ACLU’s Cooper. “It’s really not enough.”

Wieder, with Planned Parenthood, agrees.

As part of that, Planned Parenthood will continue work to educate voters that the decision now rests with state lawmakers.

“People think the bans are national,” Wieder said. “They don’t realize it’s their local leaders.”

Russell Coleman, right, Kentucky attorney general-elect, looks over the crowd after speaking to an election night gathering of Kentucky Republicans in Louisville, Nov. 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

After winning his election Tuesday, Republican Attorney General-elect Russell Coleman announced the co-chairs of his transition team.?

Coleman, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, named former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Rob Duncan and former state senator Wil Schroder to lead the transition team over the next few weeks. Also, former Deputy State Budget and Policy Director Andrew McNeill will serve as Coleman’s senior advisor.

In a social media post about the announcement, Coleman said he and his team “will be ready on Day One to tackle the biggest challenges facing families across our Commonwealth.” Coleman also shared a link to apply for positions in his attorney general’s office.?

“This Transition Team will lay the critical groundwork to build upon the many achievements of Attorney General Daniel Cameron and ensure our office can get to work protecting Kentucky families from violent crime, deadly drugs and the out-of-control Administration in Washington,” Coleman said in a press release. “I’m grateful to Rob, Wil and Andrew for bringing their many talents and wide range of experiences to this effort. They will lead a Team of volunteers who are passionate about protecting Kentucky and the families who call it home.”

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron lost the gubernatorial election to incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.?

Cameron congratulated Coleman in a statement. During a previous interview with the Kentucky Lantern, Coleman said the two are close friends.?

“Russell is a dear friend and a dedicated public servant. He’ll make a fantastic attorney general,” Cameron said. I look forward to working with Russell and his team over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth and orderly transition.”?

Duncan resigned from being a U.S. attorney in January 2021 to enter private practice with Dinsmore. Rob Duncan is the son

Both he and Coleman were appointed as federal prosecutors by former President Donald Trump. Rob Duncan is the son of Mike Duncan, Inez banker and former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Schroder, too, works at Dinsmore. During his eight years in the Kentucky Senate, Schroder chaired the State & Local Government and the Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor committees.

McNeil was a senior policy advisor and deputy state budget and policy director for former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin from 2015 to 2018. During Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher’s administration, McNeill was the director of Legislative Policy in the Governor’s Office and the chief of staff to Kentucky’s Commerce Secretary.

This story was updated with more information.?

Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom hold a Bans OFF rally in Columbus on Oct 8, 2023, a month before Ohio voters approved a ballot initiative supporting abortion rights — and almost a year after Kentucky voters rejected an amendment denying them. (Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)

Anti-abortion leaders woke up Wednesday to the sobering reality that abortion rights remain the nation’s predominant political issue. Decisive wins in swing and red states in two national election cycles since Roe v. Wade was overturned last year have given momentum to reproductive rights groups, who aggressively campaigned and fundraised in key states across the country, and intend to triple down for 2024.

Meanwhile, the anti-abortion movement is scrambling for an effective 2024 strategy after crushing losses. Longtime anti-abortion activist the Rev. Pat Mahoney said in large part Republicans have been ineffective communicators on the issue and were wildly outspent.

“I think for the pro-life movement, we have to now truly recognize, when it comes to abortion bans, this is something that Americans do not want right now,” Mahoney told States Newsroom as he hustled to catch a connecting flight from Ohio – whose voters enshrined the right to abortion – home to Virginia, where Democratic candidates overtook the legislature after campaigns focused on abortion rights.

Mahoney is currently chief strategy officer for Stanton Public Policy Center, the political arm of Stanton Healthcare, a network of anti-abortion clinics headquartered in Idaho that offer limited reproductive health services. He said the anti-abortion movement needs to better coordinate a national messaging and fundraising strategy to be able to compete with the reproductive rights movement.

“Right now the pro-choice movement is more committed to funding in elections the protection and promotion of abortion than the pro-life movement is committed to ending abortion violence and making abortion unthinkable,” Mahoney said. “I live in Virginia. The state is doing well, the economy’s doing well, by all accounts. [Glenn] Youngkin is a relatively popular governor. Every ad I saw on television for every Democrat – I mean, a barrage of them – was how MAGA Republicans or pro-life anti-choice activists want to take women’s rights away. They were all about abortion.”

He said he’s expecting Republican candidates to continue “fumbling” the issue on the presidential debate stage in Miami tonight.

“Hardly any Republican has handled this well,” he said. “They’ve been all over the map.

Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, also urged the GOP – many of whose candidates tried to ignore the abortion issue or soften their stances – to “wake up.”

“The true lesson from last night’s loss is that Democrats are going to make abortion front and center throughout 2024 campaigns,” Dannenfelser said in a statement. “The GOP consultant class needs to wake up. Candidates must put money and messaging toward countering the Democrats’ attacks or they will lose every time.”

But anti-abortion leaders say they will not give up their mission and will continue pushing controversial policies like granting “personhood” to embryos.

“Voters overwhelmingly cast their ballot to enshrine abortion into the state constitution. This is a bitter pill, and there’s no sugarcoating it,” Americans United for Life interim president Kevin Tordoff said in an email to supporters. “You and I know that constitutional justice, always and everywhere, means equal protection for all. We will continue, as we have since our founding in 1971, to strive for the day when all are welcomed throughout life and protected in law. Let us continue to stand together in this mission.”

Anti-abortion movement leader Terrisa Bukovinac, meanwhile, is calling for the anti-abortion movement to get more radical. She comes from the direct-action wing of the movement that believes voters need to see graphic images of aborted fetuses in order to be moved on the issue. The self-described atheist and leftist used to work in animal rights activism in San Francisco before moving to Washington, D.C., to found Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, one of the few anti-abortion groups that supports LGBTQ rights. Bukovinac is running for president as a Democrat with a targeted goal of airing campaign ads in key markets that show graphic images of fetuses she and another activist obtained outside of an abortion clinic in 2022.

“The reason that we oppose [abortion-rights amendments] is because they are widening the scope of abortion into the third trimester for elective reasons,” Bukovinac told States Newsroom. “And if we’re not showing the victims, like non stop, of abortion in these later trimesters, then we’re not really communicating with people why we oppose these measures and why they should also.”

Bukovinac told States Newsroom she is working to air her first ad in New Hampshire by the beginning of next year, but fundraising for her tiny campaign has been slow-going. She said stations typically charge more for campaign ads that feature controversial content.

Following Tuesday’s losses, Bukovinac said Maryland Right to Life reached out to her to conference on strategies ahead of the state’s upcoming abortion referendum.

“I think that they have to show the victims of abortion in an aggressive way,” Bukovinac said, of anti-abortion groups. “They need to say that abortion is murder. They need to be doing direct actions. I think those are the three most important things that we’re going to be doing in the next however many years it takes to reach left on this issue.”

Tuesday’s results were equally instructive for abortion-rights organizers in showing how effective abortion rights is as a voting issue. Ohio organizers in particular faced many obstacles, led by state Republican leaders, in trying to even get their initiative on the ballot. Despite what activists said was misleading text on the ballot, the measure carried 57%, including 18% of Republican voters.

“Looking at the results in Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania, it is pretty clear that abortion matters to voters because it matters to people in their everyday lives,” said Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications and research of Reproductive Freedom for All, an abortion rights lobbying group formerly called NARAL Pro-Choice America. “And I think when you look down the road to 2024, and you see places like Florida, that gives you a sense of what’s possible. Even where you have hostile legislatures and gerrymandering and all of the structural inequalities stacked against you, you can still make big change when you get the power back to voters.”

Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, 21 states have eliminated or restricted access because of abortion bans. And as States Newsroom has reported, even with health exceptions and especially without them, women have been denied medical care during pregnancy-related emergencies.

“[Voters] understand that life is not these one-size-fits all bans,” Vasquez-Giroux said. “They don’t account for how complex pregnancy and life are. People understand that you can’t legislate a belief system onto a medical procedure and expect that nothing bad is going to happen.”

A sample of reproductive rights wins from Tuesday night:

Kentucky: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who made the state’s. near-total abortion an issue in the race, won re-election. Challenger Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron supports the ban and has defended it in court. After the Beshear campaign began airing ads criticizing Cameron’s support of the ban, the Republican gave varying answers on whether he would support exceptions in cases of incest and rape.

New Jersey: With every legislative seat up for grabs Tuesday, Democrats retained control of both houses, after Republicans had dismissed their strategy to focus on reproductive rights over issues like state spending and crime rates.

Ohio: A win for Issue 1 means the state’s constitution will now guarantee the right to abortion through viability (and beyond for medical emergencies), as well as the right to birth control,

childbirth, fertility treatment and miscarriage management. The win means a blocked six-week abortion ban currently under review by the courts will likely be struck down. And it marks the seventh state to affirm reproductive rights on the ballot since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Pennsylvania: Democrat Daniel McCaffery won his seat on the liberal-leaning Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and marked the second time that Reproductive Freedom for All endorsed in a judicial race.

Virginia: Democrats winning both state houses means Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is unlikely to push through the abortion ban he championed this election cycle. For now the state remains one of the few abortion access points in the South.

Vasquez-Giroux said Reproductive Freedom for All will continue to support local reproductive-rights groups with their ballot measures and state and local elections, and will help to coordinate strategy at the national level.

“No matter how you apply abortion as an issue, in elections, it’s successful because people understand exactly what’s at stake – your ability to live in a place where it’s safe to become pregnant. It’s a pretty big deal,” Vasquez-Giroux said. “Folks understand that it means that you have to protect it at every opportunity. … I think we can expect to see repeats of last night and 2022 in 2024.”

Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman wave to the crowd after winning reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Democrats gathered at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Kentucky may have finished its 2023 election Tuesday, but that hasn’t stopped speculation about who’s going to appear on the ballot in 2027 — or even who could be a 2028 presidential candidate.?

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won a second four-year term, defeating his Republican opponent Attorney General Daniel Cameron by about 5 percentage points, according to unofficial results. Throughout his first term, Beshear maintained his popularity with Kentuckians and gained national attention for his response to the coronavirus pandemic in Kentucky, as well as leadership during devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky and tornadoes in Western Kentucky.?

The win — in a state that former Republican President Donald Trump won twice — has some pundits and voters alike eyeing Beshear for the White House in 2028.?

Earlier this week, former Democratic President Barack Obama’s chief strategist David Axelrod told Politico that another Beshear win would mean the governor “instantly will become part of the ’28 discussion.” On Reddit, a post in the Louisville subreddit asking about a possible President Beshear received more than 106 comments within 16 hours.?

Beshear was asked about his future political plans in a post-election news conference on Wednesday, but didn’t confirm interest in a 2028 presidential bid or any other future election after his term ends. Beshear did say he intends to serve Kentucky over the next four years, spoke of his admiration for Kentucky and ruled out jumping into the 2024 presidential election.?

“We’ll see. We just came off an election,” Beshear said, and then spoke about his children. “Will’s a freshman in high school. Lila’s in eighth grade. I’m happy that their lives are going to remain stable. Frankfort’s been really good to us. I’m just living in this moment.”

He quipped that he “will not run for governor in 2027.” He’s term-limited.?

Now, the question is who will take his place.?

In the same press conference, Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman was asked if she will run for governor in 2027, but said that’s “like putting Christmas decorations out before Halloween.” Beshear picked Coleman to be his running mate for the 2023 and 2019 elections, citing her experience as an educator. The two have run on their support for public education.?

“We just got through this election, and we have a lot to accomplish. We’ve got a lot of really good things going on in Kentucky,” she said. “And so, my main focus is going to be continuing to support this administration moving forward and then we’ll see what comes in the future, but right now there’s just so much potential and we’ve got to make sure we work really hard to see that through.”

Another Democrat who could eye a? 2027 run is Beshear’s senior adviser Rocky Adkins. The former House majority and minority leader and Eastern Kentucky native ran against Beshear in the 2019 Democratic primary, gaining 33% of the vote to Beshear’s 38%.?

Adkins didn’t rule out the possibility on Election Night at Beshear’s party in Louisville.?

“I want to celebrate tonight. I’ve got fuel left in the tank. We’ll see where that goes,” Adkins said. “But I’m so excited tonight to be here. I’m so excited to see these blue counties in Eastern Kentucky that came home tonight, to really recognize the work that this governor’s done and really to be a part of this unbelievable victory tonight. I don’t know what my future holds.”

On the Republican side, there’s also some speculation as well. After his victory speech Tuesday included topics like public safety, quality of life and the state’s long-term future, some on social media wondered what Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams’ future political plans will be. He, too, will be term-limited in his role after winning a second term.?

Of all the statewide races Tuesday, Adams was the top vote-getter after he gained more than 784,000 votes.?

In his office Wednesday, Adams said he plans to look at various positions that will be on the ballot in the future and predicted “a lot of transition” over the next few years, including federal positions.?

“It is way too early to try to predict what I’ll be doing in four years,” Adams said. “I think I showed my party I’m a strong player on the bench. I have found a way to reach across the divide and over-perform in places Republicans generally can’t compete.”

Adams said he believes Kentucky cannot have a third succesive term of Democratic governors. He said Republicans must “take this office back for our party” and? the best way to do that is to “run the best candidate.”?

“We’ve got a great cast of characters in our party who are ready to step up and serve in major offices. We have a great bench that’s ready,” Adams said. “I think again, you’re going to see a lot of transition over the next few years. And so, we haven’t even finished 2023 yet, so I’m not filing anything anytime soon. I’ll have a lot of conversations over the next few years and decide what’s the right path for me.”

As for Cameron, he could also join the 2027 governor’s race. Stephen Voss, a University of Kentucky political professor, told the Kentucky Lantern that Cameron has been able to build his name recognition through his campaign and is a young politician at 37.?

“People have recovered their political careers from much worse outcomes than losing to a popular incumbent,” Voss said.?

Gov. Andy Beshear, right, and First Lady Britainy Beshear, left, walk into a post-election press conference Wednesday at the state Capitol in Frankfort. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

FRANKFORT — The day after winning a second term, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear spoke of several changes he would like to see from the General Assembly? — including educator raises and exceptions to Kentucky’s abortion law in cases of rape and incest.?

Beshear, flanked by First Lady Britainy Beshear, Lt. Gov Jacqueline Coleman and First Dog Winnie in the Capitol Rotunda, told reporters Wednesday that the state’s near-total abortion ban was “the most extreme.” It automatically went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.?

The governor referred to Hadley Duvall, a woman who appeared in one of his campaign ads criticizing Republican opponent Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his stance on abortion. Duvall was raped by her stepfather as a child and became pregnant and later miscarried. Beshear thanked her in his election night speech for speaking out.?

“What a brave, courageous young woman that she is,” Beshear said Wednesday. “We believe she and everyone else should have options, and the legislature should make that change as quickly as they come in.”?

Beshear added that he believes Kentuckians have shown that they oppose the abortion ban, or “at the very least, they want to see exceptions.” On the campaign trail, Beshear has expressed support for exceptions in cases of rape and incest. After Beshear’s campaign released ads critical of Cameron’s stance, the Republican said he would have signed similar exceptions into law if the General Assembly passed them.?

The General Assembly convenes in Frankfort in January. During the session this year, Majority House Whip Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, proposed a bill adding exceptions in cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s abortion law. However, that legislation was never heard in committee.?

Nemes said Tuesday night that lawmakers need to look at polling and how the issue impacted the election. He added that he’s also spoken with other Republicans about it, but the issue is difficult for both sides.?

“It’s unquestionable that it is life. And so then what do you do with that? … Obviously, when people have been raped, and which is obviously what we’re talking about, it’s a very dramatic situation,” Nemes said. “So, where do you draw the line? What’s the balancing scale? People are going to have to come up with their own positions on that.

“I think our people, though, are clear in what they believe,” Nemes said.. “I think our people believe in the exemptions. And at some point, we’re representatives of the people, and we have to do what their demands are.”??

Kentucky voters have also spoken directly on the issue of abortion. Last fall, anti-abortion constitutional amendment failed, which would have enshrined no abortion access in the state constitution.?

Beshear’s legislative priorities

Beshear previously called on the General Assembly to fund an 11% raise for public school employees and universal pre-kindergarten programs for Kentucky students in the next state budget. He’s made similar pleas in the past, but hasn’t gotten much support from the legislature’s Republican supermajority.

He renewed his call in Wednesday’s news conference, saying the raises “are absolutely critical for moving our state forward.”?

When asked about how he moves forward with the General Assembly over his next term, Beshear extolled bipartisanship and said he’s signed more than 620 of the General Assembly’s bills already. Some of that legislation included legalizing medical marijuana and sports betting in Kentucky.?

“This is our chance to not only pay teachers closer to what they’re worth, but to boost the economy in each and every one of these areas, and listen, our shortage looks like it’s going to be even worse,” the governor said, before adding that recent raises for state troopers, social workers and corrections officers have brought more employees into those professions.?

Ahead of the press conference, Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, congratulated Beshear on his win in a Wednesday morning statement, but expressed disappointment in the outcome. He added that the General Assembly will continue to focus on passing its policies while bringing “forth legislation to protect Kentucky families from some of the extreme agendas of the Beshear and Biden administrations.”

“I am hopeful that in his second term, though, the Governor will choose to work collaboratively with his co-equal branch of government,” Stivers said. “This General Assembly remains committed to a fiscally responsible budget and creating an environment for economic growth.”

When asked about Stivers’ comment and negative reaction from other Republican lawmakers to their relationship with the governor, Beshear said he hoped that in the future people will no longer see the “outward bickering.” Beshear added he meets with legislators regularly and recalled but did not name a legislator who once said they never met with the governor after just having a meeting together.?

Beshear said his administration will “double our efforts” to work with the General Assembly.?

“Now the phone works both ways. We need to make sure that everyone is reaching out. And listen, I’m not going to respond to the negative. I mean, when somebody is yelling and you yell back, and there’s just two people yelling,” Beshear said. “My goal is to try to continue to be an adult, to continue to operate in a way that makes people proud and hopefully allows people’s children to watch what we say and what we do.”

Signs for and against the proposed Richmond Grand casino at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Richmond City, Va., November 7, 2023. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce

The second time was not the charm for developers’ dreams of building a casino in Richmond, Virginia.

City voters appeared to have decisively rejected the idea in a referendum Tuesday, with more than 60% of votes cast opposing the measure at the time the Richmond Grand Resort & Casino’s backers declared defeat.

Two hours after the polls closed, the Richmond Wins, Vote Yes PAC jointly funded by casino developers Churchill Downs and Urban One conceded defeat in a statement that described their $10 million effort as “a community-centered campaign to create more opportunities for residents of this great city to rise into the middle class.”

“We are grateful to the thousands of Richmonders who voted for good jobs and a stronger city, especially those in Southside who poured their hearts into this project,” the PAC wrote.

Tuesday night’s results presented a far clearer rejection of the casino than a 2021 referendum that saw voters split 51% to 49% against the proposal and represented a blow for Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, a vocal cheerleader of the project.

“I will continue to be a voice for communities that have been historically overlooked and underserved,” said Stoney in a statement Tuesday. “I will work for more accessible and affordable child care, for good paying jobs, and for an abundance of opportunities for ALL Richmonders – no matter their zip code or socioeconomic status.”

Virginia’s General Assembly in 2020 allowed five cities around the state to hold referenda on casino gaming. Four of them — Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth — have approved the establishments with little fanfare, but the issue has remained deeply controversial in Richmond. There, debates have emphasized the split among the city’s whiter neighborhoods, which have largely opposed the casino, and those with greater concentrations of Black people, particularly in Southside, which have shown more support for the idea.

Those tensions came to a head Friday when anti-casino group No Means No released a series of audio clips from local radio programs geared toward Black audiences that contained racially inflammatory remarks made by Urban One founder Cathy Hughes, one of the main backers of the project, and other Black casino proponents.

One radio host, who was fired Friday over his comments, accused casino opponent and Jewish lawyer Paul Goldman of being “a white Jew with a background of Judas.” In numerous other clips, Hughes implied that opposition to the casino was driven by racism, repeatedly using an offensive slur to refer to Black people and telling listeners, “Do not forget that they do not see you as a human being.”

This story is republished from Virginia Mercury, a sister publication of Kentucky Lantern and part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.?

Antonio Wilson of Louisville smiles as he waits for newly reelected Gov. Andy Beshear to take the stage on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

Gov. Andy Beshear secured a second term as Kentucky governor on Tuesday.

Kentucky Republicans won all the down ballot races.

Photographers Austin Anthony and Matthew Mueller were at the Democratic and Republican watch parties in Louisville capturing the mood and scene. Here is what they saw.

Brad and Jennifer Wiley of Hickman, Ky., sit near television camera set ups during the results party for Governor Andy Beshear’s campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Former State Senator Lacey T Smith and current Deputy Governor of Louisville Barbara Sexton Smith attend the results party for Governor Andy Beshear’s campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Ashley and Larry Ray of Oldham County, Ky., talk with friends during the results party for Governor Andy Beshear’s campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

German exchange student Joy Wilson picks up her host family’s daughter, Kennedy Moore, 4, of Louisville during the results party for Governor Andy Beshear’s campaign on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear shakes hands with a supporter after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman wave to the crowd after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear stands at the podium after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear stands at the podium after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear speaks after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear hugs his father, former governor Steve Beshear, after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear speaks after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Governor Andy Beshear waves to the crowd after winning the race for re-election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

State Senator Gerald Neal and his wife Kathy Neal smile as Andy Beshear is declared the winner of the Governor’s race on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Antonio Wilson of Louisville smiles as he waits for Andy Beshear to take the stage on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and her daughter wave to the crowd on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Camille White of Louisville smiles as Andy Beshear is named the winner of the governor’s race on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, Ky. (Austin Anthony for the Kentucky Lantern)

Republican Daniel Cameron addressed supporters in Louisville Tuesday night. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Button of Reed Elliotte’s suit on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Reed Elliotte looks at the election results on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Stephen Van Zant smiles with his friends during the Republican election night on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Young girl holds Russell Coleman sign during his acceptance speech on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Attendee of the Republican election night looks at the Gubernatorial election results on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Allison Ball gives her acceptance speech after her win for reelection as Auditor on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Table decorations set out before the start of the results of the Kentucky election on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Allison Ball congratulates her campaign team after giving her acceptance speech on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky.(Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Mike Adams gives his acceptance speech after winning reelection for Secretary of State on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Mike Adams gives his acceptance speech after winning reelection for Secretary of State on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Mike Adams gives his acceptance speech after winning reelection for Secretary of State on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Russell Coleman walks to the stage to give his acceptance speech after wining the seat for Attorney General on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Russell Coleman gives his acceptance speech after wining the seat for Attorney General on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Russell Coleman looks out to the crowd after giving his acceptance speech after wining the seat for Attorney General on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Attended of the republican election night sits and reads the results of the Gubernatorial election on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Daniel Cameron looks out towards the crowd after conceding his campaign to incumbent Governor Andy Beshear on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Daniel Cameron looks out towards the crowd after conceding his campaign to Andy Beshear on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Daniel Cameron looks out towards the crowd after conceding his campaign to Andy Beshear on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Attendees cry after hearing Daniel Camron concede the Gubernatorial race on Nov 7, 2023 in Louisville Kentucky. Photo by Matthew Mueller | Kentucky Lantern

Gov. Andy Beshear waves to the crowd after winning reelection, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

LOUISVILLE — Democrat Andy Beshear will now be a two-term governor, but the next four years may look a little different than what the incumbent has shown Kentucky so far.?

According to Tuesday night’s unofficial returns, Beshear brought home 52.5% of the vote, while his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, received 47.5%.?

Beshear gained votes in Eastern Kentucky, an ancestrally Democratic region that has leaned Republican in recent years, and narrowly flipped two counties that he lost in 2019, Letcher and Perry. Beshear also slightly increased the percentage of votes he received in Jefferson and Fayette counties from the last election by 3 and 6.5 percentage points respectively.?

Beshear’s message was often one of bipartisanship, even while Cameron and Republican lawmakers who control the General Assembly decried what they say is Beshear’s non-relationship with them. On Election Night, Beshear vowed to continue being “a governor who serves all of our people regardless of your party and regardless of who you voted for.”?

“Our neighbors aren’t just Democrats. They’re not just Republicans. They’re not just independents,” the governor said to the crowd gathered for his victory party. “Every single person is a child of God and they are all our neighbors.”?

Party building at home?

What’s on the minds of many looking to next year’s legislative elections is whether Beshear will try to strengthen the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, said Beshear has done well to keep on the good side of voters, but his success has not built up his party. Democrats currently hold a very small minority in the General Assembly, and Beshear and his running mate, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, were the only Democrats elected to the executive branch in 2019 and 2023. In a second term, Beshear could focus on growing those numbers.?

Democrats would hope, Voss said, that Beshear may use his clout and visibility “to try to make the state Democratic party stronger than it currently is.”

House Minority Leader Derrick Graham, D-Frankfort, said with a second term, Beshear is better positioned to help flip seats in the legislature.?

“If those members who come from those counties who are on the other side and they are deliberately keeping him from carrying out policies that the people are saying ‘we want,’ I think he could be a difference in the ‘24 election cycle,” Graham said.?

Graham said Beshear’s latest win gives him? “more leverage” with the legislature and noted that Beshear’s support grew statewide from the 2019 election. The minority leader said he hopes lawmakers work with the governor because of his support from Kentuckians.?

“You look at the areas that he has picked up tonight that he did not have four years ago, and it’s obvious that the public is supportive of it,” Graham said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Eastern Kentucky or southcentral Kentucky or here in Louisville and Lexington-Bluegrass area. They are saying, ‘We like what he’s doing. Continue to support him and be with him and work with him.’”

However, House Majority Leader Steven Rudy, R-Paducah, said Tuesday night that Beshear has not worked with the legislature during his first term but “he campaigned on all our accomplishments.” Rudy said Beshear campaigned on GOP legislative initiatives, such as lowering the state income tax and that Beshear’s campaign benefited from economic policies passed by the General Assembly.?

“The GOP stands ready to work with him, as we have for the previous four years. He has had no interest in working with us,” Rudy said of Beshear. “And congratulations to him. He campaigned on all our accomplishments for the last three months, and we look forward to working with him. Hopefully, he sees that we have good policies since he campaigned on them.”?

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, congratulated Beshear on his win in a Wednesday morning statement, but expressed disappointment in the outcome. Stivers said the General Assembly will continue to focus on passing policies it has supported since 2017 and “bring forth legislation to protect Kentucky families from some of the extreme agendas of the Beshear and Biden administrations.”

“I am hopeful that in his second term, though, the Governor will choose to work collaboratively with his co-equal branch of government,” Stivers said. “This General Assembly remains committed to a fiscally responsible budget and creating an environment for economic growth.”

National spotlight

A sign of national interest in Kentucky’s gubernatorial election can be found in the $65 million both campaigns and outside groups spent on the election. Kentucky is one of just three states that elected governors this year. Mississippi reelected Republican Tate Reeves Tuesday; Louisiana elected Republican Jeff Landry last month.?

Both Beshear and Cameron gained the eyes of their national political parties.?

Voss noted that a Beshear win means that “people will be talking about him as a potential presidential candidate or vice presidential candidate” in the next few years. Beshear has now won two terms as a Democratic governor in a state that former President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020.?

“There have been noises along those lines already, just based on his popularity ratings,” Voss said. “But if Beshear wins, then nobody’s going to be able to say his governorship was a fluke.”?

The 2019 gubernatorial election, when Beshear defeated incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin by almost 5,000 votes, could be framed as a referendum on how Kentuckians felt about Bevin. However, Beshear has now faced “two very different Republicans,” Voss said.?

Second-term priorities

Cameron’s messaging embraced much of the recent culture wars legislation that has passed in Frankfort — despite Beshear’s futile vetoes. The attorney general also often vowed to work with the Republican supermajority in Frankfort and to eliminate the state income tax.?

Cameron selected state Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, as his running mate, who sponsored legislation preventing transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams at their schools. The rhetoric was highlighted by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines joining Cameron and Mills on the trail last week as she recounted how she tied with former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transwoman athlete, for fifth place in the 2022 NCAA Championships 200-yard freestyle event. Pieces of Cameron’s public safety plan, such as establishing a Kentucky State Police post and passing a wiretapping law for law enforcement, appeared in a sweeping anti-crime bill proposed by Louisville Republicans.?

Sandra Ardrey, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University, said Beshear will likely attempt to work with Republicans again over the next four years.?

“There were lots of bipartisan issues that the parties agreed on,” she said. “So, I think if he can work towards that, then he can continue to be prosperous.”

Ardrey said Beshear is likely to continue his focus in his second term on developing the state’s economy, encouraging job growth and expanding access to Wi-Fi, especially in the state’s rural areas.

Rocky Adkins, who is currently Beshear’s senior adviser and a former member of the House of Representatives, told reporters after Tuesday’s results came in that the Beshear administration’s future legislative priorities will include funding for public education, supporting economic development and investing in infrastructure around the state.?

“It’s unbelievable the momentum we have in Kentucky right now,” Adkins said. “It’s something that I’ve never seen in my lifetime. And we got to capture it, we got to take advantage of it, and we got to build that bright future for every Kentuckian across this great commonwealth.”

Liam Niemeyer contributed to this report.

Senate Democratic leaders Scott Surovell and Mamie Locke hold up blue bricks symbolizing their “brick wall” against the GOP agenda during the Democratic Election Night Party in Richmond City, Va., November 7, 2023. Photo by Parker Michels-Boyce

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Democrats beat back Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s effort to turn the state fully red by defending their state Senate majority in Tuesday’s General Assembly elections and flipping control of the House of Delegates.

While the final counts in the high-stakes battle for the statehouse weren’t fully clear at midnight, with multiple races still too close to call, Democrats appeared to have secured control of both chambers.

Even before outlets including the Associated Press called the House races around midnight, Democrats were already hailing the night as a victory, one that will further erode Youngkin’s ability to enact his conservative agenda as he begins the second half of his four-year term.

At a watch party in downtown Richmond, caucus leaders pulled out a pair of blue bricks to symbolize that the so-called “brick wall” against Youngkin’s agenda had endured.

“We’re more than just a brick wall now. We are building a house,” said Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, the chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

On the House side, where Republicans had a 52-48 majority earlier this year, Democrats are now poised to elevate Minority Leader Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, to become the first Black House speaker in Virginia history.

According to unofficial results, Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, D-Henrico, defeated incumbent Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant, R-Henrico, in one of the toughest suburban districts Republicans were trying to defend.

In Northern Virginia, Democrat Russet Perry beat Republican Juan Pablo Segura in a competitive race for an open seat representing parts of Loudoun and Fauquier counties.

In another Northern Virginia contest, Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, triumphed over Republican Bill Woolf, making her the first transgender person ever elected to the state Senate.

Republican Dels. Tara Durant, R-Fredericksburg, and Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, won two other close contests, defeating Democratic opponents Joel Griffin and Del. Clint Jenkins, D-Suffolk, respectively.

The Senate matchup between Sen. Monty Mason, D-Williamsburg, and Republican Danny Diggs was too close to call at night’s end and may take days to resolve as election officials continue to tabulate votes cast under the same-day registration system.

Youngkin has spent months rallying Republicans to flip the Senate and hold the House, but the GOP’s failure to achieve that ambitious goal shows the limits of the governor’s brand of conservatism, as well as the staying power of Democrats, who gained new evidence for their belief that Youngkin’s 2021 win was more of a pandemic-era anomaly than a lasting realignment of state politics.

“The emperor has no clothes except for a red sweater vest,” Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, said as results rolled in.

Democrats ran largely on preserving abortion access, launching a wave of ads that declared a vote for their party was a vote to stop Youngkin from passing his proposal to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Youngkin had portrayed that plan as a reasonable “limit” because it would have allowed exceptions for cases of rape and incest and when the mother’s life or physical health is at risk.

The GOP effort to defuse abortion as a motivating issue for Democratic-leaning voters wasn’t enough to stop the tide in the suburban battlegrounds.

In an interview, Jamie Lockhart, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said “abortion rights won” despite Republican efforts to obfuscate the issue.

“Voters weren’t fooled,” Lockhart said. “They showed up.”

Though he has two more years left in office, Youngkin will have to spend that time working with a new crew of Democratic leaders at the statehouse who have been sharply at odds with him on virtually every major issue.

Republican candidates mostly campaigned this year on the same themes Youngkin ran on in 2021: cutting taxes, getting tougher on crime and giving parents a bigger role in K-12 schools. Many of the GOP candidates running in swing districts echoed the governor’s stance on abortion, characterizing their position as a reasonable compromise that would keep the procedure legal in the earliest stages of pregnancy, when most Virginia abortions occur.

Tuesday’s results are also a setback for the lingering buzz about Youngkin as a possible late entrant into the GOP presidential primary by complicating the governor’s narrative about flipping a blue state red.

Youngkin and other Republican leaders had not yet weighed in on the results as of publication.

At an election night event in Henrico, Dunnavant indicated she was not conceding her race but acknowledged she was “down.”

“I am 100% proud of my campaign,” she said.

Mercury reporter Charlie Paullin contributed to this report.

This story is republished from the Virginia Mercury, a sister publication of Kentucky Lantern and part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.?

Reed Elliotte looks at the results as Republicans gathered on election night in Louisville, Nov. 7, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Republicans made it a clean sweep Tuesday – as they did in 2019 — by winning all five of Kentucky’s so-called “down ticket” races.

The winning Republicans were Russell Coleman, attorney general; incumbent Michael Adams, secretary of state; Allison Ball, auditor of public accounts; Mark Metcalf, treasurer, and Jonathan Shell, agriculture commissioner.

Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said on the Kentucky Educational Television network that the GOP sweep of the five races shows that “Kentucky is still a red state.”

They are called “down-ticket” races because they are constitutional offices with less authority than the governor’s office. Each winner will serve for four years at an annual salary of $148,108.56.

Here’s a closer look at the five races.

Attorney general

Coleman, a former FBI agent who served as a federal prosecutor and was an attorney for U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, turned back a challenge from Democratic state Rep. Pam Stevenson, a retired Air Force colonel and military lawyer. Stevenson is from Louisville, Coleman from Crestwood.

The office of the state’s top law-enforcement official has been held since 2019 by Republican Daniel Cameron, who decided to challenge Democrat Andy Beshear in the governor’s race.

Coleman, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to be U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, told his supporters Tuesday night that he “will protect the family, will defend your rights and we will back the blue.”

He gave a special nod to the Fraternal Order of Police for its endorsement and to Stevenson for her service to the state and nation.

Secretary of state

Adams of Louisville, who ran as a moderate, defeated former Democratic state Rep. Charles “Buddy” Wheatley of Covington, an attorney and former fire chief of the Northern Kentucky city.

Throughout most of the campaign, Adams touted his record in bringing to the state photo ID to vote and working with Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to make it easier to vote during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But during his victory speech Tuesday night, Adams broadened his outlook, saying that, by working, Kentuck could improve in other areas like public safety, quality of life and its long-term future.

He said he will continue to make it “easier to vote and harder to cheat.”

Auditor of public accounts

Ball, who has been state treasurer for eight years, will move her office to that of auditor.

She turned back a bid by Kim Reeder, a tax attorney from Morehead, who was making her first race for public office.

Ball, a Prestonsburg attorney, said she will be a “watchdog” over how the state spends its money.

Treasurer

Metcalf is leaving 22 years as Garrard County attorney to become the state’s next treasurer. Ball could not seek re-election because of term limits. She ran successfully Tuesday for auditor.

Metcalf won the treasurer’s race over Democrat Michael Bowman, who also ran unsuccessfully for the office four years ago against Ball. Bowman, of Louisville, is a former bank official and staffer for Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman.

As treasurer, an office which some have sought to abolish, Metcalf said he wants to provide Kentuckians more information about its debt.

Commissioner of agriculture

Shell, a former state House floor leader and a Garrard County farmer, ran a strongly conservative race in beating Democrat Sierra Enlow, a LaRue County native who is an economic development consultant in Louisville.

Shell has been a supporter of U.S. Sen. McConnell and was instrumental in helping the Republican Party recruit state House candidates in the GOP’s 2016 takeover of the chamber.

He replaces Ryan Quarles, who ran unsuccessfully last spring in the Republican Party’s primary election for governor and has been named to head the Kentucky Community and Technical College Systems.

Marla Zwinggi from Geauga County hugs Shannon Gallagher from Brooklyn, New York, as early election results are announced at the Issue 1 election night party hosted by Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights and Pro-Choice Ohio, Nov. 7, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency downtown, in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for Ohio Capital Journal)

Ohio voters passed the Issue 1 constitutional amendment to protect abortion and reproductive rights Tuesday. The Associated Press called the election over Issue 1 shortly after 9 p.m.

“Today, Ohioans made it clear, abortion is a winning issue, and together we can do anything,” said Lauren Blauvelt, co-chair of the Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights and executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

The amendment, brought by Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom and other reproductive rights advocacy groups, will enshrine abortion, contraception, fertility treatment, miscarriage care, and continuing one’s own pregnancy?into the Ohio Constitution.

Nancy Kramer, co-chair of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights and one of the individuals who led the constitutional amendment effort, said the amendment was a “citizen-led” effort full of “diverse and dynamic” people.

“We have marshaled the resources, the enthusiasm and now the votes of millions of Ohioans,” Kramer said at a Tuesday night watch party for Issue 1 supporters and the media.

The Issue 1 effort sought to stem attempts by both state and federal officials to regulate abortion through the use of bans and/or limits, and continue a burgeoning trend in the country that saw usual Republican strongholds like Kentucky and Kansas pass abortion rights measures by overwhelming numbers, along with Michigan, California and Vermont. Montana voters rejected an initiative that would have allowed criminal charges for providers who failed to take “reasonable actions” to save a fetus, even after an abortion.

In Ohio, a six-week ban with no exceptions for rape or incest was passed in 2019 and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. Then it was tied up in court until the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the national legalization of abortion in Roe v. Wade. That day, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost moved to get the six-week ban released from its court entanglement, which allowed the ban to be implemented for 82 days in 2022.

Abortion rights groups tried to get the Ohio Supreme Court to intervene, but after weeks of inaction, the groups moved the case to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, where a judge issued a preliminary injunction in the fall of 2022, pausing the ban indefinitely.

The case still has not been resolved, even causing the state to appeal the injunction to the Ohio Supreme Court. The state’s highest court heard arguments about the injunction, but still has not ruled on the appeal. The amendment’s passage will likely provoke further legal action and requests for judgment, though advocates have not yet declared what their next steps will be.

On the amendment’s passage, the organizing director for the ACLU of Ohio, Elizabeth Chasteen Day, said the conservative moniker has been assigned to Ohio, but that didn’t deter voters for Issue 1.

“They like to say we’re conservative, they like to count us out, but what we know about Ohioans is that you can’t count us out,” Chasteen Day said.

Hundreds of organizers, campaigners and canvassers attended the election night watch party for Issue 1, gathering to see the election results on TV monitors and join with fellow supporters.

Melinda Dobson attended Tuesday’s election night watch party for the Issue 1 supporters. Her husband works for the ACLU, but she took time to canvass today in Cincinnati before coming up for the event.

She said the issue comes down to the next generation, who she wants to set up for the future.

“I have a daughter and I really want to make sure that she has more rights than we do, not less rights,” Dobson said.

The road to Election Day

The summer started off with high hopes for the amendment after signature collectors submitted more than 400 boxes of signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State. Nearly 500,000 of the signatures were verified, indicating a large base of support for the amendment before campaigning had even begun.

The Ohio Ballot Board approved the language of the amendment, but changed the summary language that voters would see on their ballots, to the chagrin of abortion rights advocates, who said changing words like the medically-accepted “fetus” to “unborn child,” among other changes, slanted the summary in a way that misrepresented the amendment itself.

The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed for the most part after hearing a challenge to the changes. The court ruled that most of the changes could stay, with the exception of wording that assigned authority to the “citizens of the state of Ohio,” which the state supreme court ordered the ballot board to return to the previous language of “the state of Ohio.”

The amendment avoided another potential hurdle after state Republicans, including Ohio’s Secretary of State Frank LaRose, put their support behind a previous Issue 1 this August, which would have changed the Ohio Constitution by raising the threshold to pass any amendment from 50% to 60%. Ohio voters rejected that amendment with 57% against.

Polling since the amendment was introduced showed majority support for the measure, matching or exceeding public opinion polls from previous years.

Early voting showed the same support for the measure as polls seemed to, with Democratic areas of the state overperforming not only in favor of the abortion amendment, but also for Issue 2, the initiated statute to legalize marijuana.

This story is republished from Ohio Capital Journal,?a sister publication of Kentucky Lantern and part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.?

Gov. Andy Beshear, flanked by Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and his family, takes in the celebration at his reelection party, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at Old Forrester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

LOUISVILLE? — After a heated and expensive campaign, Kentucky voters have decided — they’ve given Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear another four-year term.

The governor won the election against his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, with 52.5% of the vote to Cameron’s 47.5%, according to unofficial returns. The Associated Press called the race at about 9 p.m. ?

Speaking to a joyous crowd at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, the soon-to-be two-term governor thanked state employees, campaign staffers, his personal friends and family — including former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, his father.?

Beshear, who often touts bipartisanship, vowed to continue being “a governor who serves all of our people regardless of your party and regardless of who you voted for.”?

“It was a victory that sent a loud and clear message, a message that candidates should run for something and not against someone,” Beshear said.?

In his concession speech, Cameron said he’d spoken with Beshear that night when he “called the governor to congratulate him.”

“We all want the same thing for our future generations,” Cameron said. “We want a better commonwealth, one in which it can ultimately be a shining city on a hill, a model, an example for the rest of the nation to follow.”

In his victory remarks, Beshear noted Kentuckians have come together to face hard times, but said he was looking forward to the state’s future. He called for funding educator raises and universal pre-kindergarten, as well as signaling optimism for the state’s economic development. He did not speak to reporters at the end of the night, but he and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman will have a press conference Wednesday morning in Frankfort.?

Beshear, 45, ran a campaign highlighting his leadership through difficult times — devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky and tornadoes in Western Kentucky, as well as the coronavirus pandemic, during which he held daily press conferences speaking to Kentuckians virtually in their homes. The governor also consistently expressed optimism about Kentucky’s future, pointing to economic growth during his administration, new businesses opening and infrastructure projects in progress, such as the Brent Spence Bridge in Northern Kentucky.?

The Democrat’s win sets the stage for his strained relationship with the Republican-controlled General Assembly in Frankfort to continue, ahead of a state budget session to begin in January. On the campaign trail, GOP lawmakers and Cameron often criticized the governor for vetoing their legislation, though Republicans have overridden his vetoes. Beshear often emphasizes bipartisanship as a response, noting he has frequently signed lawmakers’ legislation.?

The win also shows that Kentuckians are not entirely red at the state level, as Democrats have continued to hold the state’s highest office. Kentucky voters twice overwhelmingly voted for Republican Donald Trump for president. Trump endorsed Cameron and held a “tele-rally” conference call with Cameron on Monday night.

The gubernatorial election was an expensive race. Together, the two campaigns and outside groups spent $65 million to sway voters.

Endorsed by and singled out as a rising GOP star by former President Donald Trump, Cameron tried to sway Kentucky voters by arguing that he would better reflect their conservative values than Beshear has.?

Cameron, who handily won a contested Republican primary election this year and is a protege of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, focused his message on preventing transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams, getting “woke” agendas out of Kentucky’s public schools and reducing violent crime in the state. The election also put a spotlight on Cameron’s handling of the Breonna Taylor case, as only one Louisville police officer was initially indicted in the 2020 fatal shooting.

This story has been updated with more recent unofficial returns.?

Adrielle Camuel

Democrats kept control of a state House seat in Fayette County Tuesday in a special election needed due to the unexpected death of freshman Rep. Lamin Swann last May at the age of 45.

In Tuesday’s special election to fill the remainder of Swann’s term which runs through 2024, political newcomer Adrielle Camuel defeated Republican Kyle Whalen, who lost to Swann by eight percentage points in 2022.

In unofficial results with 285 of 286 precincts reporting, Camuel had amassed 7,775 votes to 5,729 for Whalen.

The district is considered a Democratic stronghold.

Camuel is an administrative specialist with Fayette County Public Schools. She has been involved with the Democratic party for several years.

Whalen, of Back Construction, and Camuel were selected by their respective parties this summer to run in the special election to fill Swann’s unexpired term.

Kentucky House Democratic leaders Cherlynn Stevenson and Rachel Roberts issued a statement saying: “We are proud to welcome Adrielle as our newest caucus member and know she will serve the 93rd House District and the entire commonwealth with distinction.? Her fierce commitment to public education, social justice and the needs of working Kentuckians make her an ideal fit to complete the term of our beloved colleague, Lamin Swann, whose passing in May devastated all of us.? There is no doubt that Adrielle will build on his considerable legacy and, in turn, create her own.

Voters waited their turn at Harrison Elementary School in Lexington Tuesday morning. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

In downtown Lexington, lines of voters had formed by midmorning at the Harrison Elementary School polling site.

Greeting and guiding them was poll worker Eugene Young, 72, who said his military service had contributed to his conviction about the importance of voting.

“I’m a Vietnam veteran. I fought for this,” Young said surveying the Election Day scene. Young, who is Black, said, “I fought for a country I didn’t have freedom in myself. I want to make sure everyone (has) a choice.”

Young conversed with many of the voters, some of whom he knew from his neighborhood and through his active volunteering, including with the Bluegrass Trust and Salvation Army.

Residents of Connie Griffith Manor, a nearby public housing apartment complex for seniors, made their way to the polling site, some with help from volunteers organized by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, a progressive grassroots organization.

“I’ve been voting ever since I’ve been old enough to vote,” said Elaine Marshall, 68, a resident of the apartment complex. “Because I was always told that your vote makes a difference, and to me it really does. I’ve been voting a long time, and I’m about to turn 69 years old.”

Tayna Fogle, 63, who represents Lexington’s District 1 on the Urban County Council and is lead organizer for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, was on hand to help apartment residents cross the street and walk to the school to cast their votes.

“We got some residents that have been voting 50 and 60 years that live here in this facility,” Fogle said.

Turnout at Harrison Elementary was more brisk than in the May primary, poll workers said. Chris Kelly, an election judge, said 193 voters had cast ballots by 9:18 a.m.

Nearby at the Salvation Army, home to Fayette County’s precinct A143, voting got off to a slow start. This did not dampen the attitude of Fayette County judge and polling site volunteer Mark Sok.

Sok said that he has been working on Election Day for 17 years.

“I vote every election. I have for my entire adult life,” Sok said. “I just believe in the process. I think that’s really what makes America great.”

He said being part of it is fun, and he interacts with great people all day.

One of these individuals is Ronita Taylor, 61, a Lexington native who has voted for the last 20 years and said voting gives people a say in the government.

She said that she hasn’t seen changes she’s hoped for within the past three years related to gun control or solving murders and assaults. “I just hope we get a good turnout, and everyone voices their opinion and comes out and really makes this election count,” Taylor said.

To the north, in neighboring Scott County, some voters were skeptical about whether politicians truly care about the people.

Adam Hawkins, 52, said he owns a small business, Oh Sew Cute, in downtown Georgetown and hopes that whoever wins the election can control inflation, as it affects small business owners like himself.

“It hasn’t affected me terribly yet, but it will,” Hawkins said. “I don’t raise my prices like most people with a small business would.”

Kentucky voters have until 6 p.m. on Nov. 7 to continue to cast their ballots, according to the State Board of Elections.

(McKenna Horsley)

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, as Kentuckians decide their constitutional officers, including who will be governor, for the next four years.

Voters must present a photo ID. (There are provisions in the law for registered voters who lack a photo ID, including presenting other forms of identification and an election worker’s affirmation of identity through personal acquaintance.)

Voters in line at 6 p.m. must be allowed to vote.

To find your polling? location, visit the State Board of Elections’ website.

Absentee ballots must be received by local county clerks by 6 p.m. local time to be counted. Drop-off locations for absentee ballots can be found on the State Board of Elections’ website. Voters may check the status of their absentee ballots online.

Hotlines

The Office of the Attorney General will maintain its Election Fraud Hotline, (800) 328-VOTE, to report suspected election law violations. The hotline is always active and records messages 24 hours a day, every day of the year. During Kentucky’s early voting period and on Election Day, the hotline is staffed and calls are answered between 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST.?

Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union has an Election Protection hotline to assist voters, which can be reached by calling 866-687-8683.?

During last week’s early voting period, from Thursday to Saturday, more than 260,000 Kentuckians cast ballots, according to the State Board of Elections.?

Kentucky has almost 3.5 million registered voters.?

Andy Beshear, left, and Daniel Cameron rallied with supporters hours before Election Day. (Kentucky Lantern photos by McKenna Horsley and Liam Niemeyer)

With hours left to make their cases to voters, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron spent Monday crisscrossing Kentucky and rallying their supporters to get out and vote.?

Tuesday polls will open at 6 a.m. and voters will decide which candidate will lead the commonwealth for the next four years.?

Beshear and Cameron have met in five debates and saturated the airwaves with advertising. Counting all the spending by the two campaigns and outside groups, $65 million will be expended wooing voters in this governor’s race. The outcome is expected to be close, increasing the chances of an automatic recount thanks to a recent change in state law. And, as one of only three governor’s races this year, it will be closely watched outside Kentucky for signs of voters’ mood heading toward next year’s presidential and congressional races.

On Monday, Beshear held rallies with voters in Lexington, Morehead, Prestonsburg and Pikeville, before ending the day in Louisville.

Cameron appeared at? press conferences in Fort Wright, Lexington and Louisville before hosting? an evening rally in his hometown of? Elizabethtown. He then hopped on a “tele-rally” with former President Donald Trump, in which Trump, who has endorsed Cameron, tied Beshear to President Joe Biden. The governor is popular in Kentucky; the president is not.

Beshear ended Monday with a crowd packed inside Mile Wide Brewing on Barret Avenue in Kentucky’s largest city. In 2019, Beshear won Jefferson County by a nearly 100,000-vote margin. In his stump speech, he emphasized his campaign’s consistent messaging — that his efforts to bring clean drinking water, new jobs and ?high speed internet to Kentuckians are not partisan issues.

“Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or Independent, there is a place for you in this campaign and in this administration,” Beshear said to the crowd. “Our job isn’t to move a state to the right or the left but to move it forward for every single family.”

In the final hours of his campaign, Cameron put a spotlight on his Hardin County roots. Speaking before a crowd of supporters Monday evening at an event hall near downtown Elizabethtown, he mentioned the church he attended in town, his family’s coffee shop where he worked growing up and his high school football aspirations before turning to his stances on social issues, such as preventing transgender women from playing on female sports teams.?

“To end this campaign in the place where I was raised here in Hardin County, here in E-town amongst so many friends, folks that have supported not only me but my family,” Cameron said. “I am so honored to be here amongst all of you all. This touches my heart.”?

Cameron pivoted to hit on several of his campaign’s themes attacking the “far-left” and his Democratic opponent over various culture war issues, including transgender rights, claiming his Democratic opponent refused “to protect women’s sports.” Cameron also strongly rebuked Beshear’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He painted his campaign in broad strokes, invoking his Christian faith, and saying he wanted to preserve? “ideals that have propelled this nation forward.” He also promised to eliminate the state income tax and fight crime.

“Those ideals being faith, family and community. That is what is at stake tomorrow,” Cameron said. “This race is about making sure that at the end of tomorrow night, we are in a position for decades to come to say that this commonwealth is a shining city on a hill, a model and an example for the rest of the nation to follow.”?

Cameron didn’t mention former president Donald Trump in his closing speech in Elizabethtown even though he was set to speak with Trump on a phone conference call “tele-rally”at 9 p.m. The campaign had distributed a phone number to dial into the call with Trump and Cameron.?

Trump call

Cameron during the about 10-minute conference call with Trump said the former president was “going to take the fight to Joe Biden in 2024” and introduced Trump as the “next president of the United States.”?

Trump during the call described Beshear as a “Joe Biden stooge” and claimed the Democratic governor wanted “big, strong hulking men to bruise and brutalize Kentucky female athletes on the playing field while stealing all of their trophies for themselves.”

When the GOP-controlled Kentucky legislature overrode a veto from Beshear to pass a ban in 2022 on transgender girls and women playing on sports teams matching their gender identity, the only example of that happening in the state was a middle school transgender girl who wanted to play on her field hockey team. The legislation was sponsored by Cameron’s running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills.?

Also during the call, Trump praised Cameron for suing “crooked Joe Biden, I guess, at a record level. And he’s left dozens and dozens of successful decisions scattered all over the state.”

The former president, who on Monday testified as the defendant in a business fraud trial in New York, said: “A vote for Daniel Cameron is a vote for Trump and it’s a vote against Biden and it’s a vote to save the state of Kentucky and the great Commonwealth of Kentucky from Beshear. Beshear is an absolute disaster.”

When asked about Trump’s tele-rally, Beshear told reporters that Kentucky’s gubernatorial election “isn’t about who’s in the White House. It’s about what’s going on in the home of our Kentucky families.” The governor added that voters are concerned about issues like job creation and healthcare for their families.?

“They want to know who will work every single day to create a better job for them. That’s what this race is about,” Beshear said. “I think it’s a clear choice, and I think we’re gonna be victorious tomorrow night.”?

Beshear ?was joined at his final campaign event by Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and Democratic candidates who will also be on tomorrow’s ballot.?

“When you are breaking record after record after record and win after win, you do not change the coach,” Greenberg said, paraphrasing a line Beshear has used before. “You keep on playing with that team to continue with the amazing momentum.”?

The governor touted his administration’s record on economic development, highlighted key infrastructure and referred to his leadership of the state through the coronavirus pandemic and natural disasters. As he spoke, the crowd cheered and waved signs.?

“We have been through a lot together. A pandemic, tornadoes, flooding, wind storms, ice storms,” Beshear told the crowd. “Yet tonight, here I stand more enthusiastic, optimistic and energized about our future than at any time in my lifetime.”?

Tight race

In Elizabethtown, among? theCameron? supporters was Nate Fowler, 66, who went to church with Cameron and his family and also had visited Cameron’s family coffee shop in the past. Fowler has called Hardin County home for more than 30 years and says he knew Cameron when he was “very small.”?

“We know where his heart is and where his beliefs are, and that has never wavered. And we see in his political career up to this point that he’s never wavered,” Fowler said. “And we know when he becomes a governor that’ll stand exactly as it is.”

Fowler believes the governor’s race will be tight given Beshear has a “strong following” but added that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.?

“That means that people are getting out and voting,” Fowler said. “That’s what this country is built on.”?

(McKenna Horsley)

More Kentucky voters took advantage of early voting this year ahead of Tuesday’s general election — which includes what will likely be a narrow governor’s race.?

On Election Day, polls will open in Kentucky from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. During last week’s early voting period, from Thursday to Saturday, more than 260,000 Kentuckians cast ballots, according to the State Board of Elections. Democrats had a slight advantage in the polls, with more than 133,000 voting early. More than 112,000 Republicans voted early.?

Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, who is also seeking reelection, said on social media that last year’s early voting period saw more than 253,000 voters and predicted this year’s turnout to be around 42%, which is similar to 2022’s turnout.?

Saundra Curry Ardrey, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University, said early voting is untested in Kentucky gubernatorial elections, but such voting could be an indicator of enthusiasm for the incumbent. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is seeking a second term in office while Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron hopes to unseat the governor.?

“If we have indications that there’s early voting and numbers are high, then we know that there’s enthusiasm behind that candidate, and we can expect that the regular turnout is going to be higher also,” Ardrey said.?

Beshear and Cameron have continued to criss-cross the state in their bus tours, speaking to voters ahead of Tuesday’s general election. A FOX 56 News/Emerson College poll released Friday morning showed Beshear and Cameron tied at 47% among a survey of 1,000 likely voters or voters who had already cast ballots.

Ardrey said such “Get Out the Vote” rallies are effective, especially among younger voters. Beshear in particular has focused on visiting public universities over the last few days and meeting college students. Cameron’s focus has been on rural Kentucky, though both candidates have made stops in the state’s rural and urban areas.?

“The key now is to make sure that you get your base out, and this is going to be a close election,” Ardrey said. “So, the candidate that can get and motivate his base out, and plus, get some of those independents, will have a good chance to win this election.”?

Leading up to the general election, Republicans led voter registration, but Ardrey said that doesn’t necessarily mean those voters will back Cameron. According to the Friday poll, some Republicans plan to back Beshear. Plus, Beshear has courted Republicans throughout his campaign, selling “Republicans for Andy” shirts on his website and releasing an ad with a Trump supporter.?

Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, said both Beshear and Cameron have strengths heading into Tuesday.?

For Cameron, those advantages include last-minute undecided voters and the recent news cycle, Voss said. Such undecided voters tend to lean to the right.?

During Beshear’s visits to the University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky last week, some students supporting Palestinians in Gaza, who are under siege by Israel in retaliation for a Hamas attack, protested during? Beshear’s rallies.The Cameron campaign quickly took to social media to claim Beshear supporters included “supporters of terrorism.”?

“In general, that sort of event leads people to activate their anti-immigration politics and concern with cultural change,” Voss said. “And if that’s been activated by the national news, those voters are going to start thinking Republican.”??

Nevertheless, Beshear’s public university appearances could boost his support with young voters, Voss added. A key issue with this demographic and in the race in general has been abortion. The Beshear campaign has run ads attacking Cameron on his support of Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban. Even Republicans in the Friday poll were divided on the subject.?

Beshear also has an advantage in money. According to campaign finance reports, the Beshear campaign’s fundraising for the general election reached $17.3 million total receipts compared to Cameron’s $3.9 million. But Cameron has narrowed the money gap thanks to support form outside groups. When outside committee spending is added to campaign fundraising, the Beshear side will be backed by about $35 million compared to about $30 million for the Cameron side.

Another positive for Beshear, Voss said, has been the absence of a large national issue “that was activating people’s feelings toward the national Democratic Party and the national Republican Party, and that’s good for him, because this is a very pro-Trump state.”

Beshear and Cameron will continue to make campaign stops throughout Monday. Cameron will also have an evening tele-rally with former President Donald Trump; they held a similar call during the GOP primary. Trump, who endorsed Cameron early on in the race, appeared in court Monday to testify in his civil fraud trial against allegations that he inflated his net worth.

Radio entrepreneur Cathy Hughes may have upended her push to build a casino in Richmond by letting her opinions fly on the radio.

Just days before Richmonders head to the polls to vote a second time on a proposed casino partly owned by Urban One, the media company Hughes founded, casino opponents published a series of audio clips revealing racially inflammatory remarks made by Hughes and other Black casino proponents on local radio programs geared toward Black audiences.

The clips include numerous examples of Hughes implying that opposition to the casino is driven by racism. At one point, she says, “Do not forget that they do not see you as a human being.”

“Even though you may have a house like theirs, a car like theirs, your children may go to the same schools — they see you as a n*****, alright?” Hughes said. “Wake up!”

In a different recording, local radio personality and occasional political candidate Preston Brown took aim at Richmond activist Paul Goldman, a Jewish lawyer and former aide to Gov. Doug Wilder who has been fighting to block the casino.

“He’s a white Jew with a background of Judas,” Brown said, referring to the biblical figure who betrayed Jesus.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, who supports the casino and has received political contributions from donors tied to the project, denounced the Goldman remark in a social media post Friday.

“I unequivocally condemn the antisemitic remarks made by a guest host on The Box 99.5 FM regarding Paul Goldman,” Stoney said on X. “We must call out hate in all of its forms, and his remarks are completely unacceptable.”

Stoney did not mention any of the other controversial remarks made by Hughes and others, and his office refused to comment further.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Goldman, a former chairman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, suggested the response and limited apology overlooked “the true meaning of the damage they have done to Richmond.”

“For the love of money, for personal gain, they are willing to turn their casino project into a wedge of division, to attempt to win by a divisive strategy serving only their selfish interests,” Goldman said.

The audio clips, taken from multiple radio shows, were posted on the website of the No Means No anti-casino group. It’s unclear exactly when each comment was made, and the clips don’t show the full context of what preceded and came after each remark. Radio One, the station that aired Brown’s comments, did not immediately respond to a request for the full recordings of the shows from which the clips were taken. At least one of the clips posted by the anti-casino group was edited to condense multiple comments, according to a longer audio file of Brown’s remarks obtained by the Virginia Mercury. However, no one has come forward to dispute the accuracy of what the anti-casino group published.

Radio One, the station that aired Brown’s comment, issued a statement saying Brown was acting as a “temporary guest host” and is not employed by the station.

“These remarks were horrible and offensive,” said Marsha Landess, the station’s regional vice president. “Once we heard the comments and because he was alone in the studio with his producer, I personally drove to the station and immediately removed him from the show.? He will not be appearing again. Our CEO, Alfred Liggins, has personally apologized to Mr. Goldman on behalf of the station and our company.”

Liggins is the son of Hughes. Efforts to reach Brown Friday were unsuccessful.

Landess confirmed that the “primary voices” heard on most of the clips were Hughes and radio host Gary Flowers.

Richmond Wins Vote Yes, the pro-casino PAC funded by Urban One and its business partner Churchill Downs, also distanced itself from the remarks.

“Richmond Wins Vote Yes is about bringing people together to build a better Richmond and provide meaningful economic opportunity for the city and its people,” the PAC said. “This campaign unequivocally condemns the anti-Semitic language and divisive comments that were made on the air.”

Rae Cousins, a Democrat who is running unopposed this November to represent House District 79 where the casino would be located, said in an email that “in reviewing all of the radio snippets that have been released, I absolutely condemn these statements and adamantly stand against all forms of discrimination, hatred and divisiveness.”

“No matter where people stand on this or any political issue, we must agree that these kind of attacks have no place in our community,” she wrote.

Shots at Kaine’s family life

The recordings also include sharp criticism by Hughes, Brown and Flowers of Tim Kaine, one of Virginia’s two U.S. senators and previously state governor, mayor of Richmond and a member of the city council. In one clip where Hughes and others discuss the removal of Confederate monuments from Richmond in 2020, the Urban One head said, “Tim Kaine might have wanted one on his front yard.”

Kaine voted against the casino in the 2021 referendum, a decision Hughes appears to have been referencing when she referred to the “damage that he had done.”

“He knows the pain of the Black people of the Southside of Richmond. And yet … he’s saying that it is better for a Black man to get drunk off some beer that he financed, some craft beer in a local brewery, than to have a job. How do you equate that?” she asked.

That comment appears to be in reference to a criticism levied by Brown against the former governor in the longer version of his remarks obtained by the Mercury. In the extended remarks, Brown castigated Kaine for selling beer and wine at a church fundraiser this summer, saying, “He don’t want you to gamble, but he want to sell beer and wine, and it’s OK. You see why I say some people talk out of both sides of their face?”

In yet another clip, Brown noted Kaine and his wife, Anne Holton, had disagreed on the casino issue in 2021, with Holton voting in favor of the proposal.

“The Bible said, ‘When two come together and agree,’” he said. “Now how can those two live in the same household and not agree? So how can we have him representing us as a senator when he can’t even keep his own home together?”

Asked about the remarks, Katie Stuntz, a spokesperson for Kaine, said Friday that the senator “is attending a friend’s funeral and is unavailable for comment.”

Virginia is new to the casino business

Virginia’s four other cities allowed to have casinos — Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Norfolk — have approved them without much drama.

It’s been a different story in Richmond, where the proposed casino has occasionally inflamed longstanding racial fault lines.

When the casino legalization bill was being discussed in 2020, some Black lawmakers in the General Assembly said they wanted at least some Black ownership of casinos in the industry rather than having Black people simply work in them. Urban One, which describes itself as “the largest local urban radio network” and a “leading voice speaking to Black America,” seemed to fit the bill when the company expressed interest in building a casino in Richmond.

When the project emerged in early 2021, it was described as America’s first and only Black-owned casino and pitched as a way to uplift South Richmond, an area in need of revitalization.

The state capital is overwhelmingly liberal and has had mostly Black political leadership for decades, but stark divides have persisted between the city’s wealthier, whiter areas and working-class Black neighborhoods that often feel left out of the city’s economic development efforts.

When Richmond voters rejected the first casino referendum two years ago, the lower-income minority neighborhoods closest to where the proposed casino would be built strongly supported the project. But opposition was high enough elsewhere in the city that it went down in defeat, sparking some criticism that white Richmond had scuttled a project Black Richmond wanted. Meanwhile, progressive activists who oppose the casino see themselves as fighting predatory gambling interests that drain money from the communities they seek to enter.

The proposed Richmond Grand Resort? and Casino on the ballot this year promises to create 1,300 jobs and generate $30 million in annual tax revenue. The “Black-owned” marketing has been largely dropped this year because Urban One is now pursuing the casino as a joint project with Churchill Downs, the horse racing and gambling enterprise that bought Virginia’s Colonial Downs racetrack last year.

The vote on this year’s casino referendum is expected to be close, but it wasn’t immediately clear Friday what impact the disclosure of the audio clips might have on the vote.

While Hughes in one recording released by casino opponents insisted the issue “is not about the color of a person’s skin,” other clips reveal her repeatedly casting the casino debate in racial terms.

In one clip, she characterizes Black opponents of the casino and Black supporters as, respectively, “house n****** and field n******.” In another, she says, “We have got to connect our Black middle class with our Black downtrodden and realize that we are one and the same in the eyes of white folks. White folks do not care.”

Hughes and Flowers specifically called out two casino opponents, marijuana legalization and civil rights advocate Chelsea Higgs Wise and former City Council candidate Allan-Charles Chipman, in one segment.

“These are not white folk pulling up signs and flying planes around the city,” said Flowers. “They’re paying for it, but they’ve hired Black people to do that — self-hating Black people.”

Chipman hit back on X after the recordings were circulated, writing, “I am not a self-hating Black person as they called me. I am an exploitation-hating Black man that firmly believes Dr. King is right when he said ‘Racism, economic exploitation, and militarism are all tied together. You can’t get rid of one without getting rid of the other.’”

With Nov. 7 looming, the clips make it clear that even the casino’s backers are unsure of what will happen Tuesday.

“I spent $10 million is what the final bill looks like to keep it in Richmond. Such a waste. I am so mad at this opposition,” said Hughes in one recording. “Do you know how much good I could have done with $10 million that I had to pay to lawyers and accountants and lobbyists and make contributions to everybody I thought could influence?”

This story has been updated to include comments from Rae Cousins.

A statue of an underground miner honoring the region's coal mining history stands in the center of Providence in Webster County. The former Dotiki coal miner who served as a model for the statue, Bobby Shoulders, died in October. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer)

PROVIDENCE — Walking through a bathhouse at what until a few years ago was Webster County’s last operating coal mine is not just a moment for Tony Felker to revisit memories. It is also a window into a way of life that he recognizes is disappearing.

Felker is quick to rattle through the nearly four decades of knowledge gained working in coal mines, most of that time as an underground mechanic for Webster County’s Dotiki mine. He walks past a counter where he would pick up a “cap light” before going underground. Markings on the lobby floor are from benches where he sat before work that have been removed.??

“Well, you get out here and you get dressed, and you see everybody —” he said, his voice trailing off as he looked around the bathhouse. “They’ve changed all of this around.”?

The Dotiki mine, operated by Alliance Resource Partners, produced about 2.5 million tons of coal in a year and employed roughly 200 people as recently as five years ago. But on a recent October afternoon, all was quiet, except for a few workers welding equipment to be sent elsewhere. Next to the showers was a large electric-powered “roof-bolter,” also used elsewhere in the company, to train miners.

ARP shuttered the Dotiki mine in 2019 because of “weak market conditions” to focus on its “lower-cost” mining operations elsewhere.?

Coal in Kentucky

Production (tons)

1990 – 179,373,269?

2022 – 28,334,145

Down 84%

Employment

1990 – 30,498

2023 – 4,978

Down 83%

Source: Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

Around the time Felker started working at the Dotiki mine in the early 1990s, Webster County employed more than 1,100 workers in coal mining; now there are no more coal miners left in the county, according to state data.?

The disappearance of coal mining in Webster County has been? repeated across Kentucky as the cost of electricity generated through natural gas and renewable energy has generally outcompeted coal-fired power in the United States in recent years. It doesn’t matter whether the president was Donald Trump or Joe Biden, Democrat or Republican. Felker, who retired from the Dotiki mine in 2014, has seen coal decline through multiple administrations.?

“We were promised by a president that coal would be back,” Felker said. “It hasn’t. It’s losing ground in Kentucky. In other places, too.”?

But while Felker, an elected county magistrate and Democrat, understands coal is in decline, he doesn’t want to lose the coal mining that remains in the state.?

Kentuckians’ desire to keep the coal industry afloat is also reflected in this year’s campaigns for governor, even as environmentalists point to deadly disasters driven by climate change in Kentucky in recent years.

Burning coal is the single largest source of global temperature increase due to emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change is causing increased flooding, droughts and a loss of biodiversity across the world.

Environmental advocates say climate change has not spared Kentucky, pointing to the Western Kentucky tornado outbreak in 2021 and devastating floods in Eastern Kentucky in 2022 as examples of increasing extreme weather events driven by climate change.?

But on the campaign trail, climate change is rarely mentioned, if at all, by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Environmental advocates see that omission as not only a political calculation for pro-coal votes in a contentious election but also as a missed opportunity to start a conversation on the realities of climate change in a state that still gets more than two-thirds of its electricity by burning coal.

Cameron and Beshear say they’re advocates for a diverse energy mix including fossil fuels, something that Felker also supports. Felker welcomes new solar installations providing up to 400 megawatts of power capacity that are setting up in his county, part of a rapidly changing energy market in Kentucky.?

Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E and KU) is proposing before the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC)? to retire some of its coal-fired power in favor of natural gas and some solar. Across the country, utilities are moving away from coal for economic and climate reasons. Felker was one of several local elected officials from Western Kentucky’s coalfield who urged the PSC to reject LG&E and KU’s plan.?

Felker questions the science behind climate change, but says he can’t say it’s untrue because it’s not his area of expertise. Regardless of who wins on Nov. 7, he doesn’t think a governor will be able to stop the decline of coal mining.

“Being in politics, you can’t make a whole lot of promises,” Felker said. “All you’re going to do is tell people what they want to hear.”?

A changing climate — and energy market?

On the other end of the state, ?standing at a podium overlooking reclaimed strip mine land along the Perry-Knott county line in Eastern Kentucky, state Energy and Environment Secretary Rebecca Goodman quoted from a study co-authored by a University of Kentucky professor in 1990.?

“Those concerned with the future of Appalachia are coming to realize that coal will not drive the economy of the region much beyond the year 2010,” Goodman said. “They also are starting to accept that if the emphasis is to shift away from coal, something will have to be developed to replace its economic impact.”?

The new development Goodman and other state officials were celebrating in July was a planned $1 billion investment by Florida-based solar energy developer BrightNight to build a sprawling solar installation, with a capacity of 800 megawatts on reclaimed mine land.?

Kentucky recently ranked last of all states in wind and solar energy generation. But the massive solar investment in Eastern Kentucky serves as just one example of the surge of solar developers moving into the state to establish utility-scale solar installations and sell the power to utilities and companies seeking emissions-free energy sources.?

The Kentucky Public Service Commission’s Siting Board, which is in charge of approving new power generation facilities, has seen dozens of requests in the past three years to build new solar farms, compared to past years when the PSC saw no requests to build any new power plants, solar or otherwise. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides electricity to parts of Western Kentucky, is planning on retiring its coal-fired power plant fleet by 2035 in favor of primarily natural gas power and some solar power.

Adam Edelen, a Democrat and former Kentucky auditor of public accounts, is? a renewable energy developer and? played a consulting role in making the BrightNight project happen. He also spearheaded the construction of a solar installation in Martin County, which had a jobs fair last month where former coal miners came interested in the hundreds of construction jobs.?

For Edelen, the private sector has moved on to renewable energy regardless of what happens in state government. He said the devastating natural disasters in recent years only highlight the increasing impacts of climate change on the state.?

“When I see politicians saying that climate change is a hoax, that the green energy revolution isn’t coming — the fact is both are already here,” Edelen said. “There is no debate. There is no argument. This is settled. And we are either going to adopt the opportunities of the green energy economy, or you get run over by it. That really is the policy decision.”?

Citing research from climate scientists around the world including from NASA, the secretary-general of the United Nations has called on rich countries like the U.S. to end use of coal by 2030 and have carbon-free electricity generation by 2035, which means no new natural gas plants either, to prevent the worst effects of increasing climate change. A new study has found the world will likely break the internationally agreed upon threshold for global warming by early 2029 if the current rate of fossil fuel use is sustained.?

Yet climate change, in large part, has gone unmentioned by the candidates for governor this year.?

What the candidates say — and don’t say

In an August speech to executives and employees of local electricity distribution cooperatives gathered in Louisville, Cameron framed energy questions as part of the “culture wars” debate.

“Let me be clear. Radical climate activism is an assault on more than just our businesses and our energy bills. It happens to be a fundamental threat to our way of life,” Cameron said. “Even if they close every coal plant, put every miner out of work, ban every combustion engine — that’s not their goal. They will not stop. They’ll keep inserting radical gender ideologies into our kids’ classrooms. They’ll keep trying to let boys play girls’ sports.”?

But when asked twice by the Lantern after the speech if he believed in the science behind climate change, Cameron didn’t directly answer and instead pointed to the fact that China emits more greenhouse gasses annually than the United States. Because of the United States’ earlier industrialization, the U.S. has contributed more emissions overall since the 1800s.?

“I?? think that we have a responsibility here in Kentucky and across our country to make sure that we have an across the board energy strategy,” Cameron said. “I’m not going to sacrifice coal and natural gas at the altar of the Democratic Party, or Joe Biden or Andy Beshear.”?

On the other hand, Beshear has acknowledged the existence of climate change — though infrequently — during his campaign and his time in office. He specifically mentioned the issue during an April press conference announcing federal funding to rebuild housing after the 2021 tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky.?

“I believe in climate change. It’s out there, and it’s real. And what it means is that we need to be better prepared in multiple different areas of our lives in ways that we didn’t have to before,” Beshear said at that time.?

He also touts his endorsements in the coal industry including by the United Mine Workers of America, even though Kentucky’s last unionized coal mine closed in 2015.

For Chasity Chappell, an EMS worker who survived the EF-4 tornado that came through her home of Dawson Springs in Dec. 2021, the reasoning behind both of the candidates’ support for coal is simple.?

“They need the votes,” said Chappell, who supports retaining coal-fired power and Beshear in his reelection because of his handling of natural disasters including tornadoes.?

Chappell believes it’s possible climate change played a role in the devastating tornado that came through her small Hopkins County community in the Western Kentucky coalfield, but she isn’t convinced that greenhouse gas emissions are entirely causing it. “You can’t control where a tornado is going to go,” Chappell said. “You can’t control what Mother Nature is going to do.”?

Edelen, the former statewide Democratic official and renewable energy developer, applauds how Beshear has handled the “climate emergencies” that have impacted the state in recent years. But he considers Beshear’s decision to largely not mention climate change during his first term in office as missing “a historic opportunity to begin the conversation about climate change.”?

“We’re going to see more flooding, we’re going to see rougher weather, we’re going to be dealing with the impacts of a changing climate. And to not ready the public, to not ready our communities, I think, is something that could be judged harshly by history,” Edelen said.?

Tom Morris, the political committee chair of the environmental advocacy group Sierra Club’s Kentucky Chapter, said he was “mystified” when the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet earlier this year didn’t apply for federal funds to create a plan to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.?

Such funds would have opened up potentially billions of dollars worth of funding to combat climate change, which coal-reliant states such as Wyoming and West Virginia are taking advantage of. Beshear at the time said such planning was better left to Kentucky’s largest cities.

Morris speculates that Beshear understands the issue of climate change but that either Beshear or his advisors believe the issue to be too “politically risky” to bring up. The environmental advocacy group decided to oppose Cameron’s candidacy instead of endorsing Beshear.?

“I just feel like that you don’t always get the candidates you want,” Morris said.?

State Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Fruit Hill, supports Cameron and believes he and his running mate state Sen. Robby Mills will do the best job of looking out for coalfield communities. Mills, R-Henderson, was the primary sponsor of legislation passed this year that makes it harder for utilities to retire fossil-fuel fired power plants.

“I feel confident that if other market forces at the national or international level forced our hand that I think Robby would best look out for the interests of coal communities to make sure they were impacted adversely as little as possible,” Westerfield said.?

The Biden administration is moving forward with proposed regulations seeking to combat greenhouse gas emissions, including a proposed rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that would require fossil-fuel fired power plants to capture or cut nearly all carbon dioxide emissions by 2028 or be forced to retire.?

When asked about calls from the United Nations to rapidly cut greenhouse gas emissions, Westerfield said “Kentucky needs to look out for Kentucky first.”?

“I’m not paying attention to what the United Nations has said we ought to do environmentally. I’m just thinking about my own goals. I think it would be nice if one day, maybe in my lifetime, hopefully in my children’s lifetime — we can be energy independent, and we can exist on renewable energy, from whatever source,” he said.

“You can’t just turn the ship around on a dime,” Westerfield said, speaking to his concern about a transitioning energy economy. “How do you get from here to there without just flipping the switch? How do the people who are mining coal today — how can we guarantee that they’re going to have an opportunity for a job tomorrow?”

Not living in the past?

Constant on the mind of Felker, the Webster County magistrate and former coal miner, is how to help his community make it to a future beyond reliance on coal.?

Sitting in his living room in Providence next to a picture of his two grandchildren, he picks up an issue of the Sebree Banner and points out an article: Webster County had received about $326,000 in federal funding for workforce training.?

Felker is more than willing to go after the massive federal funding now available to help coalfield communities make an economic transition. The money comes through bills pushed by the Biden administration, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is providing the money for the local workforce training.

“If we don’t get it, somebody else is,” he said. “We don’t always want to have our hand out. We want to be able to fund ourselves a lot, and I agree with that philosophy. But there’s sometimes where we’re going to have to.”?

Felker welcomes solar power into his county but worries the job creation from it will be just a temporary boost during construction. Renewable energy advocates, including Edelen, acknowledge the long-term job creation of renewable energy won’t completely replace the jobs created by coal in the 20th century, though they argue it can play a role in diversifying the state’s future economy.?

With the loss of coal production in Webster County, Felker and other officials had to make adjustments to pay for government services formerly funded by coal severance taxes from the state. He also welcomed efforts to reuse old coal mining assets, turning another former Dotiki mine bathhouse into a training center for various trades.?

He gets up from his recliner to find the brass replica of a safety lamp that his coal company gave him when he retired. Back in the day when coal miners went underground, they would pack a safety lamp as a way to measure oxygen levels. When the flame light went out, that meant the oxygen levels were low and a miner had to get to safety.?

But he doesn’t tinker much with the replica, representing decades of work in coal mines, since he retired.

“It’s not something you pick up and pedal with it everyday. One reason: you don’t need to live in the past. You need to go for the future, and who knows what the future is?” Felker said. “I may not find that out in my lifetime, but I know what I did. And I know what’s working right now. And that’s all I got to go on.”?

Andy Beshear, left, and Daniel Cameron. (Kentucky Lantern photos by Austin Anthony)

FRANKFORT — About $65 million will be spent in Kentucky’s 2023 general election for governor by the campaigns of Gov. Andy Beshear, his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron and myriad outside groups advocating one candidate or the other.

Through Oct. 23, the Beshear campaign reported it had raised $18.8 million — three and a half times the nearly $5.4 million that Cameron’s campaign reported it had raised through Oct. 23.

The disclosure reports filed by Beshear’s campaign paint a picture of an aggressive fundraiser who has held 115 fundraising events since the primary election. They tell a story of the advantages of incumbency and a candidate who has raised bundles of contributions from his appointees, state contractors and many other businesses regulated by the state.

Beshear is likely to need every penny.

That’s because Cameron narrows — but does not close — the money gap by raising more than Beshear from the outside groups. It is why television viewers might have the impression they have seen as many Cameron ads as Beshear ads.

Cameron has that edge in outside committee money because he has something Beshear lacks: Billionaires willing to give very big.

Four outside groups funded by billionaire Republican mega-donors Jeff Yass, of Pennsylvania, and Richard Uihlein, of Illinois, have reported spending $9 million on advertising attacking Beshear and promoting Cameron since mid-summer.

Combined with spending by two other big pro-Cameron super PACs, outside groups spent $24 million to help elect Cameron, according to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Democratic outside groups, the KREF website shows, have spent $17 million to help elect Beshear.

When outside committee spending is added to campaign fundraising, the Beshear side has about $35 million compared to about $30 million for the Cameron side.

Here’s a look at the important political committees raising and spending the big bucks. Included in this list are the executive committees of the state Democratic and Republican parties, which do not directly buy advertising but contribute both cash and “in kind” services to their candidates for governor. Not included in this list are several small outside groups which have spent relatively small amounts advocating for Beshear or Cameron.

Andy Beshear for Governor

What is it? Andy Beshear’s campaign committee.

How big an impact? Massive. Andy Beshear for Governor has raised $18.8 million. (That’s $15.4 million from people, nearly $400,000 from traditional PACs, and $3 million from the Kentucky Democratic Party.) That total is by far the most money ever raised by a campaign for Kentucky governor.

Limit on donations? Yes. Individuals and traditional PACs are limited to giving no more than $4,200. (That’s $2,100 for the primary election plus $2,100 for the general election.)

Disclose its donors? Yes. Donor names must be reported to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Note: Beshear launched his reelection campaign early — on Oct. 1, 2021. The reports filed by the Beshear campaign with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance list 31,000 contributions. Beshear has the huge advantage of being an incumbent governor seeking reelection, drawing maximum contributions from road contractors, his appointees to prestigious state boards like the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, various businesses closely regulated by the state, and many others eager to stay on friendly terms with the current administration. Also, as an incumbent, he did not draw serious opposition in the primary and could save the early money he raised and transfer it to the general election. Cameron had to spend all the early money he raised to secure his win in the crowded Republican primary. It’s important to note that money given to a candidate’s own campaign committee goes much further than money given to a super PAC for several reasons, primarily because television stations charge super PACs much more for air time than they charge campaign committees of candidates.

Kentucky Democratic Party

What is it: State party executive committee.

How big an impact?? Very big. The Kentucky Democratic Party has also aggressively raised money for the past two years allowing it to contribute $3 million in cash directly to the Beshear campaign committee on Sept. 7. The KDP also has contributed $4.5 million in “in kind” services to the Beshear campaign.

Limit on donations? Yes. A person is limited to giving no more than $15,000 per year.

Disclose its donors? Yes. Donor names must be reported to the Federal Election Commission or the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Note: Beshear has likewise been aggressive in raising money for the party since winning election as governor in 2019. While the party supports all of its candidates for state and local office, Democrats in Kentucky hold few high elective offices and the party has focused on retaining the one big office it does hold — the governorship. The close partnership between the party and the Beshear campaign (the party and the Beshear campaign have the same treasurer) has been an under-rated advantage for Beshear in this election.

Defending Bluegrass Values

What is it: The main super PAC supporting Beshear’s re-election. It is affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association, which is its largest donor by far.

Impact? Very big. Defending Bluegrass Values has been a major player, buying ads immediately after the primary election. Through Oct. 23 it raised about $17 million, with the Democratic Governors Association contributing about 80% of that. This is more than triple what the Democratic Governors Association gave to the super PAC supporting Beshear’s election in 2019

Limit on donations? No. A person or corporation or labor union can give unlimited amounts.

Disclose its donors? Yes. Donor names must be reported to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. (But there is a gap here: The largest donor to Defending Bluegrass Values is the Democratic Governors Association. Donors to the Democratic Governors Association prior to July 1 are posted on an IRS website, but donations since June 30 will not be posted until January.)

Note: Defending Bluegrass Values also got significant donations from labor unions and teacher unions. The largest of these other donations were: $1 million from the NEA Advocacy Fund, supported by members of the National Education Association; $400,000 from the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry; $250,000 from the IBEW PAC Educational Fund.

Daniel Cameron for Governor

What is it? Daniel Cameron’s campaign committee

Total raised? $5.35 million. (That’s $4,472,000 from people; $126,000 from traditional PACs; and $752,000 from Republican Party of Kentucky and county GOP committees.)

Impact? Big. While $5.35 million is a lot of money, it is far less than a third of what Beshear’s campaign has raised. Beshear started fundraising seven months before Cameron.? And Cameron spent about $1.5 million of what he’s raised in winning his landslide victory in the May GOP primary.

Limits on donations? Yes. A person can give no more than $4,200.

Does it disclose its donors? Yes. Names of donors must be disclosed to Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

NOTE: Cameron’s fundraising has been weak compared to Beshear’s. He lacks the advantages of being the incumbent governor. Also, the biggest Republican donors and fundraisers from Kentucky in recent years — Joe Craft of Alliance Coal and his wife Kelly Craft — have sat this race out so far. Cameron thrashed Kelly Craft in the Republican primary election for governor in May, and Kelly Craft made it clear she is upset with Cameron over attack ads aired against her in the spring.?

Republican Party of Kentucky, Frankfort

What is it? Political party executive committee

Impact? Big, but unlike Beshear and the Democrats, the RPK had to wait until after a divisive primary before getting behind Cameron. Also, because Republicans hold so many elective offices (two U.S. senators, five of six U.S. House seats, all five “down ballot” statewide constitutional officers, 111 of 138 seats in General Assembly) the party’s priorities are much more diverse than the Democratic Party. Note that during the general election so far the Kentucky Democratic Party has transferred $3 million in cash to Beshear’s campaign. The Republican Party of Kentucky has transferred only $700,000 in cash to the Cameron campaign. The Cameron campaign reports getting about $1.1 million in “in kind” services from the RPK.

Limits on donations? Yes. A person can give no more than $15,000 per year.

Does it disclose its donors? Yes. Names of donors are disclosed to the Federal Election Commission and the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Kentucky Values

What is it? A major super PAC supporting Daniel Cameron that gets its money from the Republican Governors Association.

Impact? Very big.? The Republican Governors Association contributed $12 million to Kentucky Values during the general election.This means Kentucky Values has had more than twice as much money to spend in the general election than Cameron’s campaign committee.

Limits on donations? No. A person, corporation or other group can give unlimited amounts to the Republican Governors Association which, in turn, gives to Kentucky Values.

Does it disclose its donors? Yes. Names of donors must be disclosed to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. (Again, there is a serious gap in disclosure here. Kentucky Values discloses its donor, which is the Republican Governors Association. While the donors to the Republican Governors Association prior to July 1 have been disclosed, donations since June 30 will not be posted until January.)

NOTE: The RGA is a major player in campaigns for governor across the country, raising contributions of unlimited amounts from big corporations that lobby state governments. Like the DGA, it considers Kentucky a priority year Kentucky governor campaigns, in 2019 it gave $8.5 million to a super PAC supporting the reelection of Gov. Matt Bevin.

Bluegrass Freedom Action

What is it? A super PAC supporting Daniel Cameron that gets most of its money from a “dark money” donor, The Concord Fund, a conservative group based in Washington, D.C. This super PAC was essential in keeping Cameron on the airwaves in the primary election. It actually raised and spent double the amount raised and spent by Cameron’s campaign in the primary.

Impact? Very big. It has raised about $5.5 million since it was formed in August 2022.

Limits on donations? No. People, corporations and other groups can give unlimited amounts to a super PAC.

Does it disclose the names of its donors? Yes and no. Technically, it discloses names of all donors and the amounts each gave to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. But its major donor listed is The Concord Fund, which gave $3.3 million of the $5.5 million in contributions to Bluegrass Freedom Action since it was formed. And The Concord Fund is a dark money group, meaning it does not disclose its donors. A second dark money group, American Policy Coalition, has given $530,000 to Bluegrass Freedom Action. So, the donors of about 70 percent of the money given to this big Cameron super PAC are unknown.

NOTE: The only significant amount of dark money contributed so far in the governor’s race is the money donated by The Concord Fund and the American Policy Coalition.

School Freedom Fund

What is it? A super PAC funded by Jeff Yass, the billionaire Pennsylvania options trader who has been U.S. Sen. Rand Paul’s chief political benefactor for the past eight years.

Impact? Big. School Freedom Fund has spent $3 million on advertising to help Cameron

Limits on donations? No.?

Does it disclose the names of its donors? Yes. Donor names are reported to the Federal Election Commission.

NOTE: School Freedom Fund is affiliated with the huge anti-tax super PAC Club for Growth, which is mostly funded by Yass and Richard Uihlein, the Illinois billionaire and mega-donor.

Protect Freedom PAC

What is it? A super-PAC affiliated with U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and funded by Jeff Yass.

Impact? Big. Protect Freedom has spent $2.1 million to help elect Cameron.

Limits on donations? No. (Yass has given $18 million to Protect Freedom since 2017, most recently a $3 million donation in late June.)

Does it disclose its donors? Yes. Donor names are reported to the Federal Election Commission.

American Principles Project PAC

What is it? A?super PAC that is part of a network of political committees largely funded by Republican mega-donor Richard Uihlein, a billionaire from Lake Forest, Illinois.

How big an impact? Big. Through Oct. 24 it reported spending $1.5 million to promote Cameron’s election.

Limits on donations? No. A super PAC can take donations of unlimited amounts from people or corporations.

Disclose its donors? Yes, American Principles discloses its donations and spending to the Federal Election Commission.

NOTE: FEC records show that American Principles is largely funded by a different super PAC called Restoration PAC. But Restoration PAC gets about 80 percent of its money from Uihlein. Uihlein gave $39 million to Restoration PAC since the spring of 2021.

Club for Growth Action

What is it? A major national super PAC. Although it has many donors, Uihlein has given it about one-third of its donations in recent years, and Yass has given about another third.

How big an impact? Significant because while it has reported spending only $2 million (for attack ads against Beshear), all of that spending has occurred in the last month of the fall campaign.

Limits on donations? No. A person or organization can give unlimited amounts.

Disclose its donors? Yes. Names of donors are reported to the Federal Election Commission.

Battle of the campaign buses: Candidates for Kentucky governor are on the road, urging their supporters to vote early. (Kentucky Lantern photos by McKenna Horsley)

With mere days left before Kentucky’s general election and as early voting begins, both Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Daniel Cameron are making final-hour pleas to voters across the commonwealth.?

As they embarked on their respective bus tours, both candidates were joined by special guests to drum up support. Beshear was joined by Rapper Jack Harlow, as well as his parents, former Gov. Steve Beshear and former First Lady Jane Beshear join the governor this week.

Cameron’s entourage included Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, and Kelley Paul, the wife of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul.?

Both Beshear and Cameron emphasized the core messages of their campaigns while encouraging supporters to go to the polls as soon as possible. Early no-excuse in-person voting began in Kentucky Thursday and ends Saturday.?

Beshear, like he has for months, focused on his administration’s record in economic development.?

“Our job is to bring prosperity to every part of Kentucky, in every neighborhood in this city, and to create those big bright futures that each of you all deserve,” Beshear told college students at the University of Louisville.?

Cameron underlined that he believes his conservative values better align with Kentuckians.?

“Together on Nov. 7, we get a chance to say that enough is enough,” Cameron said in Campbellsville on Wednesday. “We no longer have to deal with a crazy agenda from Andy Beshear.”?

Beshear and Harlow shake hands and take selfies

Hundreds of students at the University of Louisville rallied together outside the Red Barn on campus as Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and rapper Jack Harlow walked on stage to greet them. They were also joined by down-ballot Democratic candidates, Lt. Gov Jacqueline Coleman and First Lady Britainy Beshear.?

Harlow, a Louisville native and Grammy-nominated artist, said he first connected with Beshear last year when the governor called him before he went to set for a movie. On his latest album, “Jackman.,” Harlow name dropped Beshear in “It Can’t Be,” a song that has played regularly at Beshear campaign stops.?

“We’ve been having dinners, getting to know each other,” Harlow told the Louisville crowd. “And I just want to say, this is a helluva stand up guy right here.”?

Beshear and Harlow shook hands and took several selfies with students. Beshear then traveled to the University of Kentucky in Lexington for a similar rally. There, he was joined by his parents, former Gov. Steve Beshear and former First Lady Jane Beshear.?

Thursday’s campus stops were one of several Beshear was scheduled to make at universities before Election Day. During the 2019 gubernatorial election, Beshear carried seven counties of the eight counties that have public universities in them. The exception was Calloway County, home to Murray State University, which went to Bevin by 1,184 votes.?

Beshear has also made stops on his “Go Vote” bus tour in towns like Ashland, Covington, and Hazard, and will travel to Pikeville, Prestonsburg, Henderson, Dawson Springs and more before Tuesday.?

“This race is about us. It’s about Kentucky,” Beshear said to the crowd in Lexington. “If we can send one message to the rest of the country, it’s that anger politics ought to end right now.”?

Jax Hill, a sophomore communications major at UofL, said he is supporting Beshear because he likes him. Hill, who was a high school student during the coronavirus pandemic, also said he appreciated Beshear’s response to the pandemic.?

“He’s been very in touch with his constituents,” Hill said of Beshear.?

During the stops at UofL and UK, Beshear was met with dozens of pro-Palestine supporters, whom he did not address from the stage. The supporters chanted sayings like, “Free, free Palestine,” while holding signs and Palestinian flags.?

Earlier this month, Beshear ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to “grieve with Israel” but expressed hope for the safety of civilian Palestinians.?

With special guests, Cameron appeals to Kentuckians’ conservative values

A few GOP stars, down ballot Republican candidates and his wife, Makenze Cameron, joined Daniel Cameron for his bus tour, dubbed the “Fight for Kentucky” bus tour this week. He drew crowded rooms and long photo-op lines during his campaign stops.?

“This race really isn’t about us. This is about our kids and our grandkids. This is about preserving for them ideals that have propelled this nation forward since its very inception,” Cameron said in Campbellsville on Wednesday. “Those ideals being faith, family and community.”?

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who is currently the youngest governor in the country at age 41, told voters in Campbellsville and Glasgow on Wednesday that Cameron is “somebody that the rest of the country needs to know.”??

Sanders, who is also the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and previously was the White House press secretary under former President Donald Trump, stumped with Cameron while he was running for attorney general in 2019.?

“Our governors are the last line of defense in our country,” she told reporters in Glasgow.? “Right now, Washington is completely broken and we need strong conservative governors like Daniel Cameron fighting back against the craziness coming out of Washington.”

Cameron was also joined by former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, who has gained popularity in conservative circles since graduating for speaking against the inclusion of transgender women in women’s sports. Gaines gained media attention in 2022 after tying with former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transwoman athlete, for fifth place in the NCAA Championships 200-yard freestyle event.?

“I’ve been extremely dedicated to this issue, the broader issue of what this really means, because it’s a lot bigger than just women’s sports,” Gaines told supporters in Campbellsville. “The premise of this issue is that we’re denying objective truth.”

Gaines, who previously campaigned for former United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft during this year’s Republican gubernatorial primary, spoke highly of Cameron and his running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, while criticizing Beshear for vetoing a law Mills sponsored which bans transgender girls and women from playing on their schools’ sports teams.?

Kelley Paul, the wife of U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, also joined Cameron for campaign stops Wednesday, including in Bowling Green, as she had done earlier in this election season. In her remarks, she criticized Beshear for his response to the coronavirus, especially when closing businesses and restricting in-person gatherings.?

“Daniel Cameron believes, as does Rand Paul, that your rights are endowed to you from your creator. They come from God. They are inalienable rights,” Paul said in Bowling Green. “They are inherent to you as a human being. They are not from the government, they’re not given to you by a government and they cannot be taken away by any government or any governor.”?

Trump, who endorsed Cameron early on in the race, renewed his support for the attorney general in a video released this week. While standing in front of American flags, the former president who is leading his own 2024 re-election campaign, says in the clip that Cameron is “a commonsense person.”

The night before the 2019 gubernatorial election, Trump did rally for former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who ultimately lost to Beshear.?

Cuts in Medicaid payments to behavioral health providers are forcing cuts at Kentucky's largest provider of treatment for addiction. (Getty Images)

Opioid settlement cash is not inherently political. It’s not the result of a law passed by Congress nor an edit to the state budget. It’s not taxpayer money. Rather, it’s coming from health care companies that were sued for fueling the opioid crisis with prescription painkillers.

But like most dollars meant to address public health crises, settlement cash has nonetheless turned into a political issue.

Gubernatorial candidates in several states are clashing over who gets bragging rights for the funds — which total more than $50 billion and are being distributed to state and local governments over nearly two decades. Among the candidates are attorneys general who pursued the lawsuits that produced the payouts. And they’re eager to remind the public who brought home the bacon.

“Scoring money for your constituency almost always plays well,” said Stephen Voss, an associate professor of political science at the University of Kentucky. It “is a lot more compelling and unifying a political argument than taking a position on something like abortion,” for which you risk alienating someone no matter what you say.

In Kentucky, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican candidate for governor, wants sole credit for the hundreds of millions of dollars his state is receiving to fight the opioid epidemic. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he wrote that his opponent, former attorney general and current Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, “filed a lot of lawsuits during his time [in] office, but in this race, there is only one person who has actually delivered dollars to fight the opioid epidemic, and it’s not him.”

However, Beshear filed nine opioid lawsuits during his tenure as attorney general, several of which led to the current payouts. At a January news conference, Beshear defended his role: “That’s where these dollars are coming from — cases that I filed, and I personally argued many of them in court.”

Polls indicate that Beshear leads Cameron ahead of the Nov. 7 election.

Christine Minhee, founder of OpioidSettlementTracker.com, who is closely following how attorneys general handle the money nationwide, said voters likely don’t know that the opioid settlements are national deals crafted by a coalition of attorneys general and private lawyers. So when one candidate claims credit for the money, his constituents may believe “he’s the sole hero in all of this.”

Candidates in other states are touting their settlement credentials, too. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, lists securing opioid settlement funds at the top of the “accomplishments” section of his 2024 gubernatorial campaign website. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican gubernatorial candidate for 2024, has repeatedly boasted of securing the “highest per capita settlements in the nation” in news conferences and on social media and his campaign website.

In Louisiana, Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican who was recently elected governor, ran on a tough-on-crime platform, with endorsements from sheriffs and prosecutors. As attorney general, he led negotiations on dividing opioid settlement funds within the state, resulting in an agreement to send 80% to parish governments and 20% to sheriffs’ departments — the largest direct allocation to law enforcement in the nation.

It’s a common joke that AG stands for “aspiring governor,” and officials in that role often use big legal cases to advance their political careers. Research shows that attorneys general who participate in multistate litigation — like that which led to the opioid settlements and the tobacco settlement before it — are more likely to run for governor or senator.

But for some advocates and people personally affected by the opioid epidemic, this injection of politics raises concerns about how settlement dollars are being spent, who is making the decisions, and whether the money will truly address the public health crisis. Last year, more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses — 2,135 of them in Kentucky.

Average people “don’t really care about the bragging rights as much as they care about the ability to use that funding to improve and save lives,” said Shameka Parrish-Wright, director of VOCAL-KY, an advocacy group that champions investments in housing and health care.

“What I see in my state is a lot of press conferences and news pieces,” said Parrish-Wright, a Democrat who is active in local politics. “But what plays out doesn’t get to the people” — especially those deeply affected by addiction.

For example, when Beshear celebrated a decrease in the state’s overdose deaths, his announcement overlooked the increasing deaths among Black Kentuckians, Parrish-Wright said. And when Cameron’s appointee to the state’s opioid abatement advisory commission announced that $42 million of settlement funds were being considered to research ibogaine — a psychedelic drug that has shown potential to treat addiction — Parrish-Wright’s first thought was “most poor people can’t afford that.” To obtain it, people often have to travel out of the country.

The ibogaine announcement caused additional controversy. It’s an experimental drug, and, if approved, the $42 million allocation would be the single-largest investment from the commission, which is housed in Cameron’s agency. The Daily Beast reported that a billionaire Republican donor backing Cameron’s gubernatorial campaign stands to reap massive profits from the drug’s development.

Neither Cameron’s office nor his campaign responded to requests for comment.

Beshear’s office declined an interview request but referred KFF Health News to his previous public statements, in which he criticized the potential investment in ibogaine. He has suggested Cameron — whose campaign has emphasized support for police — is not putting his money where his mouth is.

“If you only provide $1 million to law enforcement and 42 to pharma, it doesn’t seem like you’re backing the blue. It seems like you’re backing Big Pharma,” Beshear said at a May news conference.

He also said his two appointees to the commission were caught off guard by the public announcement on ibogaine, despite their role overseeing settlement funds.

Minhee, founder of OpioidSettlementTracker.com, said she’s concerned that mixing politics with settlement funds could result in ineffective investments nationwide.

“If some of this money is going to be politicized to advance careers of attorneys general who support the war on drugs, then that is literally using monies won by death to feed into more death,” she said.

Parrish-Wright, of VOCAL-KY, said she worries that candidates — and some voters — will forget about the significance of the money once ballots are cast.

“We cannot let it fade after the election cycle,” she said.

Her solution depends in part on politics. She’s on the ballot herself Nov. 7, for a seat on Louisville’s Metro Council. If she wins, she said, she intends to keep the settlement in the public conversation.

This story is republished from?KFF Health News?is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at?KFF — the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.

A voter in the May 16 primary leaves a polling location at Scott County Public Library in Georgetown. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Abbey Cutrer)

Kentucky voters are not electing just a governor this fall.

Five other constitutional offices are on the “down ballot” — and only one of them, secretary of state, has an incumbent.

No-excuse early voting starts Thursday, Nov. 2, and will last through Saturday. Voters can find information, such as address and hours, for their local early voting locations on the State Board of Elections’ website.

The election is Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Here’s a compilation of Lantern reporting on the candidates and the races.

Governor

• Andy Beshear and Daniel Cameron on the issues. By guides.vote
• Education, economy, environment and more. Where the candidates stand. By McKenna Horsley

Secretary of state

• Election disputes put heat on secretaries of state: Meet the candidates. By Jack Brammer

Attorney General

• Who’s more qualified to succeed Daniel Cameron? Meet the candidates. By McKenna Horsley

Auditor of public accounts

• Kentucky auditor is taxpayers’ watchdog: Meet the candidates. By Jack Brammer

Treasurer

• Kentucky treasurer candidates agree on one thing: Don’t abolish the office. By Jack Brammer

Commissioner of agriculture

• The ‘voice’ of Kentucky agriculture: Commissioner’s race takes a partisan turn. By Jamie Lucke

  

Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, left, and Sen. Robby Mills on the stage at KET. Renee Shaw moderated. (Photo by KET)

LEXINGTON — Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Republican state Sen. Robby Mills, who are the running mates of Kentucky’s gubernatorial candidates, faced each other Monday night in a debate on KET.?

The debate is the only joint appearance between Coleman and Mills in which they can speak for their tickets ahead of the Nov. 7 election.?

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Daniel Cameron recently finished five back-to-back debates across the state and were on the campaign trail most of Monday.?

Throughout the debate, Coleman, who was elected to her position with Beshear in 2019, repeated much of what the governor has said while running for reelection, and highlighted the administration’s support for public education and accomplishments in economic development.?

On the other side, Mills, who is from Henderson in Western Kentucky, reflected Cameron’s plans, such as working closely with the state legislature to enact conservative policies and catching students up from learning loss experienced during? the coronavirus pandemic.?

Coleman and Mills discussed education, energy, public safety and more on Monday.?

KET’s Renee Shaw opened the debate by asking both candidates if they felt prepared to assume the role of governor, or if they wanted to seek it on their own in the future. Both candidates said their focus is on the upcoming election and the next four years.?

“Sitting beside the governor, making those tough decisions, talking budget, figuring out how we can show up for Kentuckians every single day has been an honor, and it’s been certainly a learning process, as any new role is,” Coleman said.?

Mills, who said Cameron called him to join the campaign more than 14 weeks ago, said he had previously been focused on continuing his role in the legislature?

“I have quite a bit of legislative experience and local government experience,” Mills said. “I’m a small business owner. I believe I know how to answer the call when the call is made, and feel like I’m prepared to serve as lieutenant governor and would be prepared to be governor as well.”?

Neither Coleman nor Mills addressed reporters after the debate.?

Education

As some predicted, Coleman and Mills spent much of the debate discussing Kentucky’s education system. Since Mills joined Cameron this summer, the Beshear campaign has criticized Mills’ support of a 2018 “sewer bill” overhauling teacher pensions. In a surprise move, lawmakers inserted the pension changes into a bill that had originally been about “wastewater services.” The legislation, backed by former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, was eventually struck down by the state Supreme Court?

When the bill came up Monday night, Mills said at the time the bill was being considered, pensions were in terrible shape and that after the law was ruled unconstitutional the General Assembly solved the issues through other legislation.

When Bevin and Beshear faced each other in the 2019 general election, Beshear’s opposition to the sewer bill as attorney general helped him win support from public educators.?

“Ultimately, teachers’ pensions are being taken care of and being funded. And no current teachers had benefits in their contract changed,” Mills said during the debate. “The changes were made to new teachers coming in.”?

Coleman, who has been a public school teacher and administrator, pushed back at Mills’ support of the bill.?

“As bad as the sewer bill was, the dishonest way that they tried to sneak it in the law was probably worse,” she said.

Coleman, in her responses about education, also reiterated a Beshear administration priority — funding universal pre-kindergarten programs for all Kentucky students.?

Mills said a Cameron-Mills administration would be open to exploring universal pre-K before saying K-12 schools should be funded adequately.

“It is being funded (public education), but we can always do better in K-12 education,” Mills said before explaining Cameron’s “Catch-up” plan as one-time expenditures to help students make up for pandemic learning loss..?

Coleman and Mills also discussed school voucher programs, which would allow public funding to follow students to private schools. The conversation mirrored much of what Beshear and Cameron said in their recent debates on the subject.?

Mills said the Beshear-Coleman focus on school vouchers was a “red herring” and that he and Cameron have been talking about only public schools in their campaign and education platform. Mills, however, did say he believed it is “important to offer our kids the best choice,” but stopped short of saying he would support putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot to allow public dollars to be spent to support private education.

Coleman, as Beshear has, said she opposed voucher programs.?

Energy and environment?

Another portion of the debate focused heavily on energy and the environment. Shaw asked Mills if he believed in climate change and if fossil fuels are a contributing factor. While Mills didn’t answer the question at first, he later said that climate change is “not as big as what it appears to be.”

Coleman said climate change is real and also pointed to new businesses opening in Kentucky with a focus on clean energy, such as electric vehicle battery plants, as a sign that Kentucky has a bright future. When asked what a Beshear-Coleman administration would do to address health concerns for coal miners who contract black lung disease, Coleman pointed to expanding health care.?

“We believe health care is a basic human right, and at every opportunity we have work to expand access, to improve quality and make sure that Kentuckians, when they’re sick, can see a doctor,” Coleman said.?

Mills emphasized that he worried that the state would not have enough power if electric utilities move away from burning fossil fuels. He also said that coal miners with long-term injuries deserve worker’s compensation.??

“I do not think we’re going to have enough power to power homes, and we’re going to see blackouts and brownouts moving forward,” Mills said.?

Public safety

Mirroring the heads of their tickets, Coleman and Mills discussed what their administrations’ approaches to public safety would look like over the next four years.?

Mills criticized Beshear for commuting the sentences of 1,870 inmates early on during the pandemic. Cameron has also made similar comments about the commutations.?

The inmates who were medically vulnerable or near the end of their sentences and who had not been convicted of violent or sexual offenses were released early in the coronavirus pandemic to relieve crowding that spurred transmission of the virus. The Cameron campaign released data showing “nearly 70 percent of the prisoners released by Beshear have recommitted offenses.”?

However,? Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet said as of August 2023, “fewer than 10% have been convicted of a felony prior to their original projected release, which is lower than the current statewide recidivism rate.” Additionally, as of early October, two people who received a commutation had been convicted of a “violent crime” as defined by state law before their original release date, or 0.1% of those commuted.?

“Daniel Cameron and I are not going to let people out of jail. We don’t give out get-out-of-jail free cards,” Mills said.?

In defense, Coleman said the commutations came at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and that the people released were “days away” from finishing their sentences. Additionally, she said the move was done to keep corrections workers safe.?

“They deserve to be able to go home to their families and not worry that they’re going to take home a deadly virus to them,” she said.?

In the the late 19th century almost half the population lived on farms, like this one in Jessamine County, and needed a strong defender against the economic monopolies that bought and shipped their products. Now fewer than 2% of Americans live on farms but all Kentucky voters have a say in electing the “voice” of agriculture. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Jamie Lucke)

Any “red meat” in campaigns for commissioner of agriculture has usually pertained to Kentucky’s large beef herd — until now.

Republican Jonathan Shell, a former state House floor leader, is dishing out political red meat in his quest for the office, vowing to fight “woke liberals,” serve as “guardian” to the “unborn” and “save” Kentucky from President Joe Biden.

And, for the first time ever, Planned Parenthood has endorsed a candidate — Democrat Sierra Enlow —? in the race to head Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture.

The race’s partisan tone strikes some as unfortunate, if not surprising given the current high degree of political polarization.

“Agriculture has always attempted to stay above the fray of politics and partisanship,” said Jeffery Hall, who has helped shape farm policy for more than 30 years, including as the state executive director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency in Kentucky under President George W. Bush. Hall now serves as one of three board members overseeing the U.S. Farm Credit Administration.

“The primary focus of the agriculture commissioner should be agriculture,” said Hall. “It seems like more of the partisan, political issues are taking away from the real issues in agriculture, and that’s a shame.”

Scott Smith, retired dean of agriculture at the University of Kentucky, agrees. “In recent history, the race for agriculture commissioner has been more about who can be the best voice for all farmers and for ag advancement in Kentucky, less so about partisan politics.

“We should all be concerned if selection of a commissioner is to be decided primarily by their positions on divisive Republican vs. Democrat national issues, which are beyond the work of the Department of Agriculture in Kentucky,” said Smith.

The job?

The Department of Agriculture has 237 employees, a budget of? $87 million and an array of duties, some not directly related to farming, such as regulating gasoline pumps and amusement rides and licensing pesticide operators.?

The winner of the race will earn $148,109 annually and succeed Ryan Quarles, who has served the maximum two terms and finished second in the Republican primary for governor. Quarles will become president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System in January.

Quarles’ predecessor was Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, who also fell short of winning the GOP nomination for governor but went on to win a seat in Congress in 2016. Comer now holds a high-profile position as chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which is conducting an investigation aimed at impeaching Biden.

The post has also served as a springboard to federal prison for two commissioners convicted of corruption, Democrat Ward “Butch” Burnette and Republican Richie Farmer.

The office itself is a vestige of the late 19th century when almost half the population lived on farms and needed a strong defender against the economic monopolies that bought and shipped their products. In 1891, the new state Constitution created the office of commissioner of agriculture, labor and statistics.

Now fewer than 2% of Americans live on farms but all Kentucky voters have a say in electing the “voice” of agriculture.

The candidates

The two candidates in the Nov. 7 election describe themselves as “fifth generation farmers” and were born within days of each other almost 36 years ago.

Enlow grew up in Larue County, working from an early age in tobacco with her family. She has a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Kentucky and says she knew early on that she wanted to be ag commissioner.?

She has worked in economic development in government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors. She helped start a Kentucky chapter of the New Leaders Council which trains and promotes young progressive leaders. She has worked in Kentucky Democratic political campaigns. She’s now a self-employed consultant who helps companies with site selection and negotiations for tax incentives and advises local governments.

Shell and his father run cow-calf and greenhouse operations in Garrard County. Shell says in recent years pumpkins have become his favorite crop to grow. He earned a bachelor of science in agriculture from Eastern Kentucky University.?

Shell has refused invitations for joint appearances with Enlow, including on KET’s “Kentucky Tonight,” but both candidates participated in a Kentucky Farm Bureau “Meet the Candidate” forum on Oct. 10.

During the forum, Shell promised to be “a fighter” and touted the political friendships he has made since becoming the youngest ever House member at 24. Shell in 2012 won the seat vacated by Republican Lonnie Napier who retired after 27 years.

Shell quickly stood out as a rising star. Frustrated by the then-minority Republicans’ inability to push through conservative priorities such as right to work and anti-abortion laws, Shell recruited House candidates and headed the House GOP’s campaign committee. He was rewarded for the 70,000 miles he put on his vehicle when Republicans in 2016 took the House for the first time in 100 years, electing Shell their floor leader.?

“And we changed this state forever,” he told the Farm Bureau forum. “All the successes that we’re seeing now economically” resulted, he said, from actions by the legislature’s Republican supermajority.?

In a surprise upset, Shell was unseated in 2018 when he narrowly lost a Republican primary to R. Travis Brenda, a ?schoolteacher from Rockcastle County.

In 2020, Shell served as chairman of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s reelection campaign.?

Farm Bureau forum

When asked by Farm Bureau members how he would advocate for ag department funding and other priorities, Shell touted his friendships with lawmakers. “I can tell you that they’re going to take my phone calls. They’re going to take my meetings, and we’re going to have a great working relationship. I talked to the leaders of the House and the Senate almost on a daily basis, still today. Most of those members are friends of mine.”?

Enlow told the Farm Bureau forum that agriculture needs bipartisan support especially when the executive branch is under a Democratic governor to “build cross agency collaboration.”??

She said one of her top priorities would be increasing pay for ag department staff. “We’re in a space right now where we’re asking people to work for under $30,000 a year and to work for what is equivalently not a livable wage. … It’s not giving us a competitive advantage of attracting talent to the Department of Agriculture,” she said, nor will it help the department replace a coming “wave” of retirees.?

A concern on the minds of the Farm Bureau questioners was how to protect both private property rights and prime farmland, especially as industrial-scale solar energy developers are looking for sites in rural Kentucky.

Enlow recommended “good community conversations” years in advance of industry locating in an area, zoning that protects farmland and steering solar developments away from prime farmland onto more marginal land.

Shell said he wants to remove the pressure to sell or lease land by making farming more profitable. “Private property rights is one of the most American things that we have,” said Shell. “I mean, it’s one of the things that separates us from the rest of the world is that we are actually able to own things in America. And I think that it’s one of the inherent things that we need to make sure that we’re protecting on a daily basis.”?

Not surprisingly, the challenge of increasing farm profits by adding value to agricultural products was on the minds of Farm Bureau members.

Enlow said the “space from the farm gate into the corporate supply chain” is where her experience negotiating with corporate executives would serve farmers. She pointed to hemp as an example of public officials promoting a crop to farmers without having processors or retailers in place, and as a result farmers lost investments in hemp production.?

She also said she would work to bring employers to rural Kentucky to provide off-farm wages that help support family farms.

Shell said Kentucky’s cattle industry needs “a large-scale processor” and more regionalization of processors and that the Agricultural Development Fund should be modernized to work toward “getting cattle under roof” to be finished. He also advocated increasing grain storage facilities for row crops.

“We need to get closer from the farm gate to the food plate with our consumers.” He cautioned against “economic development for economic development’s sake,” saying new factories are making it harder for existing businesses to find workers. “Every business in America that I’ve talked to and in Kentucky says that they could nearly double their output if they could just get the employees to be able to show up to work, be clean on a drug test; most of them have stopped drug testing. And that’s the world that we’re living in today.”

Tobacco settlement dollars

The agriculture commissioner became more important to the future of Kentucky farming in 2021 when the Republican-controlled legislature moved oversight of tobacco master settlement dollars designated for agriculture from the governor’s office to the Department of Agriculture.?

The settlement with cigarette manufacturers has brought more than $2 billion to Kentucky in yearly installments since 1999; half of the settlement money goes to the Agricultural Development Fund which provides grants and loans for diversification and infrastructure.?

The funding decisions are made by two boards who are now appointed by the commissioner of agriculture.?

Asked what changes they envision for the fund, Shell said it’s time to develop another 20-year plan to “see in what direction that we may want to take Kentucky agriculture into the future.”?

Enlow said “investing in new technologies to help our farmers meet the next generation of agriculture” should be a priority, including “contained and controlled” environments for agriculture.?

She also said she wants to “help support diversity in agriculture in different ways”?by increasing transparency and helping new and young farmers understand the fund’s processes for gaining access to capital.

Money and media

Shell’s campaign has outraised Enlow’s. He reported raising and spending $500,000 in the Republican primary against state Rep. Richard Heath, chairman of the Kentucky House Agriculture Committee. For the general election, Shell reports receipts of $284,864.

Enlow raised $33,567 for the primary and $172,852 ?for the general election. In addition, Enlow reports in-kind contributions, most from the Kentucky Democratic Party, of $227,867. She points out that she has received financial support from many more individuals, making smaller donations, than Shell.

Shell’s campaign recently announced a “robust statewide media buy” including two television ads.?

Enlow said she’s relying on digital platforms to get out her message because the “saturation” will be higher, especially as the governor’s race takes up so much TV time.

Shell did not agree to an interview with the Lantern.

Enlow told the Lantern that despite her opponent’s fundraising advantage, her campaign is competitive and that Shell’s nationalizing the race could backfire.? “The commissioner’s job is not to fight Biden. It’s to make sure the office fights for Kentuckians.”?

She also said “Kentucky is not necessarily as divided as people think it is.”

Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for the Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, told the Lantern that the organization decided to endorse in the agriculture commissioner’s race for the first time because of concerns about access to health care in rural Kentucky, especially reproductive care and birth control. Seventy-three of the state’s 120 counties have no OB-GYN, she said. Planned Parenthood has challenged Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion in court.

Shell is endorsed by anti-abortion groups Kentucky Right to Life and Northern Kentucky Right to Life.?

Enlow said she shares Planned Parenthood’s concern about limited access to medical care in rural Kentucky and appreciates its efforts to fill gaps. “When I accepted the endorsement I knew how committed they are to health care in Kentucky and serving populations that are typically underserved.”

Kentucky Capitol (Getty Images)

This guide to issues in Kentucky’s governor’s race and the candidates’ positions was prepared and published by a team of journalists at guides.vote, a nonpartisan group that began publishing voter guides for college students in 2012.

Like all the Lantern’s content, it is free to republish.

No-excuse early voting in Kentucky begins this Thursday, Nov. 2, and continues through Saturday, Nov. 4.

Excused in-person voting will continue through Wednesday, Nov. 1. Here is information about who is eligible.

Voters can find information, such as address and hours, for their local early voting locations on the State Board of Elections’ website.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

For more information, visit govote.ky.gov.

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Republican state Rep. Steven Doan of Erlanger plans to vote along party lines in Kentucky’s race for state treasurer on Nov. 7 but his preference would be to vote to abolish the entire constitutional office.

Michael Bowman

Date of birth:? Jan. 25, 1983

City of residence:? Louisville

Occupation and previous public service:? Took sabbatical to run race about 10 months ago from being special assistant to lieutenant governor and secretary of education; former bank official and legislative assistant at Louisville’s Metro Council.

Campaign website: bowmanforkentucky.com

Quote:? “I’m running for treasurer because it’s time we had a state treasurer who doesn’t just rubber stamp bad policy, but instead focuses on accountability and transparency. I know that with the right kind of leaders, our best days are ahead of us.”

“It’s a duplication of the state Finance and Administration Cabinet, a waste of money” said Doan, an attorney in his first two-year term as a legislator.

Doan filed a bill in this year’s General Assembly to abolish the office, which has an annual $6.6 million operating budget, ------but the measure got nowhere. Similar legislation was filed before by Senate budget chairman Chris McDaniel of Ryland Heights in Kenton County. Even some candidates who have sought the office in past years have pledged to get rid of it with no success.

Doan said his desire is no reflection on anyone who has held the office or is hoping to hold it. He is not sure if he is going to try to bring back his bill in next year’s state legislative session.

“I’m gladly voting for (Republican) Mark Metcalf this fall. In fact, he was the only one in the Republican primary last spring who contacted me about my bill though he disagrees with me.”

The office and its future

Both Metcalf and his Democratic rival, Michael Bowman, say they want to keep the office and improve it. The job pays $148,108.56 a year. Current treasurer Allison Ball could not seek reelection because of term limits but she is running this fall for auditor against Democrat Kim Reeder.

Metcalf has been Garrard County attorney for 22 years. If he wins the treasurer’s race the county judge-executive would appoint a replacement to serve until an election next year.?

Bowman was unsuccessful against Republican Allison Ball in the 2019 state treasurer’s race, garnering about 40 percent of the vote. He is a former bank official and special assistant to the lieutenant governor and secretary of education.

According to the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Registry of Election Finance, Metcalf has raised about $75,000 for the race and spent about $32,000. Bowman has raised about $110,000 and spent about $79,000.

The treasurer is the state’s chief elected fiscal officer. The office’s duties include handling the state’s revenue deposits and unclaimed property fund and making records of all monies due and payable to the state. It also processes warrants from the Finance and Administration Cabinet, makes payments on behalf of the state and makes an annual report of the state treasury.?

In this year’s lawmaking session, legislators made another attempt with House Bill 329 to give the treasurer more power over state contracts.

The bill, as others in the past that were struck down by courts, would allow for the treasurer, instead of the governor-appointed finance secretary, to be the final arbiter of contracts flagged by the legislature’s Government Contract Review Committee.??

Gov. Andy Beshear opposes the legislation, saying it violates the constitution because it “elevates the Treasurer over the Governor” and that the treasurer is not constitutionally bound to take care that laws are faithfully executed.? The bill currently is in the courts system.

Metcalf and Bowman claim the office has sufficient duties to be important to taxpayers. Nothing should be done to abolish it, they say.

Bowman said the office gives taxpayers more accountability over their money. “And we don’t want this office to be wrapped up in the bureaucracy of the governor or legislature.”

He noted that up until 1851, the governor appointed the treasurer with approval from the state legislature. The 1850 Constitution made the treasurer an elected office serving a two-year term. This was extended to four years in 1891 after Treasurer James William “Honest Dick” Tate absconded with nearly a quarter of a million dollars from the state treasury in 1888. He was never found.

Metcalf said he would not advocate getting rid of the treasurer’s office.?

“Overseeing the treasury should be an independent person, one elected by the people,” he said.

More accessibility and transparency

Bowman said he could provide more accessibility and transparency to the office because he would be the first state treasurer in 40 years to have financial experience.

He said Ball had done a creditable job in establishing a website to trace state dollars but even more data could be made available.

Metcalf said he has managed an office budget for all the years he has been county attorney.

As treasurer, Metcalf said he wants to show taxpayers more information about the state’s debt.?

“I believe it’s immoral to keep putting more debt on our children and grandchildren,” he said. “I would provide information to make the people more aware of this.”

Financial literacy

Both candidates said they would strive to improve Kentuckians’ financial literacy.

“I want to make sure our students learn the skills of how to be financially secure, to make sure they know how to balance a checkbook, take out a mortgage, understand investments,” said Bowman.

Metcalf said he would work closely with the state Department of Education to make sure financial literacy education is uniform throughout the state.

Taxes and other revenue for the state

The candidates split along party lines on the Republican-controlled legislature’s plan for phasing out the state income tax.

Bowman said it could result in loss of funds for the state treasury and cause the need to raise more taxes.? Metcalf said it appears to be a good proposal.

Neither candidate for state treasurer is seeking any tax increase.

Bowman and Metcalf both favored medical marijuana, saying it should generate more money for the state but Metcalf disagreed with Bowman on recreational marijuana in the state.? “I’m against it,” said Metcalf.

Pension investments

Metcalf takes a hard line against investing by state pension plans in funds that follow ESG (environmental, social and governmental) considerations in making decisions. He said he would oppose any taxpayer investments in funds that oppose the use of coal.?

Bowman believes too many Republicans paint all ESG investments “as bad, being similar to ‘woke.’

“There are good and bad. You have to review each one carefully and decide if it is a good investment for the state.”?

Randall Weddle, then a candidate for London mayor, listens as Gov. Andy Beshear helps celebrate the opening of WB Transport's new warehouse in April 2022. (Screenshot with permission of WYMT)

FRANKFORT — Soon after Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign committee and the Kentucky Democratic Party refunded $202,000 in excess contributions to him, London Mayor Randall Weddle began giving large contributions to promote the election of Democrat Pamela Stevenson for state attorney general.

On June 20, Weddle donated $2,000 to Stevenson’s campaign.

On June 26, he gave $100,000 to the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA), a Washington-based group that funds a super PAC that is running an advertising campaign to promote Stevenson’s election as attorney general over Republican nominee Russell Coleman.

And on Monday, Weddle gave $40,000 directly to that pro-Stevenson super PAC which is called DAGA Kentucky People’s Lawyer Project.

That adds up to $142,000 given by Weddle to help elect Stevenson on Nov. 7.

It is by far the most donated by any person or corporation this year to the political committees supporting Stevenson. In fact, Weddle is the only Kentuckian who gave more than $5,000 to either the Democratic Attorneys General Association or the DAGA Kentucky People’s Lawyer Project this year, according to disclosure reports filed by those groups.

Weddle did not return phone calls made Friday morning by Kentucky Lantern to his cell phone and to the London mayor’s office.

Stevenson’s campaign, contacted later Friday, told the the Lantern it had no response.

Excess contributions controversy

Weddle is at the center of a controversy over the excess contributions he made to the Beshear campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party, a controversy first brought to light by Kentucky Lantern.

On April 17, ?the Lantern reported that Weddle’s family and employees of a company he founded called WB Transport provided the largest bundle of contributions supporting Beshear’s reelection — at least $305,500 donated to the? Beshear campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party.

Weddle noted in that report that he personally had not made any donation to Beshear and said he knew little about how his wife, children, siblings, other family members and employees all came to give big contributions to the Beshear political causes.

For his part, Beshear initially defended the contributions during an April 20 news conference.

However, in the days following that news conference attorneys for the Beshear campaign and Democratic Party contacted the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance to inform the agency that they had learned from Weddle that $202,000 of the contributions attributed in initial reports to Weddle’s family members and employees were contributions actually drawn on a credit card belonging to Randall Weddle and his wife Victoria.

State and federal laws limit how much any individual can contribute to a candidate’s campaign committee or to a state political party. (The limit is $2,100 per election to a candidate committee and $15,000 per year to a state political party.) However, there are no limits on how much a person or corporation can give to organizations such as DAGA and DAGA Kentucky People’s Lawyer Project.

In the following weeks, the Kentucky Democratic Party and the Beshear campaign refunded $202,000 to Weddle for what they said were excess donations he made in the names of others.

And on June 19, Eric Hyers, manager of Beshear’s campaign, disclosed in a news release that the refunds had been made. Hyers said that the campaign and party accepted the excess contributions by mistake because the system used to process contributions did not detect that multiple contributions were made on one credit card. He said the party and campaign followed the guidance of the election registry in making prompt refunds and that safeguards were installed in systems that process contributions so that the problem could not recur.

Request for investigation

It is a crime to knowingly make excess political contributions in the names of straw donors. But Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is running against Beshear in the governor’s race, is barred from conducting such an investigation under an Executive Branch Ethics Commission opinion that essentially says an elected official cannot investigate a person he or she is running against in an active campaign.

Cameron’s office asked the FBI to investigate the Weddle contributions to Beshear and the Democratic Party.

Kentucky Lantern on Friday asked the FBI office in Louisville if it was investigating the matter. The FBI replied with an email that said, “Department of Justice policy precludes us from either confirming or denying the existence of such an investigation.”

Stevenson, of Louisville, is a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, and during her campaign is stressing her experience as a U.S. Air Force colonel and as a military attorney in ?the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Through Monday her campaign reported it had raised $328,000. That’s far less than Coleman’s campaign, which through Monday reported raising $1,156,000.

But Stevenson’s message this fall is also being broadcast by the Kentucky People’s Lawyer Project, the super PAC affiliated with the Democratic Attorneys General Association. Through Monday, DAGA has given $750,000 to this super PAC. Otherwise, it has reported only two donations: the $40,000 from Weddle and $5,000 from one other donor.

In July DAGA filed a required list of its contributors and expenses for the first six months of this year with the Internal Revenue Service. That report shows DAGA raised nearly $7 million during the first half of this year. Most of that money came from large contributions of corporations across the country. The only large contribution it received this year from Kentucky was the $100,000 from Weddle. Asked about the large Weddle contributions, a DAGA spokesperson replied with a general statement saying, “We have all hands on deck to defeat Russell Coleman …”

Coleman, a former FBI agent, served as U.S. attorney in the Western District of Kentucky after being appointed by President Donald Trump.

Sean Southard, spokesman for the Republican Party of Kentucky, said, “It’s clear what’s happening here. Randall Weddle is trying to buy a ‘get-out-of-jail free’ card from Pam Stevenson. He already ran a successful pay-to-play scheme with Beshear so he’s trying to do it again.”

Gov. Andy Beshear, left, and Attorney General Daniel Cameron took to the KET debate stage earlier this week. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

For months, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and his challenger, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, have made their cases to voters about why they are better suited to lead Kentucky over the next four years.?

Both candidates have held campaign stops across the commonwealth, spoken to organizations and met for five gubernatorial debates this October.?

With Election Day just days away — Tuesday, Nov. 7 — here’s what Beshear and Cameron have said about their views on abortion, education, public safety, transgender issues, the economy, Medicaid, and energy and environment.?

Abortion

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, a Kentucky law automatically went into effect that has no exceptions to allow abortions except in cases to save mothers’ lives. That fall, Kentucky voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have removed an implied right to abortion in the state constitution.?

Beshear’s campaign released multiple ads addressing abortion, including one that features a victim of childhood sexual abuse who became pregnant but later miscarried, though they do not specifically use the word “abortion.”?

In September, Cameron said in a radio interview that he would sign legislation adding exceptions for cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban if the General Assembly passed it. Such legislation has been introduced by lawmakers in the past, but has not been passed.?

Cameron later during a campaign stop indicated he would only add the exceptions “if the courts made us change that law.”?

The attorney general has repeatedly called himself the “pro-life candidate” in the race and has been endorsed by Kentucky Right to Life and Northern Kentucky Right to Life.?

“My views on this are shaped by my faith and I think we have a responsibility to our unborn to keep them alive,” Cameron said in an KET Connections interview before adding that he knows abortion is a sensitive topic for many.?

Beshear has said he supports some restrictions on abortion, such as banning late-term abortions. During a gubernatorial debate at Northern Kentucky University, the governor called Kentucky’s current abortion law “one of the most restrictive laws” in the country and said that it should be changed.?

“The right way to make that decision is the way it used to be made under Roe v. Wade, taking it out of the hands of politicians, and ultimately, allowing courts to balance access because that little girl might not know what she’s going through for a period of time, along with the most recent scientific evidence,” Beshear said.?

Education

Both Beshear and Cameron released their education policy plans, which include proposals for increasing teacher pay.??

Cameron, who has dubbed his the “Cameron Catch-up Plan,”? focuses on improving Kentucky students’ performances that he says have declined because on school closures and virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic.?

The attorney general’s plan includes increasing the starting base rate pay for new teachers to $41,500 and funding a 16-week tutoring program for math and reading during summer breaks and after school. Cameron is also calling to add a reading interventionist to every school district, ensure that all school districts are complying with state laws that require school resource officers who serve as school police, establish a student teaching stipend, give superintendents a discretionary fund to pay experienced teachers and recruit former teachers back to the profession and new mid-career individuals.?

Throughout his campaign, Cameron has attempted to win over Kentucky educators, a group that strongly backed Beshear’s election against former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. While introducing his education plan, Cameron said in a press conference that he wants educators to have a new relationship with Republicans.?

“I know that you might have some apprehensions about me — or for that matter — any Republican nominee for governor,” Cameron said. “So, let me just simply say: I’m sorry. Sorry for any comments that have made you feel less than value, or have led you to have serious misgivings about the Republican Party on the topic of education.”??

Meanwhile, Beshear has looked to educators to support his campaign once again. In his “Education First” plan, a proposal for the state’s 2024-26 budget, Beshear called on the General Assembly to fund an 11% pay raise for all Kentucky school personnel, which would raise starting teacher salaries to an average of $42,191, using National Education Association data.?

“When all you do is raise the starting salary it creates compression and you lose teachers that may have three, four, five, six or seven years of experience when they’re paid almost the exact same thing as someone who is brand new,” the governor said during a press conference about his proposal.?

Beshear has continued to call for funding universal pre-K for Kentucky students, saying that such a program would improve reading scores by making sure every child is ready for kindergarten and is an opportunity to screen children for learning challenges. The governor also proposed the legislature fully fund student transportation. Bus driver shortages have created problems for school districts, and came to a head earlier this year when Jefferson County Public Schools were forced to temporarily close following the first day of school because of the lack of drivers.

Other parts of Beshear’s education plan include fully funding teachers’ pensions and medical benefits and make no increases to health insurance premiums for school employees, supporting a student loan forgiveness program for teachers that gives a maximum $3,000 annual award for each year of employment as a Kentucky public school teacher, providing funding for professional development, giving dollars to replace textbooks and other instructional materials, and assembling staff at regional Social Emotional Learning institutes.?

Throughout multiple debates, Beshear pressed Cameron about his support of school vouchers, which would allow public funding to follow students who attend private schools. Beshear said such vouchers would “defund tens of millions of dollars” from public schools.?

Cameron said during the August press conference for his education plan that he supports “expanding opportunities and choices around Kentucky,” and gave a similar answer during the WKYT debate. Additionally, Jeff Yass — a Wall Street billionaire and crusader for charter schools — is a large contributor to conservative super PACs supporting Cameron against Beshear. During a GOP primary debate in Louisville, Cameron said “yes” when asked if? he supported vouchers and charter schools.?

Public Safety

Beshear and Cameron released plans to improve public safety in the commonwealth.??

In the state’s 2024-26 budget, Beshear wants more money for training, body armor and raises for law enforcement. The General Assembly, which has a Republican supermajority often at odds with Beshear, will decide the next budget during the upcoming legislative session starting in January.?

The governor also proposed changes to law enforcement pensions, such as moving all law enforcement pension plans back to defined benefits as well as increasing pension income for retired KSP troopers and local jurisdictions in those plans; a $2,500 raise for all KRS Chapter 16 employees, which includes troopers, vehicle enforcement officers and more; raising the current $4,300 training stipend for local law enforcement officers to $4,800, building on a $300 increase in the current budget and making part-time local law enforcement officers eligible for the stipend; and making grant funds available to upgrade body armor for local law enforcement officers.

“These are real steps, real actions,” Beshear said after introducing his plan in August. “It’s one thing to say you back the blue and it’s another to do something about it, to provide the resources, to take the steps that improve public safety.”

Cameron’s public safety plan largely focused on addressing crime in Louisville. He said, as governor, he would oppose subpoena powers for civilian police review boards and support giving Kentucky law enforcement officers a $5,000 bonus to improve recruitment and retention. Additionally, he was endorsed by the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, a group that previously endorsed Beshear during the 2019 election.?

His other plans include the legislature authorizing Kentucky State Police to conduct wiretaps; establishing a KSP post in Louisville; reforming the Kentucky Parole Board by increasing the vote threshold for release and giving the governor the power to remove members at-will; increasing penalties for drug traffickers, such as allowing murder charges against drug dealers when someone dies from a substance they distributed; using overdose mapping tools to rapidly increase resources to drug hot spots; mandating DNA collection for serious felonies, such as rape, murder or burglary, and ensuring protections to automatically purge DNA if a case is acquitted or dismissed with prejudice; and supporting Group Violence Intervention efforts.

“Public safety is the first responsibility of the government,” Cameron said when unveiling his plan in July. “We don’t have streets that are safe. Our economy and our schools suffer. Every Kentuckian has the right to live and move freely around their community without fear.”?

Transgender issues

After the General Assembly passed the controversial anti-transgender law, Senate Bill 150, Beshear vetoed the measure, setting the stage for gender to become a topic in the governor’s race. At the time, Beshear wrote the legislation “allows too much government interference in personal healthcare issues and rips away the freedom of parents to make medical decisions for their children.”

However, the General Assembly easily overrode the veto, enacting the measure into the law. The legislation bans gender-affirming medical care for anyone under 18, allows teachers to misgender trans kids, regulates which school bathrooms kids can use and limits the sex education students can receive. Portions of the law have been challenged in court and school districts have debated how to adopt the law into their policies.?

Beshear’s veto quickly drew ire from Republicans, including Cameron. The attorney general, whose office has defended the law, claimed Beshear supports “sex change surgery and drugs” for minors.?

In a campaign ad, Beshear refuted Cameron’s claims, saying he “never supported gender reassignment surgery for kids.” Later, Beshear also told reporters that if the bill had only been about banning gender-affirming surgeries for minors, he would have signed it.?

Cameron has also criticized Beshear for his veto of a law banning transgender women and girls from playing on female sports teams at their colleges or schools. The General Assembly overrode that veto too. Cameron’s running mate, Republican state Sen. Robby Mills of Henderson, was the primary sponsor of that legislation.?

“This (Beshear) is a governor that told you he would not protect women’s sports from biological males,” Cameron said at the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce debate. “If you are a parent or a grandparent of a child who is playing in women’s sports, imagine having a governor that will not stand up for that child.”

Economy

When campaigning, Beshear often touts his administration’s economic record, saying Kentucky has seen record job creation and investment during his tenure. He points to the state funding critical infrastructure projects, like four-laning the Mountain Parkway and building the Brent Spence Bridge without tolls.?

“We have been through a lot together — a global pandemic tornadoes, flooding, wind storms, ice storms — yet here we stand on the biggest, best economic win streak this state has ever seen,” Beshear said during the WLKY debate.

Cameron, however, paints a different picture. The attorney general faults Beshear, along with Democratic President Joe Biden, for inflation in Kentucky. Cameron criticizes Beshear for low workforce participation.?

“Tonight, you’re going to hear Andy Beshear tell you that the economy couldn’t be better,” Cameron said during the same WLKY debate. “But chances are you don’t feel that way because inflation is destroying your wallet.”?

According to a press release from the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet, Kentucky’s seasonally adjusted preliminary unemployment rate in September was 4.1%, and the preliminary September 2023 jobless rate was up 0.1 percentage point from August 2023 and up 0.1 percentage point from a year ago.

On the campaign trail, Cameron has voiced support for eliminating the state income tax and vowed to sign legislation doing so as governor. The attorney general has often criticized Beshear for vetoing a 2022 bill that would have shaved a half-percent from the income tax rate, which the legislature easily overrode.?

This year, Beshear signed legislation that makes another half-percent cut to the state income tax from 4.5% to 4%, beginning in? 2024. The law was a Republican priority during the last legislative session.?

At the time, Beshear said in a video that he decided to sign the legislation, which most Democratic lawmakers had opposed, because of Kentuckians’ need for relief from inflation, but thought reducing sales tax would have been a better solution.

“So what I’m faced with is a bill that would lower the income tax that has some long-term repercussions for potentially funding state services, but it would put at least a couple $100 in the pockets of most Kentuckians at a time when they need it,” the governor said.??

In their final debate hosted by WKYT, Beshear said he does “want to continue to make those cuts but we’ve got to do it wisely and carefully, not rashly.” As part of its legislation, the General Assembly required state finances meet certain thresholds in order to continue lowering the income tax, but they were not met this year.?

Cameron also frequently critiqued Beshear for commuting the sentences of 1,870 inmates who were medically vulnerable or near the end of their sentences and who had not been convicted of violent or sexual offenses early on in the coronavirus pandemic because of overcrowding in facilities. Cameron’s campaign released in October data showing “nearly 70 percent of the prisoners released by Beshear have recommitted offenses.”

But most of the crimes were committed after the end of the inmates’ original release dates. A spokesperson from the Kentucky Justice & Public Safety Cabinet told the Kentucky Lantern that, according to data from the Department of Corrections, as of August 2023, “fewer than 10% have been convicted of a felony prior to their original projected release, which is lower than the current statewide recidivism rate.” Additionally, as of early October, two people who received a commutation had been convicted of a “violent crime” as defined by state law before their original release date, or 0.1% of those commuted.?

Medicaid

Part of Cameron’s plan to increase workforce participation in Kentucky is to support workforce requirements for abled-bodied people who receive Medicaid, as he has said repeatedly.?

Both Beshear and Cameron were asked about their views on expanding work requirements for those who receive Medicaid during their debate at Northern Kentucky University. Beshear expressed opposition to the idea.

“Health care is a basic human right, and the best way to get people back to work, is to get them healthy enough,” the governor said. “Tearing away their health care coverage while they’re trying to get there won’t help our workforce participation at all.”

After he was elected, Beshear signed an executive order rescinding planned Medicaid work requirements from the Bevin administration.?

In his answer, Cameron said the state does not have the workforce to support the businesses and new hospitals that Beshear touted. Cameron pointed to a nursing shortage in the state.?

“The decision that he has made is to expand our welfare rolls, and tell folks to stay at home,” Cameron said. “And then, to add insult to injury, he had an unemployment office that was not providing unemployment funding to those people who were staying at home,” a reference to difficulties signing up for unemployment benefits during the pandemic.?

Energy and environment

During the Paducah debate, Beshear and Cameron were asked what the state can and should do to promote advanced nuclear energy and new technologies. Operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant ceased in 2013 and the site is under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy.?

In his response Beshear said the federal government “did not treat this region right,” after pulling out of the plan and noted the importance of the plant and nuclear industry to the region.?

“I believe in an all-of-the-above energy strategy where we nurture our traditional energy industries while welcoming other and new jobs in,” the governor said.?

Cameron said in his answer that he too believes in an “all-the-above energy strategy” and understands the importance of nuclear energy to the Paducah region.?

“But even beyond that, the governor just mentioned that he is about the all-of-the above energy strategy, but he supports a president (Joe Biden) that wants to destroy the fossil fuels industry by 2035,” Cameron said. “That would devastate this economy and this region.”?

However, Beshear’s 2021 energy plan for Kentucky does not mention the phrase “climate change” and does not include plans to reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels. Beshear has said “climate change is real” before, including during the Paducah debate.?

When the candidates were asked in Paducah how they would preserve Kentucky’s natural energy advantages while the country moves toward clean energy and carbon-free mandates, Beshear said climate change must be addressed in a? “reasonable” way.?

“Coal built this country, it built the strongest middle class the world has ever seen, powering us through the Industrial Revolution and then two world wars,” Beshear said. “And despite what our people have done in mining that coal, in breaking their backs and in building this country, so much of the rest of our nation is turned away from communities that have been hurt and decimated by the downturn of the coal industry.”

Cameron, who has decried environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment practices as attorney general, vowed to continue his fight against the Biden administration if elected governor.?

“It is important that we be thoughtful about our energy portfolio here, but we need to maintain that energy independence by opening nuclear facilities, by doubling down on coal,” Cameron said.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with additional information.?

Gov. Andy Beshear, left, and Attorney General Daniel Cameron took to the KET debate stage earlier this week. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

FRANKFORT — The final campaign finance reports filed before Election Day show Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s general election committee has raised and spent far more than four times the amount of money that has been raised and spent by his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Reports filed by the two campaigns? with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance this week show that in the past 15 days the Beshear campaign raised $850,000, and the Cameron campaign raised $481,000.

For the entire general election campaign through Monday Beshear reports $17.3 million in total receipts compared to just $3.9 million for Cameron.

But the finances of the two candidate committees tell only part of the money story in the hotly contested race for governor. That’s because well-funded independent super PACs are also spending big for both sides. Multiple conservative super PACs have run ad campaigns attacking Beshear and allowed the Cameron side to be competitive on the airwaves as the campaign draws to a close.

Here’s a look at the final numbers available before Election Day ?for both the campaigns and some of the super PACs.

The campaigns

Since the May primary Beshear has raised $8.1 million from people. This is an extraordinary amount because individuals are limited to giving not more than $2,100. Beshear has raised $200,000 from traditional political action committees, and received $3 million from the Kentucky Democratic Party. That plus nearly $6 million he had left over from his primary election campaign — in which he faced no serious opposition — brought his general election campaign’s total receipts to $17.3 million.

Cameron reports raising nearly $3 million from people through the general election cycle. He raised $111,000 from traditional PACs, and $700,000 from the Republican Party of Kentucky. (The RPK gave $250,000 of that in the last two weeks, which amounts to more than half of the $481,000 in total receipts Cameron reported in the report he filed this week.) When a small amount left from Cameron’s hotly contested primary election campaign and some small contributions from local Republican Party committees are added, the total receipts for Cameron’s campaign reach nearly $3.9 million.

Super PACs

American Principles Project PAC-Kentucky is an independent organization supporting Cameron and attacking Beshear. A report it filed this week shows it got a single contribution of $170,000 in the past two weeks from a group that calls itself Our United Voice, of Washington, D.C. Previous to that contribution, American Principles Project PAC Kentucky got $1.5 million in donations from a super PAC funded by Illinois billionaire and megadoner Richard Uihlein.

Another major pro-Cameron super PAC called Bluegrass Freedom Action reported raising $139,950 in the past two weeks. Of that, $75,000 came in a contribution from Bob Hutchison, who is retired and lives in Staffordsville. Another $25,000 of it came from Cep Holdings, of Louisville.

A third pro-Cameron outside group called Kentucky Values is affiliated with the Republican Governors Association. It reported getting $2.25 million in contributions from the Republican Governors Association in the past two weeks.

The main super PAC supporting Beshear is called Defending Bluegrass Values. It reported getting $3,935,000 in contributions in early October from the Democratic Governors Association.

Unlike traditional political action committees, super PACS can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to advocate for a candidate but are barred from coordinating their efforts with the campaign. Super PACS arose after a 2010 federal court decision.

In December 2019, then-President Donald Trump and then-Ambassador Kelly Craft spoke to the media during a luncheon with representatives of the United Nations Security Council in the Cabinet Room at the White House. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

FRANKFORT — Kelly Craft, who failed to secure Donald Trump’s endorsement in last May’s Republican primary for Kentucky governor, has donated to six Republican candidates for president in recent months.

None of the six is Donald Trump.

Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show that since June 26 Kelly Craft and her husband Joe Craft, chief executive of Alliance Coal, each contributed $6,600 — the maximum allowed by law — to the presidential campaigns of former Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. Each also gave $3,300 to the presidential campaign of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who suspended his campaign in late September.

In addition, FEC records show that Kelly and Joe Craft each contributed $5,000 to another DeSantis-related political committee called Team Desantis.

DeSantis endorsed Craft in the May primary campaign for governor.

That adds up to $82,600 in contributions from the Crafts to alternatives to Trump in the large field of candidates seeking the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

Kelly Craft did not reply to text messages sent to her by Kentucky Lantern seeking comment on why she and her husband contributed to campaigns of these alternatives to Trump, who polls show is running far ahead of all of his rivals for the GOP nomination for president next year.

For many years Joe Craft has been a major donor to the committees and causes of many Republican candidates, including Trump. For instance, in 2017 he gave $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and in 2020 he gave $500,000 to a political committee called America First Action which supported candidates who backed then-President Trump’s policy agenda.

As president, Trump nominated Kelly Craft to be the U.S. ambassador to Canada, and he later nominated her to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

In May of 2022 Trump came to Louisville for a political fundraiser of his own and made a brief public appearance at Churchill Downs just before the Kentucky Derby where he was photographed flanked by Kelly and Joe Craft.

But the following month Trump gave an early and unequivocal endorsement in Kentucky’s 2023 governor’s race to Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. That was before Craft had formally entered the race for governor.

Cameron emphasized his endorsement by Trump (who won Kentucky in the 2020 presidential election by 26 points over Democrat Joe Biden) throughout the primary election, which he won by a landslide margin over Craft and other Republican contenders. Cameron continues to highlight the endorsement this fall in the general election against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, left, and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear debate at WKYT in Lexington. (Screenshot)

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron pressured each other to clarify their views in their fifth and final debate ahead of the November election.?

Tuesday’s debate, hosted by WKYT of Lexington and moderated by Bill Byrant, covered a range of issues between the candidates, including school vouchers, abortion, the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and public safety.?

Beshear and Cameron have recently debated in Paducah, Highland Heights, Louisville and Lexington.?

Throughout much of Tuesday’s debate, both candidates referred to the core messages of their campaigns.?

Beshear touted his administration’s economic accomplishments and his leadership as Kentuckians faced hard times, including? the pandemic, flooding and tornadoes.?

Cameron offered a bleaker view of Kentucky’s current state, noting the difficulties Kentuckians face because of inflation and the need to recover from the pandemic, especially in terms of small businesses that closed and learning loss experienced by students.?

The candidates frequently talked over each other, especially in moments when Beshear pressed Cameron for answers on his support for school vouchers and Cameron repeatedly asked Beshear to clarify what abortion restrictions he would support.

“Folks, we’ve got to keep this going, and in me, you have a governor that doesn’t see team red or team blue, just team Kentucky,” Beshear said in his closing statement. “But if we want to talk about ‘normal versus crazy,’ it’s crazy we have a candidate that doesn’t have the empathy to look in a camera and say he supports victims of rape and incest, some as young as nine, to have options. I will always be the type of governor that you might not agree with, but you’ll know he’s doing what he thinks is right.”?

“Normal versus crazy” was a reference to remarks Cameron made Tuesday as well as in previous debates about Beshear’s stance on social issues, like vetoing legislation to prevent transgender women and girls from playing on their schools’ sports teams and endorsing President Joe Biden’s reelection bid. Beshear was also referring to Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion, which Cameron supports and has defended in court.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we don’t have to accept this crazy agenda any longer,” Cameron said in his closing statement. “We can make sure that we have leadership that makes sure that we have quality schools, that we support our teachers, that we keep our streets safe from crime and drugs. And yes, we can eliminate Kentucky’s income tax. That’s where you and I can go together if you vote for me on Nov. 7.”?

Income tax

Beshear and Cameron have repeatedly addressed economic issues during their debates. On Tuesday, the two further clarified their positions, particularly on eliminating the state’s income tax.?

Beshear said he vetoed a 2022 bill from the General Assembly to gradually eliminateKentucky’s income tax because the bill also contained increases in the sales tax. He signed a similar bill in 2023 because it did not change the sales tax and his review of year-over-year state revenue numbers showed the state could afford the tax cut..?

“I do want to continue to make those cuts but we’ve got to do it wisely and carefully, not rashly,” Beshear said.?

Cameron, who has long vowed to eliminate the income tax as governor, said economic policies from Democrats like Biden and Beshear are the reason the country is experiencing inflation now.?

“I’m going to eliminate Kentucky’s income tax, and I’m going to do it in a thoughtful and responsible manner,” Cameron said.?

School voucher programs

Beshear and Cameron have previously published their education policies, and both candidates have fielded questions on education in their previous debates. During Tuesday’s debate, things got particularly heated when discussing school vouchers, or programs that would allow public funding to follow students to private schools. Kentucky currently does not allow such programs, but the Republican-led General Assembly may review legislation regarding voucher programs during its next session.?

In response to a question about funding gaps between school districts and if the state should address it, Beshear pressed Cameron on his support of school voucher programs and referred to a primary debate where the attorney general said he supported vouchers and charter schools.?

Beshear, who opposes school vouchers, said the idea would take funding away from public education.?

Cameron pushed back, saying Beshear’s coronavirus response lowered student performance and pointed to his plan for a 16-week long tutoring program as a solution. After some back and forth, Cameron said Kentucky “needs to expand opportunity and choice” but that his plan, as well as Beshear’s, is focused on public education.?

“You need a governor that not only talks about these things, but is willing to do the hard work of communicating with our legislature to get them done for your request,” Cameron said.?

Eventually, both candidates said the state should address funding inequities between poor and richer school districts.?

Abortion

The candidates were again pressed about their stances on abortion. Cameron said last month that he would sign legislation adding exceptions in cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban if the General Assembly passed it. However, he has not directly said if he personally supports those exceptions and continues to call himself the “pro-life candidate.” During recent debates, Beshear asked Cameron to answer the question directly.?

On Tuesday, Beshear called Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban “draconian” and referred to one of his campaign ads featuring a woman who was raped as a child and became pregnant.?

“I will press every day to get exceptions for rape and incest because those that have been harmed and violated absolutely deserve those options,” Beshear said.?

Cameron called himself “Planned Parenthood’s worst nightmare,” like he did during Monday’s debate, and claimed the organization “wants to destroy the Black community” because of the views of its founder, which the organization has denounced.?

“At the end of the day, we need to keep in mind that every baby is an image bearer of God,” Cameron said. “And I think that we need to establish here in Kentucky a culture of life.”?

Beshear said he supported “reasonable restrictions” on abortion, including late-term abortions, and Cameron asked him repeatedly what exactly that meant. The governor said restrictions under Roe v. Wade “got it right,” but didn’t specify a number of weeks during the debate.?

Covid response

The candidates again discussed Beshear’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which killed more than 19,000 Kentuckians.?

Cameron, like he has throughout his campaign, criticized Beshear for “infringing upon your constitutional rights,” which included sending Kentucky state troopers to record license plates at churches during Easter Sunday 2020.?

“He has never shared any regrets because he’s too proud,” Cameron said. “And to say that he is sorry is to hold him accountable for those disastrous decisions that he made.”?

Beshear said his decisions were a matter of? “life and death.” He added that if he could have predicted the pandemic when he was elected in 2019, he would have worked to reverse cuts in the state’s unemployment insurance program backed by the Bevin administration and reopen rural offices.?

“I will always put what I believe is best for the people of Kentucky over my own self interest or over any number of votes,” Beshear said.?

Restoring voting rights

Bryant asked both candidates if they support restoring voting rights to people with previous felony convictions after they have completed their sentences.?

Beshear said he was “proud” to have signed an executive order shortly after becoming governor that automatically restored voting rights to nonviolent and non-sex offender felons. However, Bolts recently reported that some Kentucky advocates say Beshear’s administration has not done enough to notify those with restored voting rights how they were affected.?

“I do believe that we ought to have a constitutional amendment that puts that into the Constitution that ensures that it lasts longer than me,” Beshear said.?

“I don’t have any problem with restoring a person’s voting rights under the same rubric,” Cameron said.?

Election Day is two weeks away — Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Supporters of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron cheer outside KET's studio as the candidates arrive for their Oct. 23 debate. (Photo for Kentucky Lantern by Matthew Mueller)

LEXINGTON —?Kentucky’s gubernatorial candidates — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron — further differentiated themselves on topics like education, abortion and the coronavirus pandemic in their fourth debate at KET’s Lexington studios Monday evening.?

During the debate, both candidates pressed the other on their campaign talking points, while touting their own plans for the governor’s office over the next four years.?

As they have in previous debates, Beshear painted himself as a leader who saw Kentuckians through hard times — the pandemic and natural disasters — and wants to continue to build on his administration’s economic accomplishments, while Cameron said he would work with the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly on legislation, such as implementing his public safety plan.?

Beshear opened first and was asked how he could effectively govern the state despite tensions in his relationship with the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly. He referred to his term to date, saying he has signed more than 600 bipartisan bills into law.?

“We work well behind the scenes. It’s just in politics what happens out front is often not what you see behind closed doors,” the governor said.?

In his opening comments, Cameron said the state’s economy is not “on fire,” as Beshear often says, pointing to inflation affecting Kentuckians.?

“It’s unbelievable, dare I say crazy, that you’d have a governor who would endorse the policies and the president (Joe Biden) who have created this mess that we’re in, whether it be your inflation, whether it be median household income, those are all because of a president that this governor has endorsed,” Cameron said, referring to Beshear’s comments in a Lexington Herald-Leader editorial board interview.?

Photo gallery

Spotted outside KET awaiting the arrival of the gubernatorial candidates for their fourth debate. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Cameron supporters - and detractors - gathered outside KET before the Monday night debate. Kate Pivonka brought a reminder of Cameron's role in the investigation of the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Kentucky auditor Mike Harmon, left, and Beth Richardson were among the Cameron supporters outside KET awaiting the candidates' arrival. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Part of the crowd and the signage outside KET. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

Supporters for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron cheer outside KET's studio before Monday's debate. (Photo for Kentucky Lantern by Matthew Mueller)

Robert Webb said he supports Beshear because he's a "strong man" capable of leading Kentucky. He was among the crowd outside KET before the gubernatorial debate Monday evening. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Matthew Mueller)

As for how Cameron would navigate possible conflicts with the General Assembly, he said he was “willing to do whatever is necessary” for Kentuckians, “but I think most people would agree that it’s better to have everyone rowing in the same direction.”

Donald Trump

Cameron, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, was asked during the debate if he agreed with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell that Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Cameron also has close ties to McConnell, including previously serving as legal counsel to the longtime leader of the Kentucky Republican Party.?

“President Trump is such a big deal in this race that Andy Beshear ran in a campaign ad nearly two weeks ago trying to tout that there was some relationship between him and Donald Trump,” Cameron said after reaffirming that he was “proud” to have Trump’s support while not discussing the Capitol attack.?

In response, Beshear said he was running that ad “because people should be able to vote for whoever they want” and again decried the partisanship and divisiveness that he has accused Cameron of promoting.

After the debate, reporters asked Cameron if he would welcome a campaign visit by Trump and if Trump deserves to be returned to the White House. Days before the primary election, Trump and Cameron spoke together in a brief tele-rally to callers.?

“I think it was better than what we have under Joe Biden,” Cameron said in response.

Cameron said that “living under Bidennomics,” the cost of groceries, gasoline and utility bills has gone up.

“I think most people would agree that when President Trump was in office, they had more money in their pocket,” Cameron continued. “They had more savings in their savings account. And I think we want to get back to that.”

Beshear left without speaking to reporters.

Coronavirus

On the campaign trail, Cameron has long been critical of Beshear’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, which killed more than 19,000 Kentuckians. During Monday’s debate, the attorney general said he would have prioritized the constitutional rights of Kentuckians amid the pandemic.?

Cameron blamed student learning loss on schools closing for in-person learning and moving to online and said Beshear’s “short-sighted decisions” impacted Kentuckians, including business owners.?

Around Easter 2020, then-President Donald Trump wanted to relax guidelines for social distancing and other precautions but heeded advice of health experts to continue them through July 2020. When asked if he would have followed those guidelines, Cameron turned back to constitutional rights and criticized Beshear’s decisions.?

“There’s something called leadership, and I would have offered leadership to the people here in Kentucky and I would have made sure that we stood up for your constitutional rights,” Cameron said.?

When asked if he had any regrets about his response to the pandemic, such as sending state troopers to check license plates at churches on Easter Sunday, Beshear said those choices were “battlefield decisions.”?

“This is about leadership,” the governor said. “And I showed people during the pandemic I was willing to make the hard decisions, even if it cost me. I put politics out the window and I made the best decisions I could to save as many lives as possible.”?

Education?

Both candidates received multiple questions about education in Kentucky, including from school personnel watching the program. Beshear and Cameron have previously discussed their education plans.?

When asked if he believed his administration was not adequately addressing students’ learning loss from the pandemic, Beshear said academic declines began before the pandemic and are connected to not having enough educators.?

“We proposed significant raises for our teachers to make sure there was a teacher in each classroom,” Beshear said of his past budget proposals. “We proposed extra learning resources in terms of textbooks and technology. And I even said at the time that we ought to be using those dollars to address any challenges that were coming out of the pandemic.”

A prominent part of Cameron’s education plan includes funding a 16-week tutoring program for math and reading instruction to take place during summer breaks. During the debate, he said the model was similar to plans found in Tennessee and Utah.?

“We’re going to pay our teachers to be a part of this,” Cameron said. “We’re also going to ask student teachers to be a part of it.”

Continuing on a topic that has come up in previous debates, the candidates clashed on school vouchers, or programs that would allow public funds to follow students from public schools who enroll in private schools. Kentucky currently does not allow school vouchers, but such a constitutional amendment allowing them may be considered by lawmakers in the near future.?

Cameron, who has previously indicated that he supports vouchers on the campaign trail and is backed by some “school choice” groups, was asked directly if he supports vouchers.?

“I would support primarily our public school system,” Cameron said. “Look, we need to make sure that we expand opportunity and choice.”?

Beshear repeatedly voiced his opposition to school vouchers.?

“They steal money from our public schools and send them to our private schools,” Beshear said. “The reason he won’t answer is he supports vouchers. He has time and time again, but what’s concerning is he won’t be honest with you and answer a direct question and look in the camera.”?

Abortion

Toward the end of the debate, the candidates also rehashed another contentious topic for them — abortion.?

Cameron said last month that he would sign legislation adding exceptions in cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban if the General Assembly passed it. However, he has not directly said if he personally supports those exceptions and continues to call himself the “pro-life candidate.” During a recent WLKY debate, Beshear asked Cameron to answer the question directly.?

KET moderator Renee Shaw, who pressed ?for direct answers throughout the night, asked Cameron if he personally favored allowing exceptions in cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s abortion law.?

“We need to establish a culture of life. I want to be a governor that promotes life and make sure that there are life affirming options,” Cameron said.?

The attorney general also called himself “Planned Parenthood’s worst nightmare,” pointing to the organization’s founder, Margaret Sanger, who believed in eugenics, and noting? that the organization has donated to Beshear’s campaign. . Planned Parenthood has denounced Sanger’s beliefs and a 1939 quote of hers about expanding birth control in southern Black communities has been taken out of context over time.?

“I believe that victims of rape and incest deserve options, that there has to be an exception,” Beshear said during the debate, and also said he favored “reasonable restrictions, especially on late-term abortions.”?

Cameron was also asked why he joined 18 Republican attorneys general this summer in signing a letter that opposed a proposed federal privacy rule that would block state officials from getting information on residents’ reproductive health care services they received outside of Kentucky, and if he wanted to criminalize women for seeking abortions or abortion providers.?

Cameron replied by saying “absolutely not” and said he was strongly opposed to a bill that would create criminal penalties for women considering abortions earlier this year.??

The candidates’ fifth and final debate will be Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. Eastern, and hosted by WKYT of Lexington.?

Running mates for Beshear and Cameron — Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and state Sen. Robby Mills respectively — will face each other next week in a KET debate on Monday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. Eastern.?

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7.?

A drone monitors a restricted area. Election denier Mike Lindell is touting the use of drone-mounted devices to monitor polling places. (Getty Images)

The Kenton County Board of Elections unanimously voted to explicitly disallow the presence of wireless monitoring devices at polling places on Election Day.?

The meeting’s topic came as the result of discussions that Kenton County Board of Election Chair Gabrielle Summe had at a recent county clerks meeting, where she heard about My Pillow Founder and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell’s efforts to hawk a device he contends can detect if a voting machine is connected to the internet.

“These are the kinds of things that keep me up at night,” said Summe, the Kenton County clerk.

“I just want to have a prepared way of handling this,” Summe added later in the meeting.?

Uneasily dubbed “WMDs” or “wireless monitoring devices,” the devices are about the size of a hardback novel and can be attached to flying robotic drones or carried by hand. Lindell first presented the device at a right-wing election conspiracy event in August, where he claimed that the devices could be used to uncover election fraud.?

“We’ve been told a lie over years now that the machines are not on the internet,” Lindell said at the event. “… What if I told you that there was a device that’s been made for the first time in history that could tell you that that machine was online?”

Lindell said the devices could be attached to flying drones and flown around polling places to scan the area for Wi-Fi signals and the devices connected to them. He turned one of the devices on at the event, which seemingly detected the audience members’ phone hot spots and other local signals before sorting them into categories. A projector showed the results on the wall behind Lindell.

Lindell claimed that the device would then send the collected data for additional analysis at a “command center” in an undisclosed location.?

It’s unclear from the video alone if the devices can actually detect Wi-Fi signals or if it was a contrivance of the presentation, but the board members all agreed that the usage of such devices at a polling place would be in clear violation of Kentucky law.?

“We can’t allow any chance of interference with the election,” said Kenton County Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn.?

Broadly speaking, photography and other media capture is not allowed at polling locations. Voters are allowed to bring in their smart phones to polling places, and they can take selfies with their ballots. News outlets are also allowed limited use of photography, but most other forms of media capture are illegal.?

Kentucky Revised Statute 117.236 states plainly:?

“No election officer, voter, or other person permitted by law within the voting room, except for challengers appointed under KRS 117.315, shall use paper, telephone, a personal telecommunications device, or a computer or other information technology system for the purpose of creating a checkoff list or otherwise recording the identity of voters within the voting room, except for the official use of the precinct signature roster that is furnished or approved by the State Board of Elections and is otherwise permitted by law.”

The election board will post this law and other prohibitions outside of polling places on Election Day to ensure that voters are apprised of the laws against election interference.?

“You can self take a selfie of yourself with your ballot. That’s it,” said Republican Board of Elections Representative Scott Kimmich. “Nothing else can be photographed. Nothing else can be recorded. And people need to know that. Otherwise, it’s voter intimidation or tampering with the election outcome, and they will be prosecuted.”

Election conspiracy theorists like Lindell have argued that voting machines, contrary to official statements, are connected to the internet, which allows nefarious agents to falsify election results. President Joe Biden’s victory against against former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election is a particular focal point for election conspiracies.?

Although individual cases of voter fraud do occur, most large-scale conspiracy theories that Lindell and his allies like to throw around have been discredited. Still, the theories continue to hold appeal in the right-wing of the Republican Party, and even some local candidates, such as former Erlanger Council Member Steve Knipper, who lost the GOP nomination for Kentucky secretary of state to incumbent Michael Adams this year, have openly endorsed claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.?

Voting machine vendors vary from county to county, but each vendor must pass strict federal and state guidelines before they can be used. Per Kentucky statue, all voting machines in the commonwealth are air-gapped, meaning they lack the technology for internet connectivity. The only three vendors certified in Kentucky are Hart InterCivic, Election Systems & Software and MicroVote. Kenton County uses Electronic Systems & Software machines, the marketing materials of which state they’re never connected to the internet.?

“We all feel very confident that none of our equipment is connected to the Internet or can be accessed by the Internet,” Summe said.?

In spite of this, the board members were aware that most polling places as well as some public places have Wi-Fi infrastructure.?

“That would be kind of hard not to say that any facility that has Wi-Fi available is not going to show up on a device that says there’s an internet connection,” Summe said. “So what is the true purpose of this?”

Summe and others thought that these devices, if they work, could be used to collect data and other information from voters’ smart phones.?

“That’s when I was concerned because the more I thought about it, I thought, well, is it going to interfere with what happens on election day?” Summe said. “Is it intended to modify something? Is it designed to come out with a specific result to prove something…?”

The board concluded that an official statement explicitly disallowing the use of the machines was warranted in case someone was caught trying to use one or if someone asked a poll worker if they could bring one into a polling place.?

The board canceled their normal meeting for next month due to its proximity to Election Day, but the board members will be available to the public all day on Nov. 7 to deal with any issues that may arise.?

To see deadlines on voting and get instructions on the different ways to vote, visit the Kenton County Board of Elections website. The final day to request a mail-in absentee ballot is Oct. 24, 2023.

This article is republished from LINK nky.

An election official talks to a voter on primary election day, May 16, 2023, at the Scott County Public Library in Georgetown. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Abbey Cutrer)

Some of Kentucky’s voters will go to their local polling locations this week.?

Excused in-person early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 25, and will be held Oct. 25-27, and next week Oct. 30-Nov. 1.?

Voters can find information, such as address and hours, for their local in-person early voting location on the State Board of Elections’ website.?

Reasons someone may be eligible for excused in-person early voting can also be found on the website. Some examples of eligible voters are people who may be an elections officer who will work this election cycle, a student who temporarily lives outside of the county of their residence and will not be in that county on the day of an election or future early voting dates, or a person who is part of the Armed Forces or a dependent of an Armed Forces member and will be out of the county on the day of an election or future early voting days.?

No excuse early in-person voting will begin in Kentucky on Thursday, Nov. 2, and will be held Nov. 2-4.?

The last day for Kentucky voters to request a mail-in absentee ballot is Tuesday, Oct. 24. To be counted, ballots must be received by 6 p.m. local time. To find a local drop box to return ballots, visit the State Board of Elections’ website.?

Kentucky’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 7. All of Kentucky’s constitutional officers — governor, lieutenant governor, agriculture commissioner, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor and attorney general — will be on the ballot. Primary elections were held in May.?

Some voters will have a special election to decide, such as in House District 93 in Fayette County where there will be a special election to fill the late Rep. Lamin Swann’s seat.?

The deadline to register to vote in the general election was Tuesday, Oct. 4. Last week, the secretary of state’s office reported that voter registration surged 10 days before the deadline, with 6,462 voters registering between Oct. 1-10.?

For more voting information, visit govote.ky.gov.?

Republican gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Daniel Cameron, left, and Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, right, participate in a debate hosted by League of Women Voters of Louisville and WLKY. (Screenshot from WLKY)

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron clashed on abortion, education and the coronavirus in their third debate, continuing themes from their previous meetings.

In his opening statement, Cameron again said that the governor’s race is about “crazy versus normal” and tied Beshear to national Democratic figures like President Joe Biden. Cameron’s criticisms of Beshear? included closing schools and churches during the coronavirus pandemic.?

“Ladies and gentlemen, we do not have to accept this crazy agenda any longer,” Cameron said. “We can have leadership that makes sure that we have good quality schools, that we keep our streets safe from crime and drugs, that we support our public school teachers, and yes, we eliminate Kentucky’s income tax.”?

Beshear criticized Cameron for nationalizing the race and being overly partisan while reminding Kentuckians who led the state through hard times like the pandemic and natural disasters.?

“This race is about us. It is about Kentucky,” Beshear said in his opening statement. “And to truly lead this state forward, you can’t be on team red or team blue. You have to lead team Kentucky.”?

Saturday’s debate was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Louisville? and TV station WLKY. Questions included a range of topics, such as the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and crime

During a couple tense moments, Beshear directly asked Cameron to answer questions about abortion and school voucher programs. Cameron said last month that he would sign legislation adding exceptions in cases of rape and incest to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban if the General Assembly passed it. However, he has not directly said if he personally supports those exceptions and continues to call himself the “pro-life candidate.”?

“I’ll tell you what, I got a few seconds left. So, General Cameron, will you look at the camera and say, ‘I support exceptions for rape and incest?’” Beshear said Saturday as part of a rebuttal to Cameron.?

“I’ve already said that I will sign the exceptions if they are brought to my desk,” Cameron responded. “At the end of the day, this governor wants more abortions. There is no difference between him and Joe Biden on this issue.”?

Beshear also claimed during the debate that Cameron’s education plan which he calls a “Catch-Up Plan,”? includes support for school vouchers to allow public school funds to follow students who attend private schools, but it does not. Cameron, however, has gained support from “school choice” groups.?

Both candidates were asked about their position on school vouchers Saturday.?

Beshear, who had the first opportunity to answer, said he opposes them and believes they “would defund our public education system in devastating ways.”?

In his answer, Cameron brought up his family ties to educators and promised to support public education in his first budget, but did not answer whether he would support school vouchers if he becomes governor.?

In his rebuttal, Beshear asked Cameron directly: “Do you support vouchers that take money from public education and send them to private schools?”

Both candidates were cut off by a moderator before going to the next question, but Cameron pushed back at Beshear? on his support for? public schools, saying he “shut our schools down for nearly two years.”?

COVID-19

During Saturday’s debate, both candidates were asked if the state should have an ongoing plan for a future pandemic, like the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, as well as what they thought were successes and failures in the response to the coronavirus.?

Cameron, who answered the question first, criticized Beshear for closing schools, businesses and churches during the pandemic. He has made similar comments on the campaign trail and in press conferences.?

“What Andy Beshear did was wrong. I will respect your constitutional rights. I will look out for our most vulnerable populations,” Cameron said. “But at the end of the day, I will make sure that we respect you as a citizen and your constitutional rights.”

Beshear called the pandemic “the challenge of our lifetime” and said it killed 18,000 Kentuckians. He also praised health care workers who worked during the pandemic and added that it was “a slap in the face of the heroism that they showed” for Cameron to refuse “to act like this pandemic was as deadly as it was.”

“I made decisions to save lives,” Beshear said. “It’s clear this attorney general would have played politics. That would have caused more death, more destruction. I’d rather save lives than win reelection.”

Income tax?

Both candidates also discussed eliminating Kentucky’s income tax.Cameron has often voiced support for completely doing away with the state income tax and vowed again Saturday to “be the governor who eliminates Kentucky’s income tax.”?

The attorney general criticized Beshear for vetoing legislation in 2022 that would have lowered Kentucky’s income tax.?

In response, Beshear said the General Assembly created guardrails to gradually lower the income tax based on indicators of the state’s fiscal health, but “Daniel Cameron wants to take the train off the track.” The governor said a similar plan in Kansas, which he referenced in his 2022 veto, was later reversed because of strains on that state’s economy.?

Crime

Beshear and Cameron addressed crime Saturday and were asked about how they would particularly make Louisville, Kentucky’s largest city, safer.?

Cameron referred to his previously released public safety plan, and emphasized his support for adding a Kentucky State Police post in Louisville. He also criticized Beshear for commuting the sentences of nearly 2,000 inmates during the coronavirus pandemic. The criteria for the people who were released included being medically vulnerable, near the end of the sentences and not having been n convicted of violent or sexual offenses.

Beshear said he was surprised Cameron “just criticized me for following Donald Trump” — the former Republican president who endorsed Cameron — before highlighting pay raises for state troopers during his administration, as well as a lower recidivism rate.?

The next gubernatorial debate is Monday, hosted by KET, followed by the last debate on Tuesday, hosted by WKYT.?

Beshear’s running mate, Lt. Gov. ?Jacqueline Coleman, and Cameron’s running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, will face each other in a KET debate on Oct. 30.

Kim Reeder, left, and Allison Ball.

FRANKFORT — Three of the five stories in the old, nondescript brick office building at 209 St. Clair Street house a state office that tries to determine if taxpayers’ dollars are spent properly.

It is not the most exciting place in the world. Its scenery is dull. A lot of number crunching is always going on. But its work is vital to the operations of an efficient government.

In recent years under Republican Mike Harmon, the state auditor’s staff of about 125 has adopted his mantra to “follow the data,” and turned over some major financial failures and inadequacies in government.

They include “disorganized and unchecked” leadership in the state courts system, “unnecessary and excessive spending” in the state’s police training program, a “dysfunction” between the University of Louisville and its non-profit investment arm, warnings about the KentuckyWired project to bring the internet to all of Kentucky and every state agency’s share of the state’s massive debt for public pensions.

It also has uncovered criminal wrongdoing by several county government leaders, leading to? the 2019 conviction of former Jackson County treasurer Beth Sallee for stealing $161,000 by writing checks to herself from county accounts and the 2022 guilty plea of former Lawrence County Attorney Mike Hogan and his wife and legal secretary, Joy M. Logan, for taking part in a scheme to pay her more than $365,000 in bonuses while working in his office.

This fall, two women are vying in the Nov. 7 general election to replace Harmon as the chief watchdog of taxpayer dollars in Kentucky. Harmon could not seek another four-year term because he already has served two consecutive terms. He ran for governor in last May’s Republican primary election but lost. It’s not certain what he is going to do after the election.

Seeking to replace Harmon are Republican Allison Ball of Prestonsburg, who was elected? Kentucky’s treasurer in 2015, and Kimberley “Kim” Reeder of Morehead, a tax attorney and teacher making her first bid for public office.

The race thus far has been fairly quiet. Neither candidate has gone into attack mode.? There has been no vitriol. No one has been mean-spirited.

Instead, the candidates have been touting their records and their political views whenever and wherever they can. Reeder is trying to take her RV to all 120 Kentucky counties.

Their total campaign contributions to date are about the same. Reeder has amassed more than $143,000 while Ball has taken in about $136,000. The job pays $148,108.56 a year.

Each candidate claims she is ready to keep an eye on taxpayers’ dollars spent in all three branches of state government, local and county governments and public education.

Why she wants the job

Ball, who is proud that she is the first Kentucky constitutional officer to give birth in office (twice), said she started as a watchdog “on the front end” as state treasurer with money coming in and now wants to be a watchdog “on the back end” to see that state money is used correctly.

“If you want to know what I will be like as auditor, look at what I have done as treasurer,” she said.

So what has she done as treasurer?

She rattles off returning a record $172 million of unclaimed property, more than any state treasurer in Kentucky history in a single year; launching Kentucky’s transparency website showing how state government spends its money, starting a savings and investment program for Kentuckians with disabilities that allows families to save money while continuing to receive assistance at no cost to Kentuckians, and beefing up financial literacy.?

Ball also noted that she was a prosecutor in Floyd County.? “All these pieces of the puzzle fit together to show what kind of auditor I will be.”?

Reeder said her commitment to public service and passion for education and social justice led her to running for auditor.

She said her childhood poverty spurred her to earn acceptance to Yale University, where she graduated with a degree in political science.

?She then went on to earn a master’s in? public policy from Duke University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law School.?

After graduating, Kim earned recognition in 2011 as one of the top 10 tax attorneys in the nation by industry publication State Tax Notes. She returned to Kentucky in 2014 to take care of her dying mother.??

After her mother’s death, she stayed in Kentucky and became a full-time substitute teacher to help a teacher taking maternity leave.?

This experience led her to obtain a teaching certificate and ultimately to teach in some of the most disadvantaged classrooms in Kentucky. She said she now wants to work for all Kentuckians as state auditor.

What to tackle first as auditor

Ball said she would continue the work of Harmon in auditing disaster relief funds initiated by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to support victims of tornadoes and flooding in the state.

Harmon announced this year he was auditing the funds after some reports that some checks were sent to the wrong recipients. Harmon has not said when that work will be completed.

Even if he has an audit completed by the time he leaves office at the end of this year, the funds still will be raising and spending money after Harmon leaves, said Ball.

She has said she notified the Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the funds, about some problems with the funds, and suggested an audit but was turned down.

Besides the relief funds, Ball said she would like to audit the Jefferson County Public Schools, especially its transportation system, and some public universities.? She noted that Harmon found financial problems at Kentucky State University and that Northern Kentucky University has had some large budget deficits.

Reeder said she would take a broad look at state education funding, especially the underfunding of transportation, before zeroing in on JCPS or other specific school districts. She also said she would carefully consider Harmon’s findings on the disaster assistance funds before deciding whether to finish a full-blown audit. “I’m a person who believes in strong reviews and then go after those that fail the reviews,” she said.

Reeder said she also wants to shine a light on public education funding gaps that penalize poor children and their schools.

Reeder said it was “a proud moment” for Kentucky in 1990 when the legislature equalized funding between poor and wealthier school districts in response to the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Rose v. Council for Better Education. But the funding gap has opened up again, she said, and is now as large as it was before the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act.

“We have students now whose education is not complying with the law. It is very disappointing.”

Pension investments

Ball said she would like to keep a close eye on the possibly dangerous full integration of ESG issues into the investments of public pensions. ESG stands for environmental, scientific and governance issues.

The ESG aspects of a company’s activities are used to measure the company’s societal and sustainability policies. ESG? criteria are applied most frequently by investment firms and individuals who want to direct their money toward companies that are socially responsible.

Earlier this year, Beshear signed into law a measure that requires the state’s public pension funds to make investment decisions on financial risks and returns, rather than environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors.

Reeder said there may be room to consider ESGs. Companies need to take a wide range of risks into account when making investments, including environmental factors, she said.

She said any government employees charged with managing funds are always doing risk management. That, she said, already includes some consideration of how investment returns could be impacted by any sort of trend, including climate trends.

Transparency and politics

Both candidates pledged transparency in their office by making better use of online information and to be sure it is non-partisan.

Each pledged to “go after” a governor or any political leader who does wrong even if they belong to her political party.

Workers stand in a line on strike outside the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, Oct. 12, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Liam Niemeyer)

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear brought a box of fresh sandwiches to striking UAW Local 862 members outside the Ford Truck Plant in Louisville on Wednesday, reports a posting on the Kentucky AFL-CIO website.

“Folks, I’m Andy Beshear and I’m the proud pro-union governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky,” he announced to cheers and applause from the strikers.

Tim Morris, executive director of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council, didn’t know the governor was coming until his motorcade pulled up outside the truck plant union hall at 2702 Chamberlain Lane, according to the report.

Todd Dunn, Local 862 president, introduced Beshear to a small crowd including officials from Teamster Locals 89 and 783.

“The governor wanted to bring some sandwiches,” Dunn said. “This is not a campaign stop, no media got called. As a matter of fact, we went out of our way to keep it secret.”

Dunn said that outside the governor’s office the only people who knew about the visit were United Auto Workers President Sean Fain, Vice President Chuck Browning and a few other UAW officials “because we wanted to keep it about the people.”

Morris said Beshear “bought the sandwiches with his own money.”

The month-long strike against the Detroit Three automakers reached the Ford plant in Louisville, the company’s most profitable, on Oct. 11 when 8,700 workers walked off the job. The plant produces Super Duty trucks and SUVS.

The union is seeking wage increases, including compensation for concessions the union made in 2009 to help Ford survive without a government bailout. The union also is negotiating to ensure continued workforce protections as automakers transition to producing electric vehicles.

Beshear told the strikers “I am here for you, for your families” and that he knows they are “trying to help thousands upon thousands of Kentucky families have that better life.”

In March 2021, hundreds of boxes of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are unloaded at the Worldport Hub in Louisville. (Photo by Sarah Ladd)

On March 6, 2020, a Kentuckian in Lexington tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, and Gov. Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency.

The United States had been under a public health emergency for more than a month by then.

Five days after Kentucky’s first confirmed case, the World Health Organization said COVID-19 was officially a pandemic.

The NCAA canceled March Madness? rather than “contribute to spread” of the virus. The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art shuttered temporarily. NASCAR suspended racing.

We had entered a time like nothing Americans had experienced since the flu epidemic of 1918. In other words, it was “uncharted territory,” said Dr. Paul McKinney, the University of Louisville’s interim dean and a professor in the School of Public Health and Information Sciences, in a September interview with the Lantern.?

Over the next three years, around 2 million COVID-19 tests came back positive in Kentucky. More than 19,000 Kentuckians died.?

Beshear issued more orders, including restricting mass gatherings, closing schools and releasing some medically at-risk prisoners.?

Now some Republicans are urging Kentuckians to make Beshear a one-term governor based on his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Andy Beshear has failed us,” says an ad by Republican nominee and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron. “He locked our schools and unlocked our jails. We can do better.”

A pro-Cameron PAC is running ads accusing? a “criminal coddling governor” of having unleashed dangerous criminals on Kentuckians.?

To help voters navigate the criticisms, the Lantern is looking at the pandemic, a time of economic upheaval, rapidly-changing guidance and rampant misinformation.

‘Flying blind’

At the beginning, the response to COVID-19 was “a blunt instrument,” said UofL’s McKinney, “because what could we do at that point?”??

“We had no antiviral medications to use, we didn’t have a vaccine,” he said. “We didn’t have adequate testing; we didn’t have enough (personal protective equipment) to go around. All we had was basically the ability to trace contacts of people who were exposed and to … implement social distancing.”?

Tim Veno, CEO of an organization of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Kentucky, agreed.

“We were pretty well flying blind,” he said. “We had no test or any way to determine who may or may not have had COVID.”?

Until the science caught up, social mitigation was the only option.?

In March 2020, Beshear, who had been governor three months, issued a variety of recommendations and orders based on guidance from federal public health authorities, meant to slow the virus’ spread.

Almost as quickly Attorney General Cameron began challenging some of the orders in court.

Not all of Beshear’s orders were restrictive. He streamlined the process for out-of-state nurses to work in Kentucky, suspended evictions and expanded unemployment benefits eligibility.?

The unemployment system was quickly overwhelmed by the influx of applications, and people waited months for help. Meanwhile, Louisville’s WDRB reported that Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman texted the head of the Office of Unemployment Insurance to get attention on her hair dresser’s application, as well as that of a “friend of a friend.” The administration maintained that there wasn’t an abuse of power.

Beshear also began holding daily, virtual news conferences, broadcast across the state, to share information about the virus. Health experts praised this move, but it rankled some of his political opponents.

And, he encouraged Kentuckians to light their homes green in memory of those lost to COVID-19.

Spring 2020: A ‘somber’ experience?

When Beshear recommended that schools close for a few weeks, Louisville high school freshman Spandana Pavuluri, now 18, remembers thinking the time would be “just like an extended spring break.” Two weeks to catch up on homework, nothing more.

Before the end of? March, though, the virus closed all public school buildings in the U.S., according to Education Week.

The extended remote learning and loss of social connections in a pivotal time of her life “hit me like a truck,” Pavuluri said, describing the time as “somber.”

Her bedroom, where she did school, became a “place of … stress,” not relaxation.

The “really social person” was suddenly very alone, a sentiment reflected back to her from other students in research she helped conduct with the Kentucky Student Voice Team.

On top of school closures, in April 2020, Beshear halted elective surgeries so medical staff and supplies could be fully employed in addressing COVID-19. He closed Natural Bridge and Cumberland Falls state resort parks and suspended overnight stays at state parks.?

When several individuals sued the state challenging Beshear’s restrictions on interstate travel, Cameron officially took their side. A federal judge in a different case ruled that?parts of the travel order were unconstitutional. Beshear lifted it before Memorial Day.

The state shut down visits to nursing homes except in end of life situations. Leaders feared that visitors would bring COVID-19 to the most vulnerable.?

“That, of course, was devastating to some families,” said Veno, president and CEO of LeadingAge Kentucky.

“After that, we mobilized very quickly in setting up remote communication, iPads and other connected devices so that we could immediately, at least, at the very minimum, allow residents and families to talk via the internet,” Veno said. “Those were all very difficult decisions to make.”?

Despite “some political blowback” from those moves, Veno said, “in my view, that action saved lives.”?

On churches: Did the governor go too far??

After mass gatherings were suspended, some churches kept holding in-person services. That was despite a?religious revival in Hopkins County being linked to at least 28 cases of the virus and two deaths.

One congregation in Bullitt County gathered on Easter Sunday despite the order. The pastor found nails in the parking lot before the service. And attendees found notices placed by state troopers on their windshields telling them to quarantine.

Maryville Baptist Church in Bullitt County and Tabernacle Baptist Church in Nicholasville sued Beshear. Attorney General Cameron joined both of their lawsuits.

Two U.S. district judges ruled that Beshear’s ban on religious gatherings was unconstitutional and that the churches could hold in-person services while observing precautions against spreading the virus. But the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals disagreed, allowing the restriction on in-person services to stand. The appeals court did block Beshear’s ban on drive-in services.

By then Beshear had agreed to allow places of worship to gather. But many chose to wait. The Rev. Kent Gilbert, pastor of historic Union Church in Berea, told the Lexington Herald-Leader at the time, “No pastor wants to race back to church to do more funerals.”

Todd Gray, the executive director of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, told the Lantern that the denomination’s pastors and church leaders “made their own decisions” about protecting congregants. They “sought to be good citizens working in cooperation with recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and from Frankfort,” he said.

The theological belief that Christians must gather together also factored into some congregations coming back to in person services “as quickly as possible,” said Gray.

He also feels the state unfairly targeted churches during this time.

“While most Kentucky Baptist churches sought to cooperate with the governor’s recommendations as much as they could,” Gray said, “most, if not all, believed the governor went too far when he specifically targeted churches while some businesses such as liquor stores remained open.”

Politicizing a pandemic

In May 2020, angered over mass shutdowns, protesters opposed to COVID-19 restrictions hanged Beshear in effigy outside the State Capitol and marched to the Governor’s Mansion demanding he resign.?

Attached to the effigy was a sign with the words “sic semper tyrannis,” which means “thus always to tyrants.” John Wilkes Booth famously said this after shooting President Abraham Lincoln in 1865.?

Republicans and Democrats alike decried those actions. Secretary of State Michael Adams, a Republican, tweeted at the time that the “words of John Wilkes Booth have no place in the Party of Lincoln.”?

There were other protests of the shutdowns and social distancing and masking measures. Misinformation was rampant, including a claim that the pandemic itself was a hoax.?

The politicization of the pandemic made it harder for health care workers to do their jobs, they said.

“It was extremely difficult for hospitals,” said Deborah Campbell, the vice president for clinical strategy and transformation at the Kentucky Hospital Association.?

In early 2021, when vaccines became available, Kentucky gave first priority to health care workers and staff in long-term care and assisted-living facilities followed by those over 70, first responders, K-12 school personnel and child care workers.?

Many, including some health care workers, refused vaccination against the virus.

Once vaccines were mandated by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, those who refused the shots could no longer work in hospitals, Campbell said.?

“It was terribly painful. It was painful for the staff, it was painful for the hospital leadership,” Campbell said.?

But in the end, Campbell said, precautions did save lives. They also kept hospitals running better than if no mitigation measures had been in place.?

“Having less sick people means more staff were not sick and able to take care of patients in the hospital, which means they got better care, which means they did better,” she said.

Still, health care workers often bore the brunt of people’s anger.?

Some hospital visitors and even patients treated health care workers in a “demoralizing” way, said Campbell.?

They spit on and cursed them.?

“People were threatened. Workplace violence increased in our hospitals, particularly around visitation, and any personal freedom restrictions,” Campbell said. “Those visitation restrictions were heart wrenching. But at some point … I think it was pretty clear it was the right thing to do.”?

Veno with LeadingAge said that in his 20 years working in health care, “I’ve never seen this kind of public reaction, anti-vaccination reaction as I saw with COVID.”?

All of this helped feed burnout and exacerbated an already worsening medical workforce crisis.?

On the economy

About 18% of Kentucky’s businesses had to close because of a government mandate during 2020, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.?

That’s similar to the percentage nationwide, which was about 19%.

The state designated workers as “essential” and “nonessential” to determine who could stay open with more flexibility. Grocery store workers, for example, were deemed essential. Jewelry and clothing stores were “non-essential.”?

The designations remain a sore spot for some. Cameron has said he wants to make Beshear “not essential” come Election Day.

The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy reported in May that the state lost 294,900 jobs in just the first two months of the pandemic. Businesses permanently closed left and right. Thousands across the country shuttered.

“In the three years since, Kentucky has experienced a remarkable recovery,” Kentucky Policy said. It reported Kentucky had 53,800 more jobs than before COVID-19 hit the state.?

Cameron said in October that, had he been governor at the time, he would not have closed small businesses and health spaces like chiropractor’s offices. He criticized what he called “inconsistency” in Beshear’s decisions.?

“There are a lot of small businesses right now that have not been able to recover,” Cameron said. “Several of them closed their doors for good.”

Prisons: a ‘public health failure’?

Among other steps to stifle COVID-19’s spread, Beshear closed restaurants to in-person traffic, suspended out-of-state travel for state employees and stopped prison visits.?

Beshear commuted the sentences of 1,870 inmates who were medically vulnerable and who had not been convicted of violent or sexual offenses.

Cameron and his allies have criticized Beshear’s pre-release vetting. They’ve cited data from the Administrative Office of the Courts that shows about half of 1,700 commutation recipients were charged with another crime by July 2023.

Republican state Rep. Kevin Bratcher of Louisville asked for the numbers to be updated from a 2021 report. At an Oct. 13 campaign event for media, Cameron, Bratcher and state Rep. Jason Nemes released the new numbers and blasted?Beshear’s “shortsighted decision” on prisoner releases.

The Courier Journal?of Louisville and the?Lexington Herald-Leader have reported, though, that many of those re-offenders would have been free to commit their alleged subsequent crimes because their original prison sentences would have expired by then anyway.

Prison Policy Initiative, a Massachusetts-based national nonprofit that researches criminalization in the United States, reported in April that Kentucky’s overall incarceration population decreased 13% from January 2020 to December 2021.

The national average was 15% over the same time.?

Wanda Bertram, a communications strategist with Prison Policy Initiative,? says the real mistake by Kentucky and most states was not releasing more prisoners — despite warnings that prisons would become “hotbeds for coronavirus spread” and? “endanger not just people who are inside and people who are working inside but also the entire community that surrounds the prison.”

Kentucky, like most states, continued to imprison people for technical violations of probation and parole, Bertram said.

“We actually did prove that mass incarceration probably added at least half a million COVID cases nationwide in the summer of 2020 alone,” said Bertram.

In 2021, Prison Policy gave states letter grades based on their treatment of incarcerated populations during the pandemic.

Kentucky, along with many others, received an “F.”

“Beshear’s commutations of 1,800 incarcerated people is a bright spot in what, otherwise, I would consider to be a complete public health failure when it comes to protecting incarcerated people and the communities that surround prisons,” Bertram said.

Kentucky had the nation’s third highest rate of COVID infections and deaths among prisoners from March 2020 to June 2021, according to the Marshall Project, which collaborated with the Associated Press to keep track. The numbers are an undercount because inconsistent testing caused infections to go undiagnosed, especially early on, according to the report.

During the 15 months, Kentucky recorded:

• 7,909 cases — a rate of 6,503 cases per 10,000 prisoners, lower than only Michigan and Arkansas.
• 48 deaths — or 39 deaths per 10,000 prisoners, lower than only Nevada and New Mexico.

Ultimately, eight state prison staff in Kentucky died of COVID-19, the Department of Corrections said earlier this month.

Learning loss

By the start of the 2020-21 academic year, four states had ordered schools to open in person, but in Kentucky most schools continued remote learning.

In November, a deadly “third wave” struck and Beshear announced that public and private K-12 schools would close.??

Danville Christian Academy and Cameron challenged the school closing order and won before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove. But the Sixth Circuit U.S Court of Appeals upheld Beshear’s order, saying it treated all schools, religious or otherwise, the same.?

The appeals court took note of one of Beshear’s justifications: “Kentucky leads the nation in children living with relatives other than their parents — including grandparents and great-grandparents, who are especially vulnerable” to the virus.?

The? U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

By early 2021, a year into the pandemic, ?most Kentucky schools had returned to in-person.?

Some research suggests school closures helped keep COVID-19 transmission lower than if the doors had stayed open, but children suffered from the disruption in their education.

In 2021, Harvard Medical School researchers found that while most children who contracted COVID-19 were themselves mildly symptomatic or without symptoms at all, they could still carry the virus on to others.

Many children suffered learning loss during remote and hybrid classes in 2020 and 2021 across the country, according to a 2022 study out of Harvard University’s Center for Education Policy Research.?

In Kentucky, reading and math proficiency dropped during the pandemic when comparing 2018-2019 assessments with 2021-2022 data.?

At the time of that October report, Education Commissioner Jason Glass said in a statement that “the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on our students and our schools as they continue to recover from the interrupted learning that occurred over the past two years.”?

Cameron has said that should he be elected governor, he will institute a “Catch Up” plan featuring tutoring programs to bring kids up to speed.

Looking back, Pavuluri, a first-year student at Vanderbilt University studying public policy, says that despite the disruptions in her education, school closures and other restrictions were worth it.

Because her mom is a geriatrician who works with older adults, she felt more empathy toward people at higher risk.

“So for me, that was always in my mind and COVID was something I feel like I took pretty seriously,” she said. “I didn’t necessarily have someone very … immunocompromised in my family. (But) I think I really … empathize with the students who do.”

“There was obviously … negatives to the experience,” she added, “but I think just the massive negative would have been to … lose someone.”

How did Kentucky compare to other states?

Kentucky is famously one of the sickest states — ranked third most unhealthy by Becker’s Hospital Review in January ahead of only West Virginia and Mississippi.?

“Everyone had a reason to expect that we would be absolutely devastated” by COVID, said UofL’s McKinney.

Kentuckians suffer high rates of heart disease, diabetes and cancer. And the state’s population is shifting older. All these factors mean a lot of Kentuckians went into the pandemic with at least one “comorbidity” — a pre-existing condition putting them at higher risk for COVID-19 complications and potentially death.?

“Among our neighbor states, we were much more vulnerable than almost all of them,” said McKinney.

And yet CDC mortality data, which only includes 2020 and 2021, shows Kentucky’s death rate was lower than Tennessee’s and West Virginia’s though higher than Indiana, Ohio and Virginia.?

McKinney credits measures “implemented by the leadership and state” for saving Kentucky lives.

A study published in April in the international medical journal The Lancet took into account age and health when comparing states. It found that Kentucky’s death rate was lower than the national average when adjusted for comorbidities.

Kentucky’s unadjusted COVID-19 death rate from January 2020 through July 2022 was 472 deaths for every 100,000 residents, higher than the national average. After adjusting for age and comorbidities, however, the rate was 341 deaths per 100,000 population, lower than the national rate of 372.?

The state with the lowest adjusted death rate was Hawaii (147 per 100,000 residents). The highest was Arizona (581 per 100,000).

In April 2020, University of Kentucky professors in the Gatton College of Business and Economics released research estimating the state would have been much worse off had social distancing measures not been implemented early on.?

UK did not make those researchers available to the Lantern for this story. At the time they estimated Kentucky would have had 45,000 cases by April 25, 2020, had the state not closed communal businesses like gyms and restaurants. Instead, the state had around?4,000.?

The researchers also estimated that, a month into the pandemic, those actions saved about 2,000 lives.?

A more comprehensive study from The Royal Society in London examined the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) like social distancing and mask wearing during COVID-19 across the globe.?

The August 2023 report found that social strategies like mask wearing and physical distancing helped reduce virus spread.?However, scientists found that this was most true when powerful variants like Delta and Omicron, which were particularly good at evading protective barriers, weren’t spreading.?

“Could they have … relaxed restrictions more rapidly? Could they have … let us get to a normal life faster? That’s a tough call,” said McKinney. “You have to play it a little bit by ear. And, again, you’re trying to probably err on the side of protection of human life.”?

“Everything’s clearer in hindsight,” he added.??

“I think that the leadership of both the commissioner of public health (Dr. Steven Stack) and the governor, who worked closely together in implementing policy, the primary concern was preservation of lives,” McKinney said.?

“Freedom of the population is very important. But if you’re dead, you can’t be free,” he said. “So if you preserve life first, and then… worry about how tight the controls have to be later. I think that was the general plan: to be as tight as possible to hopefully stop the progress of the virus.”?

Lessons for the future?

Kentucky’s response to COVID-19 wasn’t perfect, experts say, and there is much the state can learn from it for the future.?

For example, Kentucky needs more vigorous respiratory virus surveillance, automated data reporting and well-maintained stockpiles of personal protective equipment.?

The ability to produce vaccines quickly will ease government reliance on social mitigation measures as well,?McKinney said.?

Kentucky — and the nation — will need to guard against complacency, McKinney said. Although “hopefully” there won’t be another pandemic in the near future, “there’s no guarantee.”

Kentucky also must rebuild its health care workforce. The pandemic “taxed” health care workers “beyond belief,” said Veno with LeadingAge. And the staffing challenges this caused continue.?

KSVT’s Pavuluri said leaders must keep in mind that students need social connections, mentorship and relationships. Many lacked that during NTI learning and will need it for the next public health crisis, she said.

And, even though the emergency years of the COVID-19 have ended, “staffing remains a huge problem,” said Campbell with the state hospital association.

“We are incredibly concerned as hospitals and the hospital association about trying to increase the pipeline and retain the staff that we have,” she said.?

Before the pandemic hit, she said, there was already a concerning trajectory of an aging nursing workforce. “Then we had COVID, which caused burnout.”?

Looking to the future, climate change is a concern.

“Warming of the climate will affect…a lot of disease transmission,” McKinney said. “If winter weather that wipes out the mosquito population every year did not do so, and they survived and thrived and carried something like malaria … throughout that time, it would be … a big concern, obviously, for the nation.”?

COVID-19 is shifting more into an annual flu-like nuisance, public health experts have said. People will still get sick, but the science is there to manage large waves.

For now, many facilities are still using universal precautions–like wearing personal protective equipment–during outbreaks. They also use screening tools to keep the spread low.?

“Make no mistake about it,” Veno with LeadingAge said. “We’re still dealing with COVID, and we’re going to be dealing with COVID for quite some time.”?

Jamie Lucke and McKenna Horsley contributed to this story.?

Pamela Stevenson, left, and Russell Coleman

Voters in Kentucky’s race for attorney general will choose between a former FBI agent who served as a federal prosecutor and a retired Air Force colonel and military lawyer who won a seat in the legislature.?

The winner will succeed Republican Daniel Cameron who is running for governor.

Pamela Stevenson (D)

City of Residence: Louisville

Occupation and previous public service: State representative, J.A.G. attorney in the U.S. Air Force, founder of a nonprofit providing free legal services to veterans

Campaign website: www.pamforag.com

Quote: “For me, I work for the people, and I want to make sure that they can thrive because of the work we do across Kentucky.”

Russell Coleman, the Republican nominee who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to be the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, said in an interview that his desire to become a “law man” began as a child.?

“Being the attorney general — being the chief law enforcement officer of the commonwealth — my focus, my priority, as a dad and as a prosecutor, is protecting families at its core,” he said.”?

His opponent, Rep. Pamela Stevenson, a Louisville Democrat, said she has been a public servant almost all of her life. She said as a child, she opened a ballet studio in her parents’ house because West Louisville did not have one. She has been an attorney for 40 years and has 27 years of experience in the U.S. Air Force, where she says she argued cases across the globe.?

She told the Kentucky Lantern that she views the role of attorney general as one that works for Kentuckians’ best interests.?

“For me, I work for the people, and I want to make sure that they can thrive because of the work we do across Kentucky,” she said.?

According to the latest reports available on the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance’s website, Coleman’s campaign has raised more than $1 million, while Stevenson’s campaign has raised more than $287,000 — a difference of about $769,000.?

In addition to attorney general, all of Kentucky’s statewide constitutional offices will be on the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 7.?

Here’s what Coleman and Stevenson have said about their ideas for the attorney general’s office.?

Abortion?

Coleman drew attention to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban recently when he said in a TV interview that the General Assembly should add exceptions to the law for cases of rape and incest, though he said he would defend abortion laws passed by the legislature. In a statement to the Lantern, he said: “Part of being pro-life is being compassionate to crime victims.”

Coleman’s remarks echo recent remarks from Cameron, who is running against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.?

“After listening to prosecutors, crime victims and my family, I made a statement that I believe the law should be amended to include exceptions for rape and incest in addition to the existing exception for life and health of the mother,” Coleman said at the time. “What does it mean to me to be 100% pro-life? I said it for the record for all to hear: limit abortions and protect victims of rape and incest. That’s my definition. It’s a mainstream position consistent with my faith that I believe most Kentuckians share, including so many who consider themselves pro-life.”

Stevenson, who has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement that she was “committed to protecting the reproductive rights and healthcare choices of Kentuckians.”?

“We will refuse to prosecute patients or doctors under state law (if elected). It is essential that individuals have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without fear of legal repercussions,” she said last week. “I will use the office’s bully pulpit to vigorously defend the rights of patients and doctors, advocating for access to safe and legal healthcare options without interference from politicians

Law enforcement?

Coleman signaled his admiration for law enforcement officers in an interview, adding he views the role of the attorney general as an intersection of law enforcement with a passion for Kentucky.?

Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police members voted to endorse Coleman, as well as all other Republican candidates. His first TV ad titled “Lawman,” released during the first week of October, calls him a “law and order conservative.”?

Coleman said one of the biggest limiting factors facing the state’s law enforcement officers now is that they are “siloed” from working together. He said he has the relationships with law enforcement agencies to bring them together while his opponent does not.?

“I applaud her military service, but on Day One, she’ll be starting with training wheels on. She’ll be starting from scratch as a law enforcement officer here in this Commonwealth,” Coleman said of Stevenson. “The threats are just too large to have a training or orientation period as a lawyer in the commonwealth, much less as the chief law enforcement officer of the commonwealth.”?

In July, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported that Stevenson was not licensed to practice law in Kentucky, but she was in Indiana. According to the Kentucky Bar Association’s website, Stevenson’s status is listed as “Practice Pending Admission.” Under the rules of the Kentucky Supreme Court, the status means an attorney who is licensed and in good standing elsewhere and has applied for admission to the Kentucky bar, may practice law in Kentucky while their application is pending.?

A spokesperson for her campaign said Tuesday that Stevenson “has fulfilled the constitutional requirements of this office and is permitted to practice law in Kentucky today.”?

Stevenson said she would to build relationships with law enforcement agencies and support further raises for police officers and funding for training.?

“Safe communities start with the people who are protecting our communities,” Stevenson said.?

Opioid epidemic

Both candidates have made tackling Kentucky’s opioid epidemic part of their platforms. In addition to representing the commonwealth in court cases against opioid distributors, the Office of the Attorney General oversees the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, a group created by the General Assembly to distribute funds the commonwealth receives from opioid litigation.?

According to Kentucky’s 2022 Overdose Fatality Report, 2,135 Kentuckians died from an overdose in 2022 and 90% were from opioids, with fentanyl being the predominant drug in those deaths. The report showed the commonwealth’s first decline in fatal overdoses since 2018.

Stevenson said Kentucky must deal with the opioid epidemic. The people that pour them into our state, distributors, need to go to jail and people who are addicted need to get treatment, she said.?

“We wouldn’t put someone with cancer in jail,” Stevenson said.?

Coleman said he was “very interested” in a proposal to invest part of Kentucky’s settlement funds in developing ibogaine as a treatment for opioid dependence and was reviewing early trial results, adding that he viewed it as “a significant investment and there’s some risk there.”

The psychedelic drug is illegal in the United States, but its advocates say it can treat severe PTSD and opioid addiction while minimizing withdrawal symptoms, although its? use is associated with heart failure. The commission has considered investing $42 million of the state’s settlement funds from opioid lawsuits toward developing ibogaine as treatment.?

Coleman added that a priority for opioid litigation dollars, if he is elected, would be to build out a statewide prevention effort based on best practices and data that shows what works.?

Coleman called Kentucky’s $900 million from opioid settlements “a drop in the bucket given the harm that has been done here over the past decade, decade and a half, particularly in our mountain counties in Eastern Kentucky.”?

Credit for the lawsuit dollars has been a point of contention in the governor’s race because Beshear was the attorney general when most of the suits were filed.?

Transparency and independence

The attorney general plays a leading role in enforcing Kentucky’s open meetings and open records laws, reviewing questions from the public and officials. If someone thinks the law has been violated, they can refer the matter to the office, which then can issue an advisory opinion that has the force of law unless overruled by a court.

Stevenson said she views a free press and open records as being foundational to democracy, adding that she is a “staunch supporter” of open meetings and records laws.

Coleman said public records are “an area that I have a lot to learn” and that he would refer to some of the career staff in the office on these issues.?

Stevenson, when asked what she thought of Cameron’s tenure in office, said the office “belongs to the people, for the people, by the people, to serve the people.”

“And once we reconcile our minds to that, then that means that what happens in that office will be transparent. There’s some things that should not have happened,” she said. “And for me, I work for the people, and I want to make sure that they can thrive because of the work we do across Kentucky.”?

When asked what she was referring to, Stevenson said the office should be more transparent and better respond to the needs of the counties.

Coleman, who is a friend of Cameron’s, said, if both Cameron and Coleman are elected this November, he would work with his fellow Republican on several issues, such as lowering violent crime in Louisville. During the 1940s, Kentucky had a Republican governor and attorney general, when Gov. Simeon Willis and Attorney General Eldon Dummit were in office.?

In recent years, attorneys general and governors have had some high-profile legal clashes.? Beshear and Cameron have been at odds in various lawsuits, and before that, Beshear was attorney general and in court against former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.?

When asked if it would be difficult to differ with Cameron on anything, Coleman said the answer is simple: “I’ll enforce the law and the Constitution.”

In his interview, Coleman also praised Cameron for “using that office to push back on a radical agenda coming out of Washington, D.C,” such as working with other conservative attorneys general on national issues.?

“We need our federal government focused on issues that matter, like securing the southwest border, not whether I use a gas stove,” Coleman said. Earlier this year, Cameron joined other attorneys general in opposing a proposed federal regulation on the sale of gas stoves.?

Going to court

Kentucky’s attorney general can defend the state in legal matters. Cameron’s office has defended a controversial law, Senate Bill 150. At the end of September, a federal three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled to keep Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors in place.

Because he views it as the attorney general’s job to defend laws created by the General Assembly, Coleman said he will continue to follow in Cameron’s footsteps.?

“The AG must take a look at the law, at this legislation on the statutes, to ensure that it complies with the Kentucky and the United States Constitution,” Coleman said. “But if it does, then there’s a duty of the attorney general to defend that law.”?

Stevenson, whose floor speeches rallying against the anti-trans legislation went viral, said she believes every child is a child of God and that the government should not overreach a person’s rights.

“I will always uphold the law, and at the same time, I’m going to make sure that the law reflects the American principles of freedom and justice for all,” she said.?

Todd Piccirilli, senior director of Marketing and Communications for KET, said in an email that KET will not have a program with attorney general candidates. Stevenson’s campaign said there was no formal debate set between the candidates. Coleman’s campaign did not return a request for comment about the debate.?

Clarification: This story was updated to clarify when Republicans both served as governor and attorney general in Kentucky and?to remove?a reference to the release timeline of Kentucky State FOP’s?endorsement.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, left, and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, right, answer questions during a debate in Northern Kentucky. (Screenshot from LINK NKY Facebook Live)

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — In their second debate, Republican challenger Daniel Cameron characterized the race for Kentucky governor as “crazy versus normal” while Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said the choice is “vision versus division.”?

Beshear and Cameron faced each other before a studio audience of about 100 people at Northern Kentucky University’s campus Monday night after debating each other for the first time last week in Paducah. ?The NKU debate was broadcast and live-streamed across the state.

In his opening statement, Beshear called out Cameron for his national focus in the previous debate and said the answers to come would show “a contrast of vision versus division.”?

“The last debate, you mentioned the word ‘jobs’ zero times (and) Joe Biden’s name, 16,” Beshear said to Cameron, before adding that with sports betting now legal in Kentucky, the governor would take a bet that Cameron would say Biden’s name more times Monday.?

In his opening statement after Beshear, Cameron mentioned Biden four times in 90 seconds. The attorney general reiterated a comment he made during the Paducah debate that this election is about “crazy versus normal.”?

When asked after the debate about how to convince Kentucky voters that Beshear, who has maintained a high approval rating and consistently led the race in polling, is crazy, Cameron pointed to the governor’s actions on social issues, the coronavirus pandemic and crime — such as supporting Biden’s reelection, vetoing legislation to prevent transgender women and girls from competing on their schools’ sports teams, vetoing a 2022 bill to reduce the state’s income tax and the early release of some inmates during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think the majority of Kentuckians think that person should not be leading our state and that’s why I’m running so hard to replace him,” Cameron said.?

After the debate, Beshear told reporters that Cameron is tying him to Biden, who according to polling is unpopular with Kentuckians, because Cameron “knows that if this race is about me versus him that he can’t win.”

“Now this race is about us, right here in Kentucky,” Beshear said. “But if we can send one national message, it ought to be that anger politics ought to end right here, right now. Run on what you’re for, and not who you’re against.”?

The candidates were questioned? about education, abortion, economics and public safety. With about three weeks left until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, Beshear and Cameron highlighted their differences throughout the night.?

Education

Both candidates have previously released education plans and reiterated their ideas during the debate. Beshear touted himself as a long-time supporter of teachers while painting a Cameron administration as a risk to public schools. The governor criticized Cameron’s running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, for his past support of a bill that would have prevented future teachers from receiving defined benefit pensions.?

Meanwhile, Cameron touted his ties to public education through his family, including his wife, Makenze, who previously worked in the Oldham County Public Schools. Cameron criticized Beshear for school closures during the coronavirus pandemic and said that Kentucky schools should be “about reading, writing and math, and they aren’t incubators for liberal and progressive ideas.”?

Beshear and Cameron also were asked about some Republican lawmakers’ calls to split up Jefferson County Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, after bus delays created chaos on opening day. Cameron cautioned against making? “a rash judgment decision” and vowed to work with lawmakers, students, parents and teachers to find a solution. Beshear said Kentucky’s school districts are led by elected community members and called for higher pay for school employees to avert bus driver shortages.?

Abortion?

During the debate, Beshear and Cameron were asked about their stances on abortion, which Beshear campaign ads have elevated as an issue.

Beshear said Kentucky’s current law, which is a near-total abortion ban, is “one of the most restrictive laws” in the country and should be changed.?

“The right way to make that decision is the way it used to be made under Roe v. Wade, taking it out of the hands of politicians, and ultimately, allowing courts to balance access because that little girl might not know what she’s going through for a period of time, along with the most recent scientific evidence,” Beshear said.?

Cameron, who recently said that he would sign legislation as governor to add exceptions to Kentucky’s abortion ban for cases of rape and incest if the General Assembly passed it, said on the stage that he is “the pro-life candidate” in this election and characterized Beshear’s position as “extreme,” claiming that Beshear wants no restrictions on abortions and for taxpayers to fund the procedures.?

“The fact of the matter is that (Beshear) doesn’t want to talk about this and his extreme position on abortion because he knows that it offends the majority of Kentuckians,” Cameron said. “But I’m here to set the record straight tonight. He wants no limits on abortion and he wants taxpayers to fund it.”?

In rebuttal, Beshear said Cameron is a “candidate that will say anything to get elected” and added that he has always believed in reasonable restrictions, especially on late-term abortions.?

Economy

Workforce and jobs were mentioned by both candidates throughout the evening. As he often has, Beshear highlighted his administration’s record on economic development. Cameron countered that Kentucky’s workforce participation is low because of the governor.?

Both candidates were asked about the ongoing United Auto Workers’ strike, which has now reached Kentucky. Last week, 8,700 union workers at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville joined picket lines.?

Beshear, who has been endorsed by the UAW, said the outcome of the strike must be a “win-win” for both workers and the companies. Cameron said he supports the workers and their wages should be increased. Cameron said Kentucky should eliminate the state income tax to help workers overcome challenges like inflation.?

Public safety

Beshear and Cameron have previously released public safety plans. They were asked about the topic during Monday’s debate.?

Cameron claimed that about 50% of almost 2,000 state prisoners released early by Beshear in 2020 to stem spread of COVID-19 among inmates and prison staff were charged with felonies after their releases — a statistic that Cameron highlighted during a Friday news conference. Cameron also vowed to support law enforcement officers, adding that he has been endorsed by the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police.?

Beshear pushed back by saying Cameron’s data includes many who would have been released by the time they committed a new crime and that Cameron is the “top cop” as attorney general, meaning he should have some responsibility for Kentucky’s crime statistics.?

The candidates were also asked about an 18-point public safety plan released by Louisville GOP lawmakers ahead of the 2024 legislative session. Part of the plan includes destroying firearms used in crimes but first holding an auction for the weapons to raise money for law enforcement agencies. Currently, such weapons can be purchased at auction and returned to civilian hands. The proceeds of the auctions are used for local government funding.?

Beshear recalled the Old National Bank shooting in Louisville this year, in which one of the victims was a close friend of his. The governor said that murder weapons should be destroyed and that the state can replace the money? that law enforcement agencies now receive from selling weapons used in crimes.?

“I believe in the Second Amendment and that any family or individuals should be able to protect themselves,” Beshear said. “But I have enough empathy to say that a weapon used to murder somebody should not be auctioned off to the highest bidder, whether it’s the one that killed my friend or anyone else.”?

Cameron gave condolences to Beshear for his loss and called the shooting a tragedy, while reaffirming his support for the Second Amendment.?

“If we are serious about addressing the issue of violent crime, especially in Louisville, let’s put a Kentucky State Police post there,” Cameron said before adding that he would also be willing to have KSP under the Office of Attorney General.?

The debate was sponsored by WCPO 9, LINK NKY, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky and the Northern Kentucky Forum. Additional media partners included LEX18 in Lexington, WDRB in Louisville, WPSD Local 6 in Paducah and WNKY News 40 in Bowling Green, according to a news release from the League of Women Voters. Due to limited seating, the studio audience was by invitation only with no general admission.

Correction: This story was updated to correct the year of an income tax bill. Also a small audience attended the debate; an earlier version of the story said there was no audience.

The Paducah debate was the first time gubernatorial candidates Andy Beshear, left, and Daniel Cameron shared a stage and were asked questions at the same time. They spoke to an audience of more than 600 people. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

PADUCAH — In their first debate this election cycle, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron accused the other of dividing Kentuckians.

While Beshear and Cameron have attended some events together, the Paducah debate held Thursday marked the first time the candidates for governor shared a stage and were asked questions at the same time. The room held an audience of more than 600 people.?

Because the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce hosted Thursday’s debate, the questions focused on business, the economy and the region of West Kentucky.?

Throughout the debate, Cameron likened Beshear to President Joe Biden, who is unpopular with Kentucky voters, and harped on Beshear for voicing support for Biden’s re-election in an editorial board meeting with the Lexington Herald-Leader.?

Cameron mentioned Biden and the far-left so frequently in the debate that Beshear quipped: “If you had ‘Joe Biden’ or the ‘far-left’ on your bingo card tonight, congratulations. You just won.”?

“I think this is a race about crazy versus normal,” Cameron said in his opening statement. “And I think it’s crazy to have a governor who endorses Joe Biden for president.”?

During the debate, Cameron said he agreed with Beshear that Kentucky’s governor should support residents during natural disasters.?

“But what I also think is critically important is that you have a governor that is standing for your interests and your values 365 days a year,” Cameron said, before adding that Beshear divides Kentuckians on education, particularly because of Glass.?

However, Beshear said in his answers that dividing Kentuckians by political parties was bad for the state.

“Folks, having an overly partisan governor is dangerous and you’re hearing it right now,” Beshear said of Cameron. “If you see the world and everything good happening is because of the General Assembly and everything bad that’s happening is because of the governor, it means you see in team red or team blue and not Team Kentucky. The way we move forward is together.”

Beshear often reiterated the core points of his campaign messaging, which has been to support public education and economic development while navigating Kentucky through rebuilding after natural disasters, such as the 2021 tornadoes. The governor said his campaign has room for Kentuckians of all political parties.?

“I don’t remember a clearer race about somebody talking about Kentucky and Kentucky first and someone trying to talk about D.C. that much,” Beshear said. “If this candidate (Cameron) is so worried about D.C., he should have run for U.S. Senate.”?

In his answers, Cameron was critical of Beshear and praised the work of fellow Republicans, including members of Kentucky’s national delegation and state lawmakers.?

Cameron blamed Beshear for closing public schools during the coronavirus pandemic, vetoing a bill that prevented transgender women and girls from playing on female sports teams at their schools, and the appointment of former Education Commissioner Jason Glass by the Kentucky Board of Education. Glass left after the General Assembly passed a controversial anti-transgender law earlier this year and said he did not want to be part of implementing it in Kentucky schools.?

Cameron, a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, pushed Beshear on not publicly committing to naming a Republican to fill a possible Senate vacancy. The General Assembly passed a law in 2021 requiring a governor to select a temporary appointment from the previous member’s political party.?

Since McConnell’s first “freeze up” while speaking to reporters this summer led to concerns about the minority leader’s health, the question of how Beshear would replace McConnell has risen.?

“The reason we’re having this conversation is people speculating over his health, which I just don’t think is right,” Beshear told reporters after the debate. “I even told his (McConnell’s) state director that I wasn’t going to do this. I wasn’t going to go there because he says he’s healthy. He says he’s going to finish out his term, and I’m going to respect those wishes.”

Before Thursday’s debate, an independent expenditure committee backing Cameron, Bluegrass Freedom Action, said in a press release that it has launched “andylied.com,” bought all available billboards around the Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort and began a text and digital campaign.?

The morning of the debate, the Beshear campaign released its third ad attacking Cameron’s position on abortion in Kentucky, called “Record.” It features new video clips from shoots for the previous ads. During the debate, neither candidate touched the subject of abortion.?

(Abbey Cutrer)

Pretend it’s the end of the 2024 presidential election. Either Republican Michael Adams or Democrat Charles “Buddy” Wheatley is Kentucky’s secretary of state, a job that includes overseeing elections in the Bluegrass State.

The losing candidate in the state’s presidential election calls Kentucky’s secretary of state and asks him to “find” enough votes to overturn the Kentucky results — and threatens him if he fails to do so.

That’s what former President Donald Trump, a Republican, did on Jan. 2, 2021, in a phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in his unsuccessful bid to win another four years in the White House.

The call led to Trump’s indictment in Georgia for? interfering in the 2020 election.

“I would terminate the call,” said Adams, a Louisville attorney who is seeking another four-year term as Kentucky’s secretary of state on the Republican ticket.

“I would inform the attorney general. I would inform the FBI, basically any members of my bipartisan task force, state police and federal partners. I would make them aware and certainly notify my legal counsel. No good would come out of a call like that.”

Would he terminate the call even if the presidential candidate was his own party’s nominee?? Yes, said Adams.

It was inappropriate for Trump to have made that call to Georgia’s secretary of state, he said.

Democrat Wheatley, a lawyer and former state representative and fire chief of Covington, said he would tell the candidate — regardless of party— that Kentucky has reported its results and they are official by our state laws “and nothing will change because of that.”

Asked if Trump’s call was wrong, Wheatley said, “I think the Georgia secretary of state did the right thing.” Raffensperger opened up an investigation of the call and informed authorities about it.

Across the nation, the public office of secretary of state has taken on more consequence and visibility with recent election disputes.

Adams and Wheatley each say they are the best person to handle that job in Kentucky in their hopes of winning the Nov. 7 general election.

The secretary of state is Kentucky’s chief election officer, chief business official as keeper of start-up papers and other corporate records, and chief advocate for civic engagement. The job pays $148,108.56 a year.? It is a constitutional office and is often referred to as being on the “down ticket,” meaning it is below the power of the governor’s office.

For the race so far, Wheatley has raised more campaign funds —$165,692 — but Adams leads with receipts — $225,345. That is because Adams took out a $156,000 loan for his campaign, according to the latest records from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Here’s a look at some of the major issues in the race and the candidates’ views on them.

Making it easier to vote

On his campaign website, Wheatley says, “Kentucky is still one of the most restrictive voting access states in the Union. In 2022, we actually made it harder to vote. I will bring back more polling locations and precincts to make it easier to vote.”

Asked why he’s saying that, Wheatley said, “For several reasons, including we have only three early voting days, our polls close at the earliest time in the country at 6 p.m., felons can’t vote except for executive order, and we don’t allow independents to vote in the primaries.”

Wheatley is calling for “more poll locations, more poll workers and more access to the polls so our elections truly reflect the voters of Kentucky.”

He said in recent years that Adams has presided over a drastic reduction of polling places replaced by super center voting locations. “It’s really discouraging.”

Adams strongly disagrees with Wheatley’s assessment of voting in Kentucky.

“Kentucky makes it easier to vote than a lot of blue states on the East Coast. If it is restrictive in any way, it’s because Mr. Wheatley’s political party ran this Capitol and office for 100 years. It wasn’t until I won that we increased voter access. They did nothing.

“All his party ever brought to this office is corruption,” said Adams, referring to his predecessor, Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, who was fined $10,000 by the Executive Branch Ethics Commission for what the panel determined was improper use of voter data that benefited her and others. Grimes, secretary of state from 2012 to 2020, has denied any wrongdoing and said she would appeal the commission’s fine.

Adams said Kentucky is the only red and southern state to make it easier to vote in the last three years.

He said that came about because Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and he worked together during the COVID-19 pandemic to make voting easier. Their changes included early voting and more use of absentee ballots. The legislature later made those changes permanent though not as generous as they had been for the 2020 election during the first year of the pandemic.?

“That’s why I have broad support from both parties,” he said, noting that he took flak from some in his own party. One dubbed him “Benedict Adams.”

“My campaign welcomes support from all Kentuckians. I do not take the race for granted, nor should anyone who wants fair, free, accessible and secure elections.”

Adams ?said he would like to see more voting but several obstacles have to be overcome.

Adams noted that it’s becoming more difficult to find workers at the precinct polls and locations to conduct voting.

Adams said some churches have stopped being voting locations, especially since there was a constitutional amendment dealing with abortion on the ballot last year in conflict with their teachings.?

Some schools chose to no longer be voting locations after COVID-19, he said.

Adams also said he would like to see more early voting but that would require more personnel, especially in county clerks’ offices.

And the need has not been shown to have more voting days in primary or non-presidential general elections, he added.

About 45 percent of the vote cast in the 2020 presidential election came in early voting, said Adams, but last year only 15 percent of the voters voted early in the primary.

“There is no design on my part to suppress voters, just the opposite,” said Adams. “I am the father of early voting. My opponent likes to say I’m a voter suppressor.? That is ridiculous.? He lacks credibility. I have risked my neck to get people to vote.”

Adams’ freelance work

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported in January that Adams sometimes does outside legal work for Republican clients.

Wheatley said Adams’ freelance work is “a conflict of interest, sometimes with some seedy people.”

But Adams said the extra work only amounts to a few hours each week and does not interfere with his job as secretary of state.

“It takes zero hours from my state job,” said Adams.? “By the way, Wheatley also practiced law when he was a state representative.”

Allowing more felons to vote

One of Gov. Andy Beshear’s first acts as governor in December 2019 was to restore the right to vote for at least 140,000 former felons who had fully completed their felony sentences for nonviolent or nonsexual crimes. The number of people who have had their voting rights restored due to the order has now grown to 190,726, according to his administration.

Both Wheatley and Adams said they would encourage whoever is the next governor to continue that policy, maybe even pushing a constitutional amendment for it.

Both candidates also say they support giving independents the right to choose to vote in primary elections.

Wheatley’s job suspension as fire chief

At this year’s Fancy Farm picnic, Adams brought up Wheatley’s 2008 two-week suspension as Covington fire chief for violating city policy by consuming alcoholic beverages prior to operating a city-issued vehicle and wrecking it.

The Covington city manager said Wheatley in February 2008 was suspended without pay for two weeks after he crashed a city-issued 2000 Ford Crown Victoria in Hebron, totaling it head-on.

Wheatley had to make restitution to the city for the vehicle and lost a merit-based pay raise.

Wheatley said during a recent interview that he was never charged with any wrongdoing, but “simply made a mistake.” He said he has never been charged with any violation of the law in his life.

Wheatley also said if a similar incident had happened to Adams 15 years ago he would have not brought it up in this year’s race.

Adams said he did not believe that. He said the issue reflects on d Wheatley’s judgment while on the job.?

KET will continue its series of Monday night interviews with candidates in the Nov. 7 election through the end of the month. (KET screenshot)

This story has been updated to show that the candidates for attorney general will not appear together on KET’s “Kentucky Tonight.” KET had invited them to debate Oct. 16.

Kentucky secretary of state and one of the two candidates for agriculture commissioner will answer questions Monday night from Renee Shaw on KET’s “Kentucky Tonight.”

KET notified media Friday afternoon that Republican Jonathan Shell would not be appearing on the program. His Democratic opponent for agriculture commissioner, Sierra Enlow, has confirmed that she will appear.

Kevin Grout, a spokesman for Shell’s campaign, said Shell had never accepted the invitation to participate in the live broadcast. KET contacted Shell’s campaign on Friday, Grout said.

KET sent out a second notice later Friday saying: “Republican candidate Jonathan Shell declined KET’s invitation to appear on the program. An earlier media advisory and subsequent update mistakenly implied that Shell was originally scheduled to appear on the program.”

KET will host both candidates for secretary of state — Republican incumbent Michael Adams and Democrat Charles “Buddy” Wheatley, a former state lawmaker — on the Monday program, beginning at 8/7 p.m as part of its series of election coverage on Monday nights in October.

Upcoming candidate appearances on KET, include:

• Governor, Oct. 23;
• Lieutenant governor, Oct. 30

All programs begin at 8/7 p.m. Candidates for auditor and treasurer appeared Oct. 2. The programs will be available for streaming at KET.org and on the PBS Video app.

Grout did not explain why Shell, a former state lawmaker and House majority floor leader, passed up the chance to appear on statewide television. Shell lost his House seat in a close GOP primary in 2018.

Grout said Shell will participate with Enlow in a Farm Bureau “Measure the Candidate Forum” that will be live-streamed beginning at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10.

Russell Coleman

Russell Coleman, the Republican candidate for attorney general, in an interview this week said he supports adding exceptions to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban in cases of rape and incest.

Coleman, who is a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, has been endorsed by advocacy groups who support Kentucky’s current abortion law, which bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Coleman’s comments come after Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign has put Republicans on the defensive on the abortion issue.

“While I will enforce the law as passed by the General Assembly, that’s the job, I am pro-life, but I support the exceptions for rape and for incest, to not re-traumatize these women, and I would ask — call on the General Assembly to take a hard look at that issue,” Coleman said in a Spectrum News 1 interview published Wednesday.?

Advocates for abortion rights in Kentucky were skeptical that Coleman’s proposed exceptions would be helpful, pointing out that the Kentucky law has closed all the state’s abortion clinics, which means victims, including young victims of incest, would have to seek abortions in other states. Exceptions to abortion bans in cases of rape and incest are reportedly rarely granted.

Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said, “Russell Coleman, just like (GOP candidate for governor) Daniel Cameron, is talking out of both sides of his mouth.”

In a statement to the Kentucky Lantern, Coleman said he “had never stated nor been specifically asked whether the General Assembly should amend our pro-life laws” before the interview with Spectrum. If elected this fall, Coleman vowed to be an attorney general who is “both pro-life and pro-victim” — which “are not in opposition to each other,” he said before adding: “Part of being pro-life is being compassionate to crime victims.”

“After listening to prosecutors, crime victims and my family, I made a statement that I believe the law should be amended to include exceptions for rape and incest in addition to the existing exception for life and health of the mother,” Coleman said. “What does it mean to me to be 100% pro-life? I said it for the record for all to hear: limit abortions and protect victims of rape and incest. That’s my definition. It’s a mainstream position consistent with my faith that I believe most Kentuckians share, including so many who consider themselves pro-life.”

Coleman’s public comments on his support for exceptions in cases of rape and incest echo recent remarks from Republican gubernatorial candidate Cameron — the current attorney general, who is defending the Kentucky ban in court, and is a personal friend of Coleman’s.?

Last month, Cameron for the first time publicly said as governor, he would sign legislation adding exceptions to Kentucky’s abortion law in cases of rape and incest if the General Assembly would pass it, but he continues to support the law as it is. The Beshear campaign has released two ads criticizing Cameron for supporting the law.?

Republican House Whip Jason Nemes proposed a bill in the last legislative session that would allow exceptions in case of rape and incest but the bill did not advance at all.?

Both Coleman and Cameron have been endorsed by advocacy group Kentucky Right to Life in their respective elections. KRTL’s website said both candidates provided “100% ProLife Responses” to its candidate questionnaire.?

Northern Kentucky Right to Life said Coleman responded to its May 2023 candidate questionnaire but did not answer it. The group did endorse Cameron and published his responses.?

Both KRTL and NKYRTL did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday morning.?

Angela Cooper, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, said in a statement that perpetrators of rape and incest “are already rarely reported, rarely caught, and rarely convicted. And that’s WITHOUT an unwanted pregnancy to compound the victim’s trauma.” She added that the government “does not have the right or the expertise to intervene” and such medical decisions should be between patients and their providers.?

“There certainly seems to be a recent trend where those who have historically presented themselves as 100% anti-choice suddenly agree that comprehensive reproductive care must include access to abortion, if only in certain cases,” Cooper said. “But these changes in sentiment present more questions than answers.”?

Cooper said reproductive care is “a complex area of medicine,” and pregnancy in itself “a particularly complicated and time-sensitive medical state.”?

“Abortion bans, even those with exceptions, are blatantly harmful to pregnant people. Let’s say an exceptions bill is signed into law in Kentucky,” she continued. “Where does the burden of proof lie when it comes to determining the cause of an unwanted pregnancy? Does a rape victim have to get a conviction before being allowed to terminate their pregnancy? Does a 12-year-old victim of incest stand a chance when it is a family member who is raping them in the first place? Does a physician have to get the attorney general’s approval before performing an abortion? Who is going to perform these abortions, with no clinics left in the state?”?

Coleman’s opponent, Democratic state Rep. Pam Stevenson, has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. In a statement, Stevenson said she was “committed to protecting the reproductive rights and healthcare choices of Kentuckians.”?

“We will refuse to prosecute patients or doctors under state law (if elected). It is essential that individuals have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions without fear of legal repercussions,” she said. “I will use the office’s bully pulpit to vigorously defend the rights of patients and doctors, advocating for access to safe and legal healthcare options without interference from politicians.”

Wieder, Kentucky state director for PPAA, expressed the group’s support for Stevenson in a statement to the Lantern.?

“Russell Coleman, just like Daniel Cameron, is talking out of both sides of his mouth. Here are the facts: Coleman answered ‘yes’ to every question the Kentucky Right to Life Victory PAC put out in order to receive their endorsement, and he backed the 2022 Constitutional Amendment that Kentucky voters defeated – neither include exceptions for rape and incest survivors,” Wieder said. “Coleman has the rubber stamp approval of several extreme anti-abortion organizations, because he, too, is extreme and out of touch with Kentuckians. With Coleman and Cameron leading our Commonwealth, sex offenders will have more freedom than their survivors. It’s atrocious.”

Recent storms disrupted water service in Leitchfield after flooding washed out a water main. (Getty Images)

Editor’s note: This story was updated with additional comments.

Gov. Andy Beshear is calling on the General Assembly to set aside millions in the next state budget for clean water, high-speed internet access and economic development.?

Beshear, a Democrat seeking reelection this year, said in a Tuesday morning news conference that his “Better Kentucky” plan would be an investment in the future for Kentucky families.?

The latest plan, along with his previous proposals for education and public safety, will be presented to lawmakers in January, the governor said. Then, the General Assembly, which has a Republican supermajority, will return to Frankfort to consider the state’s biennial budget.?

“I know that we can agree on things that help our families and move our families ahead. In fact, we have done that on so many of these topics already,” Beshear said, adding that he has signed more than 600 bipartisan bills.?

The “Better Kentucky” proposal includes:?

• Providing the state’s Cleaner Water Program with $500 million over two years. The program was previously allocated $500 million in federal funding.?
• Allow the Office of Broadband Development to distribute funds from a $1.1 billion federal grant. The office would use an application process to award funds to previously unserved areas.?
• Use $100 million over two years to renovate Kentucky’s career and technical education centers.?
• Providing $10 million from the state’s General Fund to the Housing Corporation’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund across two years.
• Allocating dollars to finish ongoing infrastructure projects, such as giving $200 million to continue and speed up construction on the Mountain Parkway and Interstate 69 and use $50 million in grant funds to allow the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to administer repairs on county and city bridges.?
• Setting aside $200 million across two years for the Kentucky Product Development Initiative to develop future economic sites.?
• Providing $15 million in the first year of the next state budget to establish a globally competitive talent development system with a national marketing campaign and funding for regional campaigns to retain and recruit workforce talent.?

The governor said Kentucky’s revenue collections are outpacing previous months even with an income tax reduction and the current budget has a $1.55 billion surplus.?

“All of this is more than affordable, and we could put even more money into that rainy day fund,” Beshear said before voicing support for public school employee raises.?

In November, Kentucky voters will decide between Beshear and his Republican opponent, Attorney General Daniel Cameron.

Republican House Speaker David Osborne said in a statement after Beshear’s press conference that legislative discussions about the budget and 2024 agenda “began several months ago” and that the governor had not spoken with lawmakers about any of his proposals, a common critique GOP leaders have of Beshear.

“Kentuckians can expect their legislature to continue passing the same responsible, Kentucky-forward policies as we have since 2017 — regardless of who is in the Governor’s Mansion,” Osborne said. “These policies have created historic economic investment, record jobs, and surplus state revenue. They’ve also led to the state’s largest budget reserve trust in history — allowing us to invest in future opportunities and be prepared for economic challenges.”

Cameron highlighted his relationship with the legislature in a statement and called Beshear’s plan “empty promises.”

Kentucky Capitol. (Getty Images)

State Treasurer Allison Ball claimed Monday night that Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration turned down her request for an audit of millions of dollars in disaster relief funds it had generated from donations.

Ball said the state Public Protection Cabinet, which oversees the funds, said “no thank you” to her request.

Ball’s comments came during an appearance on Kentucky Educational Television’s “Kentucky Tonight” show with host Renee Shaw for this fall’s candidates for state auditor.

Ball, a Republican who could not run again for treasurer because of term limits, is being challenged by Democrat Kim Reeder.? The current auditor, Mike Harmon, also could not run again for that office and he was an unsuccessful candidate in last May’s Republican primary election for governor.

Also on the KET show were candidates for state treasurer — Democrat Michael Bowman and Republican Mark Metcalf, who argued over the state legislature’s decision to try to phase out the state income tax.? Metcalf said he supported the move while Bowman voiced opposition.

The auditor candidates took the first half-hour of the hour-long show.

In it, Ball, a former prosecutor, made her claim about the Beshear administration’s rebuff of her request for an audit of disaster relief funds.

The Beshear administration said late Monday night it had no immediate comment on Ball’s claim.

As of July, the Team Eastern Kentucky fund had raised?more than $13 million?since heavy flooding in July 2022, and the Team Western Kentucky fund had brought in more than $52 million since the December 2021 tornadoes.

In July, Auditor Harmon announced that his office is launching a special examination of the two funds.

Harmon said his exam would focus on the Public Protection Cabinet’s acceptance, administration and expenditure of money associated with the relief funds, and would cover the timeframe of Dec. 11, 2021, through June 30, 2023.

Harmon said his decision to audit the funds followed a letter of request for an audit sent to his office by Rep. Adam Bowling and Sen. Brandon Storm, the co-chairs of the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee.

Harmon has not said when his audit of the funds will be completed. ?Beshear has said the announcement of the audit a few months before the Nov. 7 election smacks of politics.

Ball, a Floyd County native and attorney, said Monday night there are reports that more than 200 checks went to the wrong people and about 1,000 checks have not been cashed at all.

“We need to make sure there is a good audit of these funds,” said Ball.

Reeder, a native of Rowan County and a tax lawyer, said she would look at the details of the relief funds as auditor and then decide whether to audit them

Both candidates said they would be watchdogs of state spending and would not hesitate to conduct audits even if they were embarrassing to leaders of their political parties.

In the discussion with the treasurer candidates, Metcalf, a career prosecutor in Garrard County, and Bowman, a Louisville bank officer and former legislative assistant to Louisville’s Metro Government, took opposite sides on the state’s income tax reduction plan.

Last February, Beshear signed House Bill 1 to provide a 0.5 percent individual income tax reduction effective Jan. 1, 2024. The rate had been cut 0.5 percent? to 4.5 percent the previous year, over Beshear’s veto, with more cuts possible if the state’s financial picture met certain benchmarks.

But it was recently reported that the state failed to meet the Republican legislature’s fiscal requirements to usher in another reduction as part of a plan to phase out the income tax over time without creating a funding crisis in state government.

Metcalf said the state spends too much and needs to save more because of its billions of dollars in debt even with its healthy $6 billion rainy day fund for emergencies but he thinks the tax reduction is good for the state’s people.

Bowman said decreasing the income tax will not help the state or its people.? He said the state needs to be more transparent with what it does with its money.

This was the scene on a rainy primary Election Day in 2023 at Elkhorn Crossing School in Georgetown. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Abbey Cutrer)

In a matter of weeks, Kentucky voters will decide who will lead the state’s executive branch.?

The general election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 7. Most Kentucky voters will decide statewide office holders, though Fayette County voters in House 93 District can vote in a special election to fill the late Rep. Lamin Swann’s seat.?

Constitutional officers on the ballot include governor, lieutenant governor, agriculture commissioner, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor and attorney general. Primary elections were held in May.?

To find local polling locations that will be open on Nov. 7, visit govote.ky.gov.?

Register to vote

The deadline to register to vote in Kentucky for the general election is Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. local time. Voters may register online through the Kentucky secretary of state’s website.?

Absentee ballots

Kentucky voters may request absentee ballots online through the Kentucky secretary of state’s website. The online portal opened Sept. 23. It closes on Oct. 24. Eligibility requirements for a mail-in absentee ballot can be found on the State Board of Elections website.

Mail-in absentee ballots must be received by the county clerk by 6 p.m. local time on Election Day to be counted. Voters can find their local drop-box locations at govote.ky.gov.?

Early voting?

Early in-person voting begins in late October.?

Excused in-person absentee voting will be held Oct. 25-27 and Oct. 30-Nov. 1. Polling locations for these dates can be found on the State Board of Elections website. The board’s website also lists eligibility requirements for excused in-person voting.?

No excuse early voting is Nov. 2-4. Polling locations for these dates are listed on the State Board of Elections’ website.

Hadley Duvall in a Beshear campaign ad.

Hadley Duvall, a 21-year-old from Owensboro, said speaking about her experience with sexual abuse amid debates on abortion rights is a calling for her.?

That’s why Duvall is appearing in an ad for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Duvall began publicly sharing her story about the sexual abuse she experienced as a child.?

In the campaign ad, Duvall speaks directly to the camera and slams Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for his support of Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban.?

“This is to you, Daniel Cameron,” she says. “To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable.”

Previous news stories reported that Duvall’s stepfather raped her when she was 12 and she became pregnant, but miscarried. Her stepfather pleaded guilty?to raping her and is in prison.

The ad with Duvall is the Beshear campaign’s second taking Cameron to task on abortion. The first ad, released earlier this month, features a Jefferson County prosecutor who claims that Cameron believes 9-year-old rape victims “should be forced to give birth.”

In a Wednesday telephone interview with the Kentucky Lantern, Duvall said someone from her hometown asked her if she would share her story with the team who made the campaign ad, which was filmed in July. It was an easy decision, she said.?

While she would not have been in a place to share her story as a child, Duvall said now she can handle it, even if it is difficult to be vulnerable.?

“It’s not just a statistic that people want to throw out there,” Duvall said. “I’m a real person, and it’s a real story.”?

Cameron, who has a history of highlighting his opposition to abortion, has defended Kentucky’s abortion ban in court. The law only allows abortions up to six weeks of pregnancy and does not include exceptions in cases of rape and incest.?

Duvall said that she first discussed the abuse as a freshman in high school. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, she made a social media post publicly sharing her experience.?

“Once I found my voice, I’ve never really lost it,” she said. “I’m really passionate about helping other survivors and other victims and just doing what I can to help the people who go through what I went through.”

Kentucky’s abortion ban was a trigger law, meaning it went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned. Duvall said that she felt anger that day. Duvall said she grew angry hearing people she knew saying they agreed with the court’s decision.

“It just made me really angry, and I just kept thinking about the little girl that I used to be when I was sitting there staring at a positive pregnancy test at 12 years old,” Duvall said. “Because I mean as soon as you see that you instantly think, ‘OK, what am I going to do?’ You start thinking about your options. And right now, if a girl or a woman is going through that, they don’t really have options.”

Since first speaking publicly about the abuse, Duvall said she has gotten a lot of support, especially from other survivors of sexual abuse. As for the reaction to the ad over the last week, Duvall said that the most meaningful part has been hearing from women and girls thanking her for helping them find their voices and strength.?

When it comes to negative reactions online, Duvall said she had tried to not look at them.?

“What I’m doing is for the women and the girls, so the people that speak negative on it don’t really deserve any of my attention,” she said. “But overall, I’ve just seen a lot of people talk about how important it is to bring this up into the light.”

Days before the ad featuring Duvall aired, Cameron said in a radio interview that if elected he would sign legislation adding exceptions of rape and incest to Kentucky’s abortion law if the General Assembly passed it. A spokesperson for his campaign said when asked for clarification that he continues to support the law as it is now but “if the situation in Kentucky were to change and the legislature brought him a bill to add exceptions for rape and incest, he would, of course, sign it.”

The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Wednesday that Cameron indicated he would only add the exceptions “if the courts made us change that law” during a recent campaign stop.?

Hadley said she did not find Cameron’s change of position “genuine,” given his past support of the current law and with only weeks left ahead of the general election in November.?

After the ad with Duvall aired, David Walls, the executive director of conservative public policy organization The Family Foundation, told LEX 18 in an interview about the ad that the organization believes “the value of a human being is never determined by how the child is conceived, however tragic it might be.” When asked about the interview, Duvall said that victims still deserve a choice.?

“How can anybody tell a child what they’re capable of doing when they’re not the ones standing in their shoes?” she said. “So, I think that it’s your choice because the trauma itself alone, of going through the rape and the sexual abuse, that’s lifelong trauma in itself.”

Duvall said she does not believe abortion is a “make or break issue” for most Kentucky voters, but “it is more important than it has been in the past because of the trigger law.”?

Now, Duvall is studying psychology, has plans to attend graduate school and wants a career working with trauma victims.

If the law never changes, Hadley said there will continue to be anger in the commonwealth.?

“I keep thinking about all the little girls who aren’t speaking up, who are hiding this, and if the law doesn’t change, then they don’t have any choice,” Duvall said. “And that in itself is a nightmare.”

Hadley Duvall in a Beshear campaign ad.

LOUISVILLE — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign on Wednesday dropped a second ad slamming Republican Daniel Cameron’s stance on abortion, eliciting an accusation from Cameron that? Beshear is “running the most despicable campaign in Kentucky history.”

Hours later, the candidates did not? directly address the clash during a business forum held in downtown Louisville.?

The Beshear’s campaign’s TV spot features a rape victim identified in the ad as Hadley of Owensoboro who says she was sexually abused as a child by her stepfather.?

“This is to you, Daniel Cameron,” she says, speaking to the camera. “To tell a 12-year-old girl she must have the baby of her stepfather who raped her is unthinkable.”??

The Associated Press reports that Hadley Duvall chose to be identified and has spoken out publicly about what she experienced and its connection to the debate over abortion. Her stepfather pleaded guilty to raping her and was sentenced to prison.

It’s the second ad from the Beshear campaign pressing Cameron on abortion. The first ad, released early this month, features a Jefferson County prosecutor who claims that Cameron believes nine-year-old rape victims “should be forced to give birth.”

Kentucky’s near total ban on abortion, which took effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion last year, has no exceptions for rape, incest or fetal anomalies and allows a pregnancy to be terminated only when the pregnant person’s life is at risk.

On Monday, Cameron — the state’s attorney general and a staunch defender of the abortion ban in court and during the Republican primary — for the first time publicly expressed support for exceptions in cases of rape and incest. In a radio interview, Cameron said that he would sign legislation creating exceptions if enacted by the General Assembly. In the past, he’s said he supports the law as it is.

In response to the new ad Wednesday, Cameron quickly responded in a social media video and statement. He called the new ad false and said the governor is “running the most despicable campaign in Kentucky history.”?

Last fall, Kentucky voters rejected an amendment that would have specified there’s no right to an abortion in Kentucky’s Constitution. Republican House Whip Jason Nemes proposed a bill in this year’s legislative session to add exceptions for rape and incest, but it did not advance.?

During the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Meeting at the Omni Louisville Hotel in Louisville, Cameron briefly referenced the ad when he was asked to say one nice thing about Beshear, saying that he would have had more to say until “he ran that ad against me today.” Both did recall their time working together at law firm Stites & Harbison in their respective answers..?

With only 48 days left before the general election on Nov. 7, the forum marked the first of several upcoming debate and forum appearances both candidates have agreed to over the next few weeks.?

The candidates received questions about their economic stances during the forum. Each had 30-minutes to take questions from a moderator and respond. Both reiterated talking points they’ve highlighted on the campaign trail.?

Cameron emphasized his support for lowering the state income tax, his good relationship with the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly and likened his opponent to national Democratic figures like President Joe Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.?

“Our current governor has been silent because he cannot speak out against the Biden administration or the far-left within his party,” Cameron said when discussing his support for Kentucky’s coal and fossil fuel industries. “I’m willing to do that. I’m willing to speak out and stand up for those signature industries, because it is important that we hold on to those and we maintain those jobs.”?

But Beshear insisted that he has stood up for Kentucky’s coal industry as governor and attorney general. He added that he supports a mix of traditional and future sources of energy.?

Beshear also defended his previous vetoes of two bill cutting the state income tax. The governor said the first bill he rejected lowered the income tax while increasing sales taxes and the second was an “extreme reduction.” Earlier this year, he signed legislation lowering the state income tax.?

Beshear also stressed some of his campaign themes, including bringing new businesses and infrastructure to the state, public education and leading Kentuckians through natural disasters and the coronavirus pandemic.?

“The way we catch up a kid in math is to make sure there’s a math teacher there every day,” Beshear said when he was asked about how he would make up for learning loss experienced by students during the coronavirus pandemic.?

Cameron’s education plan is called the “Cameron Catch-up” plan.?

Gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron and his wife Makenze Cameron greet the crowd during the Graves County Republican Party Breakfast on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron on Monday said he would sign legislation allowing exceptions to Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban in cases of rape and incest — signaling a departure from his past comments on the law.?

Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, said in an? interview on the Tony & Dwight show on NewsRadio 840 WHAS that he would sign legislation that provided exceptions in cases of rape and incest if the General Assembly approved? it.?

“If our legislature was to bring legislation before me that provided exceptions for rape and incest, I would sign that legislation,” Cameron said. “There’s no question about that.”

It’s the first time Cameron has publicly expressed support for changing the Kentucky abortion ban by adding any exceptions.

During a Republican primary debate held in Louisville earlier this year, Cameron was among candidates who signaled support for Kentucky’s current law, which bans abortions up to six weeks of pregnancy. His office has also defended the law in court.?

The Kentucky attorney general’s website says: “General Cameron is a fearless advocate for the unborn because every life is worth protecting. Inside the courtroom and outside of it, Daniel Cameron is the tip of the spear in the fight to preserve a pro-life Kentucky.”

The trigger law, also called the Human Life Protection Act, went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The law makes no exception for pregnancies resulting from rape, incest or in cases of serious fetal abnormality. It does require doctors to “make reasonable medical efforts under the circumstances to preserve both the life of the mother and the life of the unborn child ‘in a manner consistent with reasonable practice,’” a 2022 advisory opinion from the Cameron’s office said.

Last November Kentucky voters defeated an anti-abortion constitutional amendment.?

When asked for clarification of Cameron’s latest comments and if he continued to support the law as it is, his campaign provided a statement calling Cameron “the pro-life candidate” in the race and saying that he “supports the Human Life Protection Act.”?

“But if the situation in Kentucky were to change and the legislature brought him a bill to add exceptions for rape and incest, he would, of course, sign it,” the statement said.??

The Cameron campaign called Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear “an extremist” on abortion but? did not indicate if Cameron would urge Republican lawmakers to add exceptions.

A spokesperson for the Beshear campaign, Alex Floyd, issued this statement: “Throughout his time in office, even before this campaign began, Daniel Cameron has made it clear that he supports Kentucky’s extreme abortion ban with no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest. He has repeated that position in public statements, questionnaires, press interviews, and debates. As attorney general, Cameron repeatedly defended this extreme law with its lack of exceptions in front of multiple courts, including the Kentucky Supreme Court. Either recent polling numbers have changed Cameron’s core beliefs, or he is lying to Kentuckians now that he is seven weeks from an election.”

Also on the radio show, Cameron pushed back at an attack ad from Beshear’s campaign, criticizing Cameron’s stance on abortion. The ad, released two weeks ago, features a Jefferson County prosecutor who claims that Cameron believes nine-year-old rape victims “should be forced to give birth.”?

Nine was the age of the two youngest abortion recipients in Kentucky in 2021 and last year before the procedure was all but outlawed, Deborah Yetter reported, based on state records. In 2021 in Kentucky, 34 girls ages 15 or younger received abortions,?

Cameron chalked the Beshear ad up to a “smear campaign,” but reiterated that he supports “a culture of life.”?

Beshear has said Kentucky’s abortion ban should be amended to include expections for rape and incest. In a December interview with the Kentucky Lantern, he said the Republican-dominated General Assembly had “given rapists more rights than their victims.”?

Republican House Whip Jason Nemes proposed a bill in the last legislative session that would allow exceptions in case of rape and incest but the bill did not advance at all.?

“Either recent polling numbers have changed Cameron’s core beliefs, or he is lying to Kentuckians now that he is seven weeks from an election,” a spokesperson for the Beshear campaign said in a statement about Cameron’s Monday comments.

The WHAS interview also touched on another area that has brought on social media criticism of Cameron — whether or not he wants to ban birth control and other contraceptives. Cameron said on the radio he supports birth control and contraception and wrote off the idea of him not supporting either as “completely absurd.”?

However, in response to a questionnaire from anti-abortion group Northern Kentucky Right to Life earlier this year, Cameron’s campaign responded “yes” to all questions including the following: “Will you actively support (and if in a position to do so, sponsor and vote for) legislation which prohibits all use of local, state, federal, and/or Medicare or Medicaid funds for abortion (including chemical abortions, such as RU-486, or the so-called “morning after pill,” Norplant, Depo Provera, or the so-called “standard birth control pill”)?”

Cameron’s campaign also responded yes to another question regarding funding birth control: “If there should come before you the question of appointment or confirmation of an individual to any board, agency, or committee, etc., which does or could perform, counsel, refer, or fund abortion (including chemical abortions, such as RU-486, and the so-called “morning after pill,” Norplant, Depo Provera, and the so-called “standard birth control pill”), will you nominate or confirm only individuals (1) who refuse to perform, counsel, refer, or fund any surgical or chemical abortion and (2) who refuse to support, vote for, or fund any government or private agency that would perform, counsel, refer, or fund any surgical or chemical abortion?”

This story has been updated with a response from the Beshear campaign.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron, right, looks on as U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie speaks to a campaign gathering at the Lewis County Courthouse in Vanceburg, Aug. 31, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

Update: This story was updated Friday to reflect that Freedom Fest 2023 has been canceled.?

GREENUP — In his home district, U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie said he’s always backed Kentucky GOP gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron despite accusing his campaign of “political malpractice” two months ago.

Massie, a six-term Republican congressman, made stops with the attorney general in Greenup, Lewis and Mason counties Thursday, all in the far eastern part of Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District. After a crowded stop at the library in Greenup, Massie told the Kentucky Lantern his comments about Cameron’s initial plans to attend Freedom Fest were meant as “advice.”

Massie had heavily criticized Cameron earlier this summer for planning to attend the conservative event in Northern Kentucky hosted by a potential Massie opponent, suspended attorney Eric Deters. The congressman told the Courier Journal that Cameron’s advisers were “guilty of political malpractice.”

“Frankly, a lot of people portrayed what I said to the media as sort of disappointment or animosity, but really I was just trying to give him advice,” Massie said Thursday. “And he’s got a lot of good advisers and he took the advice and I think it was good.”

In June, Massie had said, “Why would a guy who has a good chance to be governor — the attorney general, the chief law enforcement officer of the commonwealth — appear at an event organized by a man who lost his license to practice law in multiple states, who has a restraining order against him, who has been arrested for contempt, and who recently pled guilty to three charges of harassing and menacing?”?

Days later, Cameron’s campaign told the Lexington Herald-Leader that he had plans to campaign in another area of the state during Freedom Fest this September.?

“I’m glad he’s not going,” Massie said of Cameron on Thursday. “It makes it easier for me to campaign with him but I was always going to support him.”

Cameron said he was “delighted” to have the congressman’s support Thursday.?

“Thomas and I have a wonderful relationship and I’m grateful that he’s here today and certainly appreciate everything that he does in Washington, D.C.,” Cameron said, before adding that he is focusing on unifying Republicans against incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Deters, who came in fourth in the Republican gubernatorial primary this year, has previously hinted that he plans to run against the congressman in next year’s Republican primary and make the announcement at Freedom Fest.?

More recently, Deters initially canceled the event as, he said, former President Donald Trump could no longer attend the rally. Briefly, the event was back on but Deters announced in a social media video Friday morning Freedom Fest was canceled again.?Trump, who is facing four criminal indictments including charges of election interference while mounting a 2024 presidential campaign, endorsed Cameron early on in the Kentucky governor’s race.?

Massie, a Lewis County native, urged support of Cameron at a campaign stop at the courthouse in Vanceburg, saying that would give Republicans control over executive branch appointments in Frankfort in addition to controlling the state House and Senate. As for things in Washington, Massie also hinted that the House Judiciary Committee was considering an impeachment inquiry of Democratic President Joe Biden

In his remarks at campaign stops, Cameron went after Beshear, on crime and education as well as his COVID-19 response. Cameron said Kentucky will not have mask mandates again if he is elected and noted that he took Beshear to court to reopen church gatherings early on in the pandemic.?

Cameron also touted his recent endorsement from the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police. Ryan Straw, vice president of the police union, spoke in support of Cameron in Greenup.

The attorney general also criticized Beshear for his vetoes of a controversial anti-transgender law passed by the General Assembly earlier this year and an act that prevents trans women and girls from participating in their schools’ women’s teams. The latter was sponsored by Cameron’s running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson. The legislature overrode both vetoes.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron talks economy during campaign news conference at Boyd CAT Rental in Louisville. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined a group of GOP attorneys general in warning 100 of the nation’s largest law firms against using race-based hiring practices for employment and contract workers.?

The nine-page letter sent on Tuesday to executives of American Lawyer 100 Firms calls for the firms to “refrain from discriminating on the basis of race, whether under the label of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion,’ or otherwise.” It cites a recent Supreme Court ruling which overturned affirmative action policies in college admissions.?

“We strongly advise you to immediately terminate any unlawful race-based quotas or preferences that your firm has adopted for its employment and contracting practices,” the letter reads. “If you choose not to do so, know that you will be held accountable — sooner rather than later — for treating individuals differently because of the color of their skin.”

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led the group in sending the letter. Along with Cameron, attorneys general in Arkansas, Iowa and Kansas signed on.??

Cameron, who is seeking to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear this fall, signed a similar letter last month calling for the CEOs of Fortune 100 companies to “comply with these race-neutral principles in your employment and contracting practices” or face legal consequences.?

In a news release, his office said the letters were part of Cameron’s “fight against woke ideology,” which also includes telling asset managers to not push environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments and calling out Target for its Pride campaign that caused controversy online for including “tuck-friendly” swimsuits for adults.?

“Suppressing equal opportunity in the name of identity politics is a slap in the face to the promise of the American Dream for all,” Cameron said in the release. “There is no excuse for this racially discriminatory approach. Leaders of our largest law firms should be watchdogs against these crooked practices rather than contributing to race-based barriers themselves.”

At a campaign event for media on Wednesday, Cameron unveiled? his guiding economic principles as governor, including “merit should determine outcomes.”

“Kentucky should be a place where everyone can succeed, not just those who were born on third base to check a DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) box,” Cameron said at the news conference at Boyd CAT Rental in Louisville.?

Other economic policies touted by Cameron included directing the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to add work requirements for able-bodied individuals who receive Medicaid, eliminating the state income tax and launching a review of how state cabinets are interpreting federal rules.

In response to Cameron’s “Vision for Prosperity,” Alex Floyd, a spokesman for the Beshear campaign, said: “Andy Beshear has cut taxes while bringing record-breaking economic investment to Kentucky year after year. Daniel Cameron’s reckless plan is just a rerun of the Matt Bevin playbook of cutting health care access, privatizing our public schools, and raising taxes on working families to pay for a tax giveaway for the wealthy. Andy Beshear has been one of the best governors for economic development in the history of the Commonwealth; Cameron is offering tired, failed ideas that would set us back.”

Beshear earlier this year signed the Republican legislature’s top priority, a cut in the state income tax, although Beshear said lowering the sales tax would have helped more Kentuckians. In 2022, Beshear vetoed legislation that lowered the state income tax rate while imposing sales taxes for the first time on some services; the Republican legislature overrode his veto.

At Kentucky Farm Bureau’s 59th annual Country Ham Breakfast, the Grand Champion Ham raised $10 million for Kentucky charities. In the front row, from left, are Kelly Craft’s brother, Marc Guilfoil; Gerry Roll of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky; Kristen Branscum on behalf of Kelly and Joe Craft; Miss Kentucky Mallory Hudson; Luther Deaton, chairman/president and CEO of Central Bank & Trust Co.; Leslie Catron with Central Bank; Greg Shewmaker. In the back row, from left, are John Sparrow of KFB; auctioneer Seth Hembree; President of Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation Mark Haney; Eddie Melton with KFB; Grand Champion Country Ham producers Beth Drennan and Ronnie Drennan; state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles; Emma Arvin; Drew Graham with KFB; Sharon Furches with KFB; David Beck with Kentucky Venues; Nathaniel Keith with Kentucky Poultry Federation on Aug, 24, 2023 in Louisville. (Provided by Kentucky Farm Bureau)

LOUISVILLE — Per Kentucky State Fair tradition, the Kentucky Farm Bureau Country Ham Breakfast brought political rivals under one roof as an 18-pound prize-winning country ham was auctioned off for a charitable donation.?

Coal executive Joe Craft and his wife, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, joined Central Bank in making a record $10 million bid on the Grand Champion Country Ham. The funds will support various needs across Kentucky, including building 57 new homes in Knott County for families affected by 2022 floods.?

Kelly Craft said in a press release she and her husband were “extremely excited” to be part of the bidders on the prize winning ham. Last year, the Crafts and the bank made a winning $5 million bid on a ham.?

“Giving back to those in need is the Kentucky way, and as lifelong Kentuckians we will always do everything we can to improve lives across Kentucky,” she said.?

The breakfast takes place on the grounds of the Kentucky State Fair. Kelly Craft finished third in the Republican gubernatorial primary earlier this year.?

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear spoke of unity, as he often does on the campaign trail. He renewed his emphasis on economic and infrastructure developments throughout his first term, such as plans to build the Brent Spence Bridge in Northern Kentucky without tolls and new businesses opening in the state.?

“Our administration continues to be focused not on moving this state to the right or the left but moving it forward for all of our families,” the governor said.?

At a table a few feet from the stage, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican candidate for governor, listened but did not address the crowd. Afterwards when talking to reporters, Cameron criticized Beshear for his policies on crime, education and workforce development. He also noted that Beshear did not attend Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Measure-the-Candidate forum for gubernatorial candidates last month. Cameron did speak at that event.?

“It’s oftentimes he comes to these events to lecture Kentuckians,” Cameron said. “When he had an opportunity to talk about his views and espouse those in front of the Kentucky Farm Bureau at the forum, he didn’t do that.”?

“It’s oftentimes he comes to these events to lecture Kentuckians,” Cameron said. “When he had an opportunity to talk about his views and espouse those in front of the Kentucky Farm Bureau at the forum, he didn’t do that.”?

Both of Kentucky’s United States senators, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul, addressed the crowd of more than 1,600 attendees.

McConnell, whose health has been the subject of speculation since he froze during a news conference in late July, has made a series of Kentucky appearances during the current congressional recess. He blamed federal spending to boost the economy during the coronavirus pandemic for inflation the country is now experiencing. He also briefly discussed the debate around the farm bill, which will reauthorize the nation’s agriculture and nutrition programs.?

“You have to make compromises you didn’t want to make in order to protect agriculture because much of what the farm bill has to be is because the Democrats are really not interested in rural America anymore, or various food programs,” McConnell said before adding that he believed the bill will come together before the Sept. 30 deadline, which is when the 2018 version of the bill is set to expire.?

Paul, who also spoke at the Jefferson County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner the night before, also touched on agriculture. He brought up former President Donald Trump without using his name but instead referring to him as a “guy who talked about making America great again.”?

“In order to make America great again, you got to know what made America great,” Paul said. “How did we become this farming success? We became this farming success over a 250-year history with faith and family and freedom.”?

A nod to his audience’s location, Paul opened with a quip that he dreamt that instead of Kentucky farmers being in charge of the breakfast, it had been left to the government and the Jefferson County Public Schools’ bus administrator. The school district has made headlines after new bus routes have caused hours-long delays in getting students home from school and also forced a delay in reopening schools after the chaotic first day.?

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles also noted the bus debacle in his remarks. He said Kentucky State Fair organizers quickly decided to offer a discounted entry rate to JCPS families and students, making this year’s fair “the largest classroom” in the state. Quarles added that the fair should consider doing it again in the future.?

“My public service towards the commonwealth is just getting started,” he said. Quarles was a Republican primary candidate who came in second to Cameron and is serving his second term as commissioner.?

Another speaker at the breakfast, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg thanked lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for working with the city on various policies and added that he hoped that continues in the future.?

“When I ran for office last year, my promise to the voters was to move our city in a new direction,” the mayor said. “And part of that direction is one where we embrace our connections to our neighbors all across the state of Kentucky to reset Louisville’s relationship with Frankfort and the rest of Kentucky.”

Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines speaks at the Jefferson County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

LOUISVILLE — Riley Gaines — a former University of Kentucky swimmer and high-profile opponent of including transgender women in women’s sports — told a crowd of Louisville Republicans that she drove from Milwaukee where she could have attended the first 2024 Republican presidential debate to address them Wednesday night.?

The 23-year-old was a special guest speaker at the Jefferson County Republican Party’s Lincoln Day Dinner alongside U.S. Sen. Rand Paul and Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is seeking to unseat incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. She also received the county party’s monthly “Indispensable Award.”?

Gaines first received widespread media attention in 2022 after tying with former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a transwoman athlete, for fifth place in the NCAA Championships 200-yard freestyle event.

Nowadays, Gaines is in demand to speak in right-wing spaces about her experience. She makes frequent appearances on conservative news networks and has launched The Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, a conservative advocacy training organization.?

Cameron’s running mate, state Sen. Robby Mills, introduced Gaines to the crowd. He said he first made her acquaintance when he sponsored a bill that banned transgender girls in grades 6-12 from playing in girls’ sports and transgender women from playing on women’s teams in college. Beshear vetoed it but the General Assembly overrode it, making it law in Kentucky.?

Mills called Gaines “a courageous young female athlete that was actually willing to stand up and talk about men competing in women’s sports.”

Gaines said that speaking at the dinner was a “full-circle moment” for her. She voiced support of Mills’ bill and said she recently re-watched her remarks.

“There has been so much growth this past year in terms of my confidence, and really my security in stating the truth,” she said. “I was so apologetic in what I wrote. I adhered to the pronoun nonsense and when I went back and read that I couldn’t believe that I did.”?

At the end of her college career, Gaines was one of UK’s most decorated swimmers. She said her time as a student athlete was “interesting to say the least.” During her sophomore year of college, NCAA championships were canceled in March 2020 in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.?

She spent the summer focusing on training for her junior year. When she returned, she was told to get the COVID-19 vaccine by administrators, teachers and athletic department officials.?

“You can’t make me get that vaccine, and that was the first time I learned to say ‘no’ for myself to authority figures like that,” Gaines said to applause in the room.?

Gaines then talked about preparation for the 2022 championships, where she faced Thomas in the 200-yard freestyle event. Gaines said an NCAA official gave Thomas the trophy since they did not have two trophies on hand in the event of a tie (a new policy was later adopted for trophy distribution in the event of ties) and about sharing a locker room with Thomas before the competition began.?

Gaines said this is about a “fight for truth” that goes beyond women’s sports.?

“What they’re asking us to do, deny man and woman, is the essence of humanity. Not to be grim, but that should be really chilling,” she said. “They want to control how we think. They want to control what we say. They want to control how we feel. And what that is, open any textbook … that’s Marxism.”?

During the Republican primary election earlier this year, Gaines campaigned with former gubernatorial candidate and United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft. Over the past year, Gaines has endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential election and appeared in a campaign ad for Paul.?

As for The Riley Gaines Center, which was announced earlier this month, Gaines said it will include a training program for school board members, community leaders and national leaders as well as focus on bringing conservative speakers to college campuses.?

Cameron highlighted Gaines briefly in his comments and critiqued his opponent, Beshear, for vetoing Mills’ legislation.?

“This governor vetoed that legislation because, again, he doesn’t understand what it means to value and respect women’s sports and protect the family unit,” Cameron said.?

The attorney general repeated much of the criticisms he voices against Beshear on the campaign trail, including closing churches and schools during the coronavirus pandemic. Cameron also touted his recent endorsement from the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, a union that represents more than 10,000 law enforcement officials from across the state. Overall, he emphasized that his plans are about making Kentucky “a place where your kids, your grandkids will want to live in as they get older.”

In his remarks, Paul called Cameron a “hero” for taking Beshear to court over coronavirus mandates, such as joining a lawsuit to overturn the governor’s ban on faith-based gatherings. The senator also criticized Beshear for not calling the legislature into a special session during the pandemic, saying he “ruled by edict.”?

“It takes people to stand up and fight,” Paul said. “And we are lucky that our nominee has taken that fight to Beshear, that our nominee has stood up for constitutional principle, that our nominee is not afraid to stand up for all of us.”?

Gov. Andy Beshear speaks during Democrats' bean dinner on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Austin Anthony)

Gov. Andy Beshear wants the legislature to fund an 11% pay raise for all Kentucky school personnel, which is the highest increase he’s backed since becoming governor.?

The Democratic governor, who is seeking reelection, unveiled some of his education priorities as part of his “Education First” plan for the 2024-26 state budget Wednesday morning. He said such a pay raise was needed because of National Education Association reports that ranked Kentucky 44th in the country in starting teacher salary, with an average of $38,010.?

Under his proposal their pay would rise to $42,191, pushing the state’s ranking to 24. Overall teacher pay would see the state’s ranking jump from 40th to 25th, according to the NEA data. Beshear has previously asked for a 5% raise for all school employees.

Beshear estimated the salary proposal, which also includes bus drivers, janitorial staff and cafeteria workers, would require a $1.1 billion investment.?

“When all you do is raise the starting salary it creates compression and you lose teachers that may have three, four, five, six or seven years of experience when they’re paid almost the exact same thing as someone who is brand new,” the governor said.?

Beshear’s opponent, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s education plan, released Tuesday, called for raising new teachers’ starting base rate to? $41,500, but did not include raises for current teachers. He also wanted funding for a tutoring program for students outside of school hours to improve student performance, which suffered because of? virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic.?

Joined by Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman in his press conference Wednesday, Beshear also renewed a call for funding universal pre-K. Such a program would improve reading scores by making sure every child is ready for kindergarten and is an opportunity to screen children for learning challenges, he said.?

Beshear also called on the legislature to fully fund student transportation. Bus driver shortages have created problems for school districts, and made headlines last week when Jefferson County Public Schools were forced to close following the first day of school because of the lack of drivers.

“The General Assembly’s refused to give districts what it costs to bus our students, and they’ve refused to give a big enough salary increase to attract more bus drivers,” Beshear said. “So, if you don’t fund what it costs to bus our students, and you don’t have competitive salaries to have enough bus drivers, yes, you are going to have problems.”?

Some other education proposals Beshear made are to:?

• Fully fund teachers’ pensions and medical benefits and make no increases to health insurance premium increases for school employees.
• Support a student loan forgiveness program for teachers that gives a maximum of a $3,000 annual award for each year of employment as a Kentucky public school teacher.?
• Provide funding for professional development
• Allocate funds to replace textbooks and other instructional materials
• Assemble staff at regional Social Emotional Learning institutes

Kentucky Board of Education Chair Lu Young said at the press conference that Beshear’s plan is “boldly addressing the compensation for teachers and school employees, along with shoring up pensions, providing high quality, professional development, affordable health insurance, and childcare.” Young was appointed to the board by Beshear in 2019.?

“Investing in Kentucky public schools is an investment in the future of the Commonwealth, in our workforce, but most importantly to me, it’s an investment in the future of our children and youth,” Young said.?

Following Beshear’s press conference, House Education Committee Chairman James Tipton issued a statement through the Republican Party of Kentucky that said Beshear was trying to “catch-up” to Cameron and gave support to the attorney general’s plans instead.?

“For years, Andy Beshear has made empty promises to teachers, parents, and students. He inflicted historic learning loss on a generation,” Tipton said. “And now he suddenly cares about education? He nor any member of his office has reached out to me to discuss any plan. Daniel Cameron has.”

When state lawmakers return to Frankfort in January, they will begin a 60-day session to pass the state’s next budget

Students gathered at the Capitol to protest SB 150, which removed access to gender-affirming medical care for trans minors. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley)

Ysa Leon is questioning their future in the commonwealth. The outcome of Kentucky’s gubernatorial race this November will be a deciding factor.?

“I’ve told my family: Be prepared in November because that might change where I’m staying after I graduate in May,” said Leon, a 20-year-old nonbinary student at Transylvania University, where they are?president of the ?Student Government Association.

Leon and other transgender Kentuckians have been concerned for much of the year as Kentucky politics filled with heated discourse on the rights of trans people, specifically over what gender-affirming medical care for youth should be permitted in the state.?

After the Kentucky General Assembly passed one of the strongest anti-trans bills in the country, Senate Bill 150, Ray Loux, 17, decided to enroll in Fayette County Public Schools’ Middle College program for his senior year. He did not want to worry about which bathroom he should use, what pronouns his teachers will use and “not being able to talk about who I am with my friends in school.”

Ray is considering going to a college out of state.?

“I had a panic attack the other day because I wasn’t sure what my health care situation would look like going forward,” Ray said, as he must taper off his hormones while he is underage.?

Now, the issue of trans rights has reached the governor’s race.?

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who is seeking a second term in office, has released a 15-second ad called ‘Parents.” It focuses on claims made by Republicans, including his opponent Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, that the governor supports “sex change surgery and drugs” for kids.

Wearing basic dad attire — a blue button down under a red quarter zip pullover — Beshear stares into the camera and says: “My faith guides me as a governor and as a dad.”?

He then repeats a familiar line — “all children are children of God” — before saying Cameron’s attacks are not true, adding: “I’ve never supported gender reassignment surgery for kids – and those procedures don’t happen here in Kentucky.”?

GOP backlash was swift, and rhetoric uplifting culture wars reached the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in West Kentucky earlier this month. Among his jokes for the day, Cameron riffed that come November Beshear’s pronouns will be “‘has’ and ‘been,’” and criticized the governor for protecting “transgender surgeries for kids.”

In a press conference last week, Cameron highlighted a letter from a University of Kentucky health clinic, stating it has performed “a small number of non-genital gender reassignment surgeries on minors who are almost adult,” but stopped after Kentucky’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for youth went into effect.?

Hours later, Beshear said in his press conference the letter was new to him, and added that had a bill that only banned gender reassignment surgeries for minors made its way to his desk, he would have signed it.?

“At the end of the day, how has this race gone here? Daniel Cameron’s taken this race to the gutter in a way that I’ve never seen,” Beshear said. “I mean, right now, I think if you ask him about climate change, he’ll say it’s caused by children and gender reassignment surgeries.”?

As politicians put a spotlight on gender-affirming medical care, advocates say the lives of trans Kentuckians — especially those of the commonwealth’s trans youth — are on the line.??

‘It’s hard to be a trans child anywhere’

Transgender youth are already vulnerable, and the way that politicians talk about trans people in general is “really dehumanizing,” said Oliver Hall, the director of Trans Health at Kentucky Health Justice Network. They work directly with transgender youth, a demographic that Hall said is being used as a “political football.”?

“It’s hard to be a kid. It’s hard to be a teenager in general,” Hall said. “And then it’s additionally hard to be a trans teenager. It’s hard to be a trans child anywhere.”

Leon, who came out as queer in 2020 and then as trans and nonbinary in 2021, said it took a lot of therapy to find themselves. At first, only their roommates and close friends referred to them with they/them pronouns in private.?

“When I heard it the first time, I felt like I took the biggest breath ever — this exhale that I’d been holding in for so long. All of this pent up anxiety was gone and I felt so good,” Leon said. “And it’s not that that fixed everything for me, but accepting yourself and having other people accept you changed my life. It changes everything for some people.”?

Kentucky’s trans youth no longer have access to gender-affirming medical care because of Senate Bill 150, which went into effect in July.?

The law, which Cameron’s office is defending against a legal challenge brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, bans gender-affirming medical care for anyone under 18, including forcing those already taking puberty blockers to stop. It also allows teachers to misgender trans kids, regulates which school bathrooms kids can use and limits the sex education students can receive.

Beshear vetoed the legislation, but the Republican supermajority in the General Assembly easily overrode it. In his rejection of the bill, Beshear wrote that he was doing so based on the rights of parents to make decisions about how their child is treated and that the law would allow government interference in medical care.?

“Improving access to gender-affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population,” the governor wrote in his veto message.?

What someone’s gender-affirming care looks like is different for each transgender person, Leon said. They did not use puberty blockers because they came out as an adult, but socially transitioned with support from their friends and family. Gender-affirming medical care is also not always covered by health insurance companies.?

Having such laws on Kentucky’s books mixed with support from politicians running for the highest state office in the Commonwealth has “a detrimental effect on the physical and mental health of trans people,” Hall said.

Some in the trans community fear that, eventually, gender-affirming care for adults could be banned as well, said Ray’s mother, Shavahn Loux. While her son is in a “better situation than a lot of kids” because he will be an adult in a few months and could regain access to health care, she said “it’s scary” to think Ray’s access to hormone treatment in general could end completely.?

“I know a number of people who were thinking about coming here and are now no longer considering it because of this,” she said. “That’s true for trans individuals and non-trans individuals.”?

When asked recently if he thought gender-affirming medical care for adults should be banned in Kentucky, Cameron told reporters that he supported “what our legislature did in protecting our children.”?

“Adults can make different decisions but this is about protecting kids and making sure that we don’t rob them of youth and innocence,” Cameron said.?

‘The right buzzwords’

After a federal judge reversed a temporary block on the health care part of the new state law Cameron issued a statement calling the treatments “experimental” and vowed that his office would continue to “stand up for the right of children to be children, free from the influences of leftist activists and radical gender ideology.”

Rebecca Blankenship, the executive director of Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky and the first openly transgender person ever elected to public office in the state, noted that Cameron’s defense was initially “rebuked” by the judge in the injunction, who noted that the drugs “have a? long history of safe use in minors for various conditions.”

This shows, she said, that “Attorney General Cameron is willing not only to lie to voters, but even to the courts to advance these political talking points.”

Alexander Griggs, the community outreach coordinator for the Fairness Campaign, said such messaging argues “trans people shouldn’t have autonomy over the decisions they make over their bodies” and that their medical needs are “wrong.” With that constant messaging, transgender youth may internalize it, Griggs continued.

“The more of that language that’s used, the more damage is being done,” he said.?

Leon agreed, saying that “people think they can say whatever they want, and not realize the harm that it does.”?

As a teenager, Leon said they tried their best to fit in with their cisgender peers. They turned to their church, but were presented with the option of conversion therapy, a practice that seeks to change a person’s sexual or gender identities. It has been rejected by leading medical and mental health organizations. They did not undergo the practice.?

“My mental health and my self-love improved more than I could have ever imagined after I came out as nonbinary,” Leon said.?

Beshear has taken a more moderate stance on gender-affirming medical care. Bobbie Glass, a transgender woman who testified before lawmakers against Senate Bill 150, said Beshear’s recent ad used “very specific” language to discuss his position, pointing out that he did not discuss his position on puberty blockers.?

Beshear is using “the right buzzwords” that people in the transgender community will understand, she said, adding that people who don’t understand the terms could interpret the ad to mean “he believes the same thing” they do.?

“But then, Daniel Cameron’s going to turn around and try to exploit that stuff with the language he used in his veto,” Glass said. “And so it’s still going to have the effect of just making life miserable.”??

Blankenship appreciates Beshear’s ad for “advancing the conversation, in that he’s lowering the temperature of it, and focusing on the truth.” Ban Conversion Therapy Kentucky does not endorse or oppose political candidates.?

“He has been unwilling to bow to pressure from radicals to hurt us,” Blankenship said of the governor. “But at the same time, it’s difficult to point to anything that he’s done since maybe 2020, that was clearly designed to help LGBT people.”?

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have asked the governor’s administration to direct the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to track suicides within the community or where conversion therapy is happening in the state, Blankenship added.?

If Beshear is reelected, Hall hopes Beshear “will acknowledge the support that trans Kentuckians have given him” and enact executive orders to ensure policies like anti-discrimination protections for transgender people statewide.

Leon said they saw Beshear’s recent ad as “appropriate.” Ray called Beshear’s first term “empowering” for trans Kentuckians.?

“It was really nice to be able to see somebody in a position of power in Kentucky who was accepting of people like me and welcoming of us and embracing us to live in this state,” Ray said.?

A February Mason-Dixon poll released by the Fairness Campaign showed 71% of Kentucky registered voters don’t want lawmakers making the decisions about trans youth’s healthcare. But how harmful rhetoric is spread could impact public opinion, Blankenship said.?

“What the consequences will be will depend upon … the radicals’ ability to spread their message far and wide and will depend on the LGBT community’s ability and willingness to stand up for ourselves and tell the truth,” she said.?

Hall also highlighted increased rhetoric that has grown “even over the past couple of years.” According to the Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People, 27% of transgender and nonbinary young people reported being physically threatened or harmed in the past year because of their gender identity.

“It’s radicalizing people, and people are treating trans people even worse than we have been treated historically,” Hall said.?

The politics, Griggs noted, feels like a tactic to distract the public from other issues. Transgender people having autonomy over their lives shouldn’t be a partisan issue, he said.

“If we let them get away with any of it, like we give them an inch, they’re going to take a mile,” Griggs said. “Before we know it, no one will have rights.”?

Ray has embraced being openly trans because of the political spotlight on the community. He said he has “the privilege to be out and be safe at home in my life,” so that’s why he’s spoken openly with media outlets and friends.?

Ray’s friends who are trans in Kentucky’s more rural areas have “experienced a lot worse than I have since the passing of this bill,” he said. Because of that, they are not visible.?

“Ray’s quiet and unassuming and a good kid, but you never know who’s just going to have it in their mind that that’s wrong and that people like that shouldn’t exist,” his mother said.?

She’s seen some of Ray’s friends who are trans and were open about it have since “shrunk back and are not as willing to put themselves out there because they’re worried about what might happen.”?

“You’re not going to eliminate trans kids,” Shavahn said. “You’re just going to make them a lot more scared to be themselves and to let people know that they’re trans.”

Both Leon and Ray say the outcome of the November election will impact their future in Kentucky. Ray is prepared to leave the state for college if he has to.

“If Beshear loses, I think Kentucky is going to become a lot less welcoming of a place,” he said.?

Leon hasn’t decided.

“I’m kind of weighing: Do I stay here and fight for people like me and make it a better state for people like me or do I protect myself and go somewhere where I am safe?”

Correction: We have updated this story to reflect that Ysa Leon did not go through conversion therapy.

GOP gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron and his wife Makenze during his election party on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the Galt House in Louisville. (Austin Anthony / for the Kentucky Lantern)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron is calling for tutoring students outside of school hours and increasing starting teacher pay to make up for the drop in Kentucky students’ performance that he blamed on school closures and virtual learning during the coronavirus pandemic.?

The attorney general released the “Cameron Catch-up” plan Tuesday with press conferences in Lexington and Louisville.?

Among his policies, Cameron wants to increase new teachers’ starting base rate pay to $41,500. According to data from the Kentucky Department of Education, a teacher with a Rank 1 certificate and no experience had a minimum salary of $36,558 for the 2022-23 school year. He also wants to fund a tutoring program for students outside of regular school hours to make up for learning loss.?

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who is running for reelection, is scheduled to release his education budget proposal for the next legislative session on Wednesday.?

In his remarks, Cameron attempted to win Kentucky educators, a group that strongly backed Beshear’s election against former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. Ahead of the 2019 election, Bevin said some students likely suffered child abuse while teachers were on strike at the Capitol. Kentucky education groups also vehemently opposed a pension reform bill backed by the Bevin administration. It started as a “sewer bill” and would have prevented future teachers from receiving defined benefit pensions.?

Directing his comments to school administrators and teachers, Cameron said his plans are offered with a “spirit of humility” and wants educators to have a new relationship with Republicans.

“I know that you might have some apprehensions about me — or for that matter — any Republican nominee for governor,” Cameron said. “So, let me just simply say: I’m sorry. Sorry for any comments that have made you feel less than value, or have led you to have serious misgivings about the Republican Party on the topic of education.”??

Cameron, whose wife Makenze taught in Oldham County Schools, said his administration will “implement the largest expansion of reading and math instruction in the history of the Commonwealth.” Cameron estimated his policies will cost around $100 million.?