Andy Beshear
2019 - Present
2027
5
Andy Beshear (Democratic Party) is the Governor of Kentucky. He assumed office on December 10, 2019. His current term ends on December 7, 2027.
Beshear (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Governor of Kentucky. He won in the general election on November 7, 2023.
Beshear received a bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. After graduating from law school, Beshear was a partner at Stites & Harbison, where he specialized in consumer and nonprofit law.[1]
Beshear won the 2015 Kentucky Attorney General election, defeating Whitney Westerfield (R) 50.1%-49.9%. As attorney general, Beshear sued then-Gov. Matt Bevin (R) on four separate occasions, winning two of those suits. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled 5-2 in favor of Beshear, who sued Bevin for abusing executive powers as governor by wrongfully making budget cuts to the state's university system without the Kentucky General Assembly's approval.[2] The Court also unanimously struck down Kentucky Senate Bill 151 regarding teachers' pensions, which Bevin had signed into law.[3] According to Beshear's website, he focused on suing opioid manufacturers and distributors, arresting child predators, protecting seniors from fraud and abuse, and protecting teachers' pensions.[4]
Beshear won the 2019 election for Governor of Kentucky against Bevin 49.2%-48.8%. During his campaign, Beshear said, "Governors have a moral responsibility to act with decency, to do their best, to provide good-paying jobs, and to provide justice to all Kentuckians."[5] Beshear campaigned on his healthcare and education policies and said he would enact consumer protections based on the Affordable Care Act and increase public education funding.[6][7] Beshear's 2019 victory changed Kentucky's trifecta status from a Republican trifecta to a divided government.
As governor, Beshear has supported infrastructure projects to build the Brent Spence Companion Bridge and the Mountain Parkway Expansion in Eastern Kentucky. Beshear signed legislation legalizing sports betting and cannabis for medical use and expanding access to Medicaid.[4][8] According to Beshear's website, Kentucky was one of eight states that decreased drug overdose deaths during his administration after signing two pieces of legislation that increased resources for drug treatment and recovery programs.[4][9]
Beshear won re-election in 2023, defeating former Attny. Gen. Daniel Cameron (R) 52.5%-47.5% - a 4.6 percentage point margin-of-victory increase compared to 2019.
Biography
Beshear was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 29, 1977.[10] Beshear's father, Steve Beshear (D), was the 61st governor of Kentucky.[11] Andy Beshear received his B.A. magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University and J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. After graduating from law school, he worked at a law firm in Washington, D.C.[1] Prior to being elected to public office, Beshear was a partner at Stites & Harbison, where he specialized in consumer and nonprofit law.[11]
Elections
2023
See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023
General election
General election for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Daniel Cameron and Brian Fishback in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear (D) | 52.5 | 694,482 | |
| Daniel Cameron (R) | 47.5 | 627,457 | ||
| Brian Fishback (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 83 | ||
| Total votes: 1,322,022 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Andy Beshear defeated Geoff M. Young and Peppy Martin in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear | 91.3 | 176,589 | |
| Geoff M. Young | 5.1 | 9,865 | ||
| Peppy Martin | 3.6 | 6,913 | ||
| Total votes: 193,367 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Daniel Cameron | 47.7 | 144,576 | |
| Ryan Quarles | 21.7 | 65,718 | ||
| Kelly Knight Craft | 17.2 | 52,170 | ||
| Eric Deters | 5.8 | 17,464 | ||
| Mike Harmon | 2.6 | 7,797 | ||
| Alan Keck | 2.4 | 7,317 | ||
| David Cooper | 0.8 | 2,282 | ||
| Jacob Clark | 0.6 | 1,900 | ||
| Robbie Smith | 0.5 | 1,388 | ||
| Bob DeVore | 0.3 | 931 | ||
| Johnny Ray Rice | 0.2 | 726 | ||
| Denny Ormerod | 0.2 | 696 | ||
| Total votes: 302,965 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Savannah Maddox (R)
Endorsements
Beshear received the following endorsements.
2019
See also: Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2019
General election
General election for Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Matt Bevin and John Hicks in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear (D) | 49.2 | 709,890 | |
| Matt Bevin (R) | 48.8 | 704,754 | ||
| John Hicks (L) | 2.0 | 28,433 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 46 | ||
| Total votes: 1,443,123 (100.00% precincts reporting) | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear defeated Rocky Adkins, Adam Edelen, and Geoff M. Young in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Andy Beshear | 37.9 | 149,448 | |
| Rocky Adkins | 31.9 | 125,981 | ||
| Adam Edelen | 27.9 | 110,161 | ||
| Geoff M. Young | 2.3 | 8,923 | ||
| Total votes: 394,513 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
Incumbent Matt Bevin defeated Robert Goforth, William Woods, and Ike Lawrence in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Matt Bevin | 52.3 | 136,069 | |
| Robert Goforth | 38.9 | 101,345 | ||
| William Woods | 5.5 | 14,440 | ||
| Ike Lawrence | 3.2 | 8,412 | ||
| Total votes: 260,266 | ||||
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2015
- See also: Kentucky Attorney General election, 2015
Democrat Andy Beshear defeated Republican opponent, Whitney Westerfield, by 0.2 percentage points. Beshear was one of two Democrats to win statewide office in the 2015 Kentucky state executive official elections.[12]
| Attorney General, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Whitney Westerfield | 49.9% | 477,735 | |
| Democrat |  Andy Beshear |
50.1% | 479,929 | |
| Total Votes | 957,664 | |||
| Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State | ||||
There was no Democratic primary in 2015 as only Beshear filed to run for the office.
Campaign themes
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Andy Beshear did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
Andy Beshear did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
| “ |
Strengthening Public Education I believe in a Kentucky where we fully fund every public school and make sure every child has a shot at the American dream—regardless of zip code or family income. It’s a disgrace that some of our kids read from ten-year-old text books held together with duct tape. I’m proud to be the only candidate with an active educator on the ticket in Jacqueline Coleman. Strong public schools will help us attract companies who want to invest in Kentucky and allow our children to pursue their dreams without having to move away. Affordable Health Care Health care is a basic human right. All Kentuckians, no matter where they live or how much they earn, deserve access to affordable health care. I’m currently fighting against a federal court ruling which would eliminate mandatory coverage for pre-existing conditions and could eliminate health coverage for 1.3 million Kentuckians — costing Kentucky in both money and lives. Also, on my first day as governor, I will halt Governor Bevin’s effort to throw thousands of families off the Medicaid program. Good-Paying Jobs Under Matt Bevin, Kentucky is near the bottom in the nation for job and wage growth. I will work every day to bring good-paying jobs that enable our hardworking men and women to raise their families. My vision for growing our economy doesn’t depend on massive give-aways for wealthy out-of-state CEOs like we’ve seen from Matt Bevin. We should be investing in our workforce and focusing on the areas in which Kentucky is uniquely positioned to lead, like agritech, automation, data analytics and healthcare. Pensions We’ve made a promise to our teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public employees that they’ll be able to retire with dignity, and under my watch, Kentucky will keep that promise. When this governor tried to slash pensions, I went to the Supreme Court and personally argued for the promised pensions of more than 200,000 teachers, police officers, firefighters, EMS, social workers and nearly all city and county employees in Kentucky. Our public servants go to work everyday to keep our communities safe, educate tomorrow’s leaders—our children—or put themselves in harm’s way. The least we can do is protect the promised pension benefits they have paid into during their years of service. Honesty and Openness I believe that all candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must embrace full transparency. That’s why I became the first sitting Kentucky attorney general to release my taxes outside of an election year. I have released my tax returns for three straight years— including my 2018 returns in February—and Jacqueline has released her 2017 and 2018 returns. As governor, I will fight corruption in state government by requiring all statewide officeholders to release their tax returns, banning state contractors from giving gifts to public officials and instituting term limits for state legislators. College Affordability For far too many Kentuckians, a college education is financially out of reach. And crushing student loans are burying many of those who do go to college under a mountain of debt. As attorney general, I’ve fought against unscrupulous for-profit colleges and secured over $5 million in restitution or debt relief for Kentucky students. And I stopped Matt Bevin when he tried to illegally cut the budgets of our universities and community colleges. As governor, I’ll fight to lower the costs of attending Kentucky’s public universities and community and technical colleges. Criminal Justice Reform In my first week as governor, I’ll sign an executive order that automatically restores voting rights for Kentuckians with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. I’m also committed to rooting out the bias and discrimination that exists in our criminal justice system, which leads to disproportionately high incarceration rates for people of color. I will continue to work to ensure that people suffering from addiction are sent to treatment instead of jail, while ensuring that drug traffickers receive appropriate punishment. Diversity and Inclusiveness I believe that our state government works best when people with a wide range of voices and backgrounds have a seat at the table. I’m proud to lead an AG’s office in which more than 60% of the leadership positions are held by women or people of color. As governor, my office and my cabinet will reflect the growing diversity of our great state. Energy Climate change is real, and Kentucky needs an all-the-above energy policy that includes renewables and clean-coal technology. At the same time, one of the biggest challenges our Kentucky families face, especially in the eastern part of the state, is that their energy bills go up year after year, while good jobs are hard to find and wages remain flat. Kentucky families shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their utility bills. Unfortunately, that’s a decision many families have to make. As attorney general over the last three years, my office has opposed dozens of utility bill hikes, and has helped save Kentucky families nearly $1.2 billion. Equal Pay It’s wrong and absurd that women in Kentucky make significantly less than men for doing the same job. As the father of both a son and a daughter, this is personal for me. Kentuckians should not be paid different amounts just because of their sex. This is common sense and as governor I’ll work to eliminate this pay gap. Expanded Gaming Kentucky can’t afford to fall behind our neighboring states who are moving forward with the rest of the country on expanded gaming. We lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars a year. As governor, I will work to legalize sports betting, casinos, fantasy sports and prepare for online poker, and use the revenue from these activities as a dedicated funding stream for our public pension system. Job Training We must prepare our workforce for the 21st century in jobs well-suited for Kentucky in fields like agritech, automation, data analytics and healthcare; we can build an economy and workforce for the future. In a global economy, it’s vitally important that skills training continue after high school. As governor, I’ll promote apprenticeship training and work to ensure that Kentuckians can afford community college, technical school or college. In order to attract businesses to our state, we need an educated and highly-trained workforce. Labor' I oppose so-called Right-To-Work (for less) laws that undermine workers’ rights, and every year as governor, I will support a bill to repeal this law and reinstate the prevailing wage law. Right-To-Work (for less) results in lower wages and fewer benefits for working families. Unlike this governor, who is dismissive of the struggles facing working families, I understand that our economy is stronger when working families make a truly living wage. As governor, my labor secretary will be a card-carrying union member. Marriage Equality I support the right of all Kentuckians to marry the person they love. Discrimination is wrong and it’s time to turn the page on a governor who seeks to divide us and demean those he disagrees with. Medical Marijuana' I support placing medical marijuana legalization on the ballot as a constitutional amendment and would vote in its favor. I would vote for it because I’ve seen the impact opioids have had on every Kentucky community. So many Kentucky families have seen a loved one fall into addiction, and their lives have been devastated. If medical marijuana is an alternative and gives people the chance to get pain relief without being subjected to opioids, I think it’s something we’ve got to explore. Reproductive Rights I support the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v Wade. Women should be able to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from the government. I’ve repeatedly stood up to the legislature when they’ve tried to unconstitutionally undermine women’s rights, and I’ll continue to stand with Kentucky’s women as governor. Opioids We lose 30 Kentuckians a week to the drug epidemic. Our state has been devastated by this crisis. I’m the most aggressive attorney general in the nation fighting opioid manufacturers and distributors in court. I’ve kept all nine lawsuits in Kentucky, because these companies should have to show up in the communities they’ve ravaged and explain themselves. So far, we’ve directed $9.5 million in settlements to 16 treatment centers and programs across the state. This is a fight I will continue every single day as governor. Voting Rights' I believe that our democracy is strongest when more Kentuckians are involved in the process. As Attorney General, I launched a voting rights unit to protect and fight for every Kentuckian’s right to vote. I also support the automatic restoration of voting rights for Kentuckians with a non-violent felony who have completed their sentences, and will sign an executive order doing so. We should implement automatic voter registration and make it easier for all voters to vote by absentee ballot. [13] |
” |
| —Beshear/Coleman 2019[14] | ||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Reported as possible 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee
- See also: Vice presidential candidates, 2024
Media reports discussed Beshear as a possible 2024 Democratic vice presidential candidate.[15] Vice President Kamala Harris (D) selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) as her running mate on August 6, 2024.[16]
In 2020, President Joe Biden (D) announced Vice President Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate six days before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). In 2016, both Hillary Clinton (D) and Trump announced their running mates three days before the DNC and RNC, respectively.
Lawsuits filled as attorney general
| Click [show] to view information about lawsuits Beshear filed against Gov. Matt Bevin (R) | |||
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Beshear and his wife, Britainy, have two children.[37]
See also
2023 Elections
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External links
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Candidate Governor of Kentucky |
Officeholder Governor of Kentucky |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kentucky, "Governor Andy Beshear," accessed May 17, 2021
- ↑ WKYT, "Ky. Supreme Court rules Bevin can't cut budgets of public colleges, universities," September 22, 2016
- ↑ Courier Journal, "Kentucky Supreme Court strikes down pension reform law," December 13, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, "Governor Andy Beshear," accessed May 31, 2024
- ↑ Courier Journal, "Andy Beshear goes after teacher vote in announcing bid for governor" July 9, 2018
- ↑ Louisville Courier-Journal, "New GOP ad slams Democrat Andy Beshear for 'radical views' on health care," September 7, 2019
- ↑ Courier Journal, "Andy Beshear rolls out public education plan, calling it his 'highest priority,'" October 2, 2019
- ↑ Kentucky.gov, "Gov. Beshear Signs Measure Expanding Access to Health Care," March 20, 2023
- ↑ Kentucky.gov, "Gov. Beshear Signs Legislation to Support Kentuckians Fighting Addiction," March 24, 2024
- ↑ National Governors Association, "Gov. Andy Beshear," accessed May 17, 2021
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Kentucky Today, "Beshear seeks to follow father’s footsteps, will run for governor," July 9, 2018
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Attorney General," accessed Nov. 4, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Beshear/Coleman 2019, "On the Issues," accessed June 16, 2019
- ↑ Axios, "Who could be Kamala Harris' vice presidential pick," July 21, 2024
- ↑ X, "Harris on August 6, 2024," accessed August 6, 2024
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Gov. Matt Bevin establishes charter school advisory council, restructures education boards," June 2, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Following executive order, Gov. Matt Bevin appoints non-voting advisers to Board of Education," June 5, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Kentucky attorney general challenges Bevin executive order on education boards," June 7, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Beshear to hold off on filing suit over Bevin executive order on education boards," June 15, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Andy Beshear, Matt Bevin clash after AG says time's up, sues over education boards," June 20, 2017
- ↑ 89.3 WFPL, "Judge Rules Mostly In Favor Of Bevin’s Education Board Overhauls," November 15, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Bevin abolishes pension board, creates new one," June 17, 2016
- ↑ University Herald, "Four University of Louisville board members lose their positions, following Governor Bevin's cleanup," June 23, 2016
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Wave3, "KY Attorney General to sue governor to stop reorganization of board," June 22, 2016
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Former, current members of pension board sue Bevin over dismissal," June 19, 2016.
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Judge blocks Bevin’s ouster of pension board member; says board can be reorganized," August 22, 2016
- ↑ Pensions & Investments, "Judge dismisses lawsuit questioning Kentucky governor’s ability to restructure pension fund board," January 9, 2018
- ↑ Louisville Business First, "Beshear files another lawsuit against Bevin over new U of L board," July 5, 2016
- ↑ 89.3 WFPL, "Judge Blocks Bevin’s U of L Board Appointments," July 29, 2016
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Bevin claims win after justices dismiss suit on University of Louisville board shake-up," September 28, 2017
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Bevin orders immediate university budget cuts," April 1, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Kentucky attorney general uses governor over education cuts," April 12, 2016
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Police, job growth get boost from Bevin budget," January 27, 2016
- ↑ Courthouse News Service, "Kentucky Governor Can Cut University Budgets," May 19, 2016
- ↑ WTVQ.com, "KY Supreme Court: Bevin's higher ed cuts are illegal," September 22, 2016
- ↑ National Governors Association, "Britainy Beshear," accessed May 17, 2021
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Matt Bevin (R) |
Governor of Kentucky 2019-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Attorney General of Kentucky 2016-2019 |
Succeeded by Daniel Cameron (R) |
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State of Kentucky Frankfort (capital) |
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