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Kentucky Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles announces he is candidate for governor in 2023


Kentucky Today

Ryan Quarles, who has been Kentucky’s agriculture commissioner since 2015, said he is running for governor in 2023.

Ryan Quarles

Quarles made the announcement at the Fayette County Republican Reagan Dinner on Saturday night.

Quarles, 38, won re-election for agriculture commissioner in 2019 by a comfortable 20-point margin.

He told WKYT’s Bill Bryant in announcing the candidacy that he wants to bring Kentucky together with a win in the 2023 primary and general election.

“I feel like I have a strong track record of executive leadership and I also feel a calling right now that I can provide Kentucky, if voters would like, with more public service and leadership,” he said. “(Kentuckians) deserve a governor that’s going to bring us all together and unite Kentucky.”

Auditor Mike Harmon and Northern Kentucky candidate Eric Deters have been the only Republican candidates who have raised much money for their gubernatorial campaigns.

Several other Republicans are thought to be weighing gubernatorial bids, including Attorney General Daniel Cameron, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, state Sens. Ralph Alvarado and Max Wise, state Rep. Savannah Maddox and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck.

Gov. Andy Beshear narrowly defeated incumbent Matt Bevin in 2019 and was almost immediately confronted with COVID-19. He is seeking re-election and has already raised $2.4 million for his campaign.


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