By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
They once worked together at a law firm, now they will face off this fall in Kentucky’s gubernatorial race – it’s game on for incumbent Democrat Andy Beshear and Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Gov. Andy Beshear with family after easily winning the Democrat nomination for governor this fall. He will meet Attorney General Daniel Cameron in what will be a closely watched gubernatorial race. (State-Journal/Anna Latek)
Beshear had an easy path, easily outdistancing perennial candidate Geoffrey Young and Peppy Martin, who was the unsuccessful Republican nominee against Democrat Paul Patton in his 1999 re-election bid but switched parties to run against Beshear.
Cameron, meanwhile, had 11 other opponents in his race, including Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, State Auditor Mike Harmon, and Kelly Craft, a former ambassador to both Canada and the United Nations.
During his victory speech, Beshear touted his accomplishments in economic development and later told reporters “when you’re dealing with pandemics and natural disasters, you don’t worry about who your opponent will be in November.”
“This race is about our families. It’s about the good jobs that provide more security and opportunity for the next generation. It’s about the expansion of health care, where we are building the first hospital in the West End of Louisville in 150 years, and a new autism center in Prestonsburg. It’s about investment in public safety, like the largest raises ever for our State Police, and it’s about someone who truly believes in public education and is willing to champion our educators.”
Daniel Cameron wins Republican nomination for Governor
Cameron, during his remarks, thanked former President Trump for his support, saying, “The Trump culture of winning is alive and well in Kentucky. You and I together have proved that no obstacle is too great, no barrier is too large, when concerned and committed Kentuckians come together around a common purpose and vision, rooted in ideals that have propelled this nation forward since its very beginning. Those ideals being faith, family, and community.”
Second-place GOP finisher Quarles said: “To the other victors tonight who will be representing the Republican party as a slate, we must all unite. We must all come together after tonight, because if we are going to defeat Andy Beshear, we must all come together, and it starts right now.”
He also quoted Daniel Boone: “’Heaven must be a Kentucky kind of place,’ and I would have to agree with him tonight.”
Third-place finisher Craft told her supporters, “While it is true that I am disappointed this evening, we have so much to celebrate. I know that our movement has had lasting impressions on Kentuckians across the commonwealth, and the Kentuckians that I’ve met have made a forever lasting impact on me.”
She also said the need to come together as one Republican party to defeat Andy Beshear in November.
Here are the totals with 119 of Kentucky’s 120 counties reporting:
Cameron said “The Trump culture of winning is alive and well in Kentucky.” If Cameron employs the Trump culture of governing in Kentucky, this state will lose big. After the primary, I resurrected the letter I received from Cameron as he launched his campaign for Governor. The contents were fearmongering, extremist, and absent of anything positive to address problems most people care about- good jobs, wages, quality education, child care, climate issues, crime and safety. This ought to be a governor’s race where a voter’s party should take a back seat to which candidate is best to carry the state forward in bettering the lives of its children and families. Beshear would be the better choice.
Beshear has proven he puts party line politics above the lives of its children and families. His executive orders while appropriate for a very short time, lasted YEARS and infringed on the rights of our citizens.
It was Cameron who stepped in for all of us by taking Beshear and his extreme left-wing administration to court so we could live in a free society again.
Cameron is the better choice.