Meet the candidates for governor

BY MARK PAYNE | LINK nky REPORTER

Bevin carrying a lot of baggage inside and outside his party, according to University of Kentucky political science professor D. Stephen Voss.

“Beshear still needed to establish credibility with voters who normally do not support Democrats, a challenge made easier by his father’s brand name, but that still resulted in a very narrow victory,” Voss said, referring to Andy’s father, Steve Beshear, who was governor from 2007 to 2015. “This time, Beshear will be entering his re-election contest with all of the benefits that come from a successful run as governor.” moves involved referring audit findings of Kentucky State University to state and federal prosecutors.

With Beshear likely to move forward from the primary – he faces challengers Peppy Martin and Geoff Young – most Kentuckians are focused on the GOP primary, which features 12 contenders.

Here are the 12 candidates vying to become the Republican nominee.

The move came after the audit found that the university had a confusing budget situation that led to financial disarray at the small Franklin County college.

Before that, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives and was vice chairman of the House Standing Committee on Tourism, Development and Energy.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: against

• Sports betting: against

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://mikeharmon.com/

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles

Departments of Agriculture, president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture and chairman of the Republican Agriculture Commissioners Committee.

In March, Quarles began releasing the main points of his “commonsense” plan, detailing his stance on key issues in the race.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://ryanquarles.com/

Harmon is serving his second term as auditor – a term-limited position, meaning he will be moving on from that role at the end of 2023. He was the first to launch his campaign against Beshear.

As auditor, Harmon is responsible for the transparency and accountability of how Kentucky’s government spends state tax dollars. One of Harmon’s most high-profile

Like Harmon, Quarles is term-limited in his role as agriculture commissioner and will see his term expire at the end of 2023.

Quarles said he launched his campaign because he wants to unite Kentuckians at a time when the state is further divided along party lines.

Before becoming agriculture commissioner, Quarles served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He has served as president of the National Association of State

Former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft Craft’s entrance to the race came after months of speculation. The former ambassador to Canada and the United Nations under President Donald Trump, Craft is running a campaign around what she calls the “kitchen table.”

The theme focuses on what’s important to everyday Kentuckians. She came under fire for her “empty chair” speech – a reference to an empty chair at a table caused by the fatal overdose of a loved one. Craft later clarified her campaign stance, saying her daughter has a drug addiction and, while she was sitting at the table, she wasn’t fully present. Hence the empty chair.

Craft’s campaign also hits hard on the push for coal as a primary energy source, despite the state’s move away from the once-important commodity. Her husband is billionaire coal magnate Joe Craft, who regularly contributes to Republican campaigns across the country.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: unclear

• Sports betting: unclear

• Abortion rights: unclear

• Income tax cuts: unclear https://kellycraft.com/

Attorney General Daniel Cameron

While Kelly Craft served as a U.N. ambassador under President Donald Trump, Daniel Cameron received the endorsement from the former president in this race.

Trump endorsed Cameron last June – nearly a year before the May primary. In his endorsement message, Trump said Cameron is tough on crime, strong on issues important to the military and veterans, a fierce defender of the border and a protector of the Second Amendment.

“A young star is born before our very eyes, his name is Daniel Cameron,” wrote Trump in a statement. “The Attorney General of the great Commonwealth of Kentucky, and he has just announced he is running for governor.”

Cameron’s campaign has focused on at- tacking Beshear for closures during the COVID-19 pandemic and solving the state’s fentanyl crisis.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://cameronforkentucky.com/

Somerset Mayor Alan Keck

Keck joined the race in November of 2022 – the last of the current crop of candidates.

Keck lists his faith and family as his top values and cites education, the economy and public safety as his priorities.

In the first GOP gubernatorial debate in March, Keck differentiated himself from the other top candidates in the race by saying he supports exceptions to abortion rights in the cases of rape and incest.

“You know, as a dad of three girls, the abortion rights issue is incredibly challenging for me,” Keck said. “I’m pro-life. I want you all to know that. But when it comes to violent crime, you know, I think we have to give consideration to the woman that was affected, and these decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.”

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: against — with exceptions for rape and incest

• Income tax cuts: supports https://www.keckforkentucky.com/

Former attorney Eric Deters

Deters brings his reputation as a firebrand to the gubernatorial race as what he calls the only “self-funded” candidate.

While Cameron received President Trump’s endorsement, Deters invited Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump to his farm last fall for Freedom Fest. Deters called the one-day event –which celebrated conservatism and Donald Trump – on his family’s Independence farm a “political Woodstock.”

The former NKY attorney often makes headlines for the myriad of legal issues he’s involved in – including a guilty plea to menacing his nephew and a lawsuit against former Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://detersforgovernor.com/

Jacob Clark

An outspoken liberty-aligned Republican – another name for Libertarian Republicans – Clark said that if elected governor, he will use executive orders to accomplish his legislative agenda.

He lost a GOP primary to state Rep. Samara Heaven (R-Leitchfield) in 2022.

Clark calls himself an inventor, machinist, welder, engineer and all-around problem-solver.

“He has run for office twice before,” according to his website. “He has been an activist and a voice for the average American who is fed up with our bloated and wasteful government. Clark believes there are many voters who are also fed up and are ready to do something about it.”

Clark, who petitioned to have Beshear impeached during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he would ban lockdowns of the kind Beshear enacted during that time. Beshear publicly called out Clark for a Facebook post in 2021 that featured Clark making veiled threats against the governor and showed a gun in the background of the picture.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: unclear

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://clarkforky.com/

David Cooper

Independence resident David Cooper is an Army National Guard member and an ordained minister. He has served in the Guard for more than 22 years.

Cooper said he is running because Kentucky needs genuine leadership.

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“A strong, even-tempered, bipartisan, steady leader who can work with Senate and House members on both sides of the aisle is what’s going to unite Kentucky together again, and I believe I am that leader who can make it happen,” according to his website.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: against — with exceptions for rape, incest or dangerous pregnancy

• Income tax cuts: supports https://cooperforky.com/

Bob DeVore

Devore has run for office multiple times in Jefferson County. He previously ran for a seat in the 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and for Louisville mayor.

DeVore has not made additional information available about his campaign.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: unclear

• Sports betting: unclear

• Abortion rights: unclear

• Income tax cuts: unclear

Robbie Smith

• Abortion rights: against

• Income tax cuts: supports https://www.rsmith4gov.com/

Dennis

Ray Ormerod

Ormerod is a Louisville native. There isn’t much known about his campaign, and he doesn’t have a website.

Johnny

Ray Rice

Rice is from Berry. There isn’t much known about his campaign, and he doesn’t have a website.

About the three Democratic candidates

Gov. Andy Beshear

Beshear has navigated the state through the COVID-19 pandemic, Western Kentucky tornadoes, and Eastern Kentucky flooding. During the pandemic, he maintained an ever-present voice during his weekly Team Kentucky updates.

During his tenure, the state has experienced windfalls in the budget, but the majority of the surplus comes from federal emergency funds received during the pandemic. Both Republicans and Democrats in the statehouse take credit for the positive financial outlook.

Martin

A former Republican gubernatorial candidate, Martin is now running for office as a Democrat 24 years after her first attempt in 1999.

Martin lost to Paul Patton in the general election after she made questionable comments at that year’s Fancy Farm. She called U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s marriage to former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao his “Chinese connection,” prompting McConnell and Chao to leave the event.

She also ran for president in 2000 under the Reform Party.

In 2003, she ran for the GOP nomination for auditor, finishing second.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: unclear

• Abortion rights: unclear

• Income tax cut: unclear https://peppymartinforkygov.wordpress. com/

Geoff Young

Smith, a high school math teacher from Madison County, said he is running because the current crop of Frankfort politicians isn’t addressing the needs of Kentuckians.

“I’ve sat back, feeling helpless, as the elite have run our Commonwealth; making decision after decision that either punishes or neglects us hardworking Kentuckians,” according to his website.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: unclear

• Sports betting: unclear

While Beshear has helped navigate the state through tough times, he has seen his power limited by Republican supermajorities that override any gubernatorial veto. The Legislature also upstaged the governor by releasing its budget ahead of the governor during the 2022 legislative session – a first in Kentucky history.

While the Legislature works to limit the executive branch’s power, Beshear took executive action during the pandemic and on the issue of medical cannabis.

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: supports

• Abortion rights: supports

• Income tax cuts: against – though he did sign the latest cut into law https://andybeshear.com/

Young ran against Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr in the 6th Congressional District in 2022. He came under fire for comments about Ukraine, saying its government is controlled by Nazis.

Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party said they wouldn’t support him in his run for Congress, with Beshear saying Young “needs help.”

Key issues:

• Medical cannabis: supports

• Sports betting: unclear

• Abortion rights: unclear

• Income tax cuts: unclear https://www.young4ky.com/