LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For weeks, Gov. Andy Beshear’s name has been in the mix to run for president should current President Joe Biden end his reelection efforts.
Biden announced the end to his bid on Sunday, weeks after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump and four months before the general election.
Beshear is currently serving his second term and shared a statement following Biden's exit from the race.
“President Biden will be remembered as a consequential president. Along with Vice President Harris, he led us through the aftermath of the January 6th attack on our Capitol and steadily steered us out of a global pandemic. He showed up for Kentucky after devastating tornadoes and historic flooding, delivering immediate federal aid that is helping to rebuild our communities. His leadership provided infrastructure investments that are bringing clean drinking water and high speed internet to parts of Kentucky that for far too long had been overlooked and underserved. President Biden came through on the Brent Spence Companion Project, getting bipartisan funding for a project that had been stalled for years and is a major thoroughfare for national commerce.
While his decision could not have been easy, it is in the best interest of our country, and our party. I want to thank him for his leadership, kindness and for a successful presidency that got big, important things done.
Now it is time for our nation to come together. We need to dial down the anger, rancor and noise, we have an opportunity to remember that we are taught to treat our neighbors as ourselves – and that we are all each other’s neighbors.”
Biden has been pressured by Democratic colleagues to step aside following the debate and many names as possible replacements were thrown out including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Gov. Gavin Newsome, and Gov. Beshear.
Now that President Biden has given Vice President Kamala Harris his full endorsement, where does that leave Beshear?
In recent weeks, Beshear said he has been “flattered” by everyone mentioning his name but said it reflected all the good things happening in Kentucky.
According to The Hill, Beshear has been on the shortlist of becoming Harris' vice presidential pick. Other names thrown into the mix include Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
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