FRANKFORT, Ky. — As more people start paying attention to the favorites two weeks out from the Kentucky Derby, there's a different horse race shaping up in state politics.
It’s been less than two years since "Team Kentucky" went from a campaign slogan to the motto for an administration.
Anyone paying attention to Kentucky politics had to have guessed that Gov. Andy Beshear’s 5,136 vote victory over Matt Bevin and the GOP sweep of constitutional offices would motivate Republican candidates to saddle-up for the next race. Now, GOP candidates are jockeying for position to take on the incumbent.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is a name spoken most often. He’s had plenty of time in the spotlight during the pandemic, protecting food supplies and sparring with the governor over executive orders and mandates.
Auditor Mike Harmon is another constitutional officer who many have hinted that he wants to be governor. He’s also been in headlines connected to the Beshear administration through his office’s audits of the troubled state unemployment system.
Kelly Knight Craft is the former Ambassador to the UN and Canada. A well-connected campaign financer who ran the Bevin inaugural festivities, Craft's husband, Joe, is president of a coal company who generously donates to causes. In February, Craft established an Instagram page and she’s made appearances on FOX News recently.
Many also wonder whether U.S. Congressman Jamie Comer wants to give away his seat in what may be a packed field. Comer’s 83 vote loss to Matt Bevin in the 2015 Republican gubernatorial primary was a painful political moment, but he rose from that to take the 1st District seat.
There’s one more name you many can’t seem to forget, former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin.
The outspoken businessman has taken a much calmer tone on social media recently. Of late, he’s bragged on his son’s budding NASCAR career. It’s a bit reminiscent to the “Governor Selfie” role of his first year in office.
If Bevin jumps in, he still has a loyal following in corners of the party, but he’ll also surely face new questions about the controversial pardons he signed as he handed over the keys to Beshear.
Another parallel between the big race in two weeks and the 2023 governor’s race? Both will get to the finish line before you know it. The next two years might feel like the fastest two minutes in sports.
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