FRANKFORT, Ky. — After an unprecedented two weeks of national attention, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is revealing more about the terms he set from the very beginning of the vetting process to potentially be Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate.
"At that time I said I'm willing to go through it, but at some point before I'd be willing to accept it, I just want to have a conversation about what the role would be because I got to make sure it's something that I can continue to help Kentuckians in," Beshear told WHAS 11 in a sit-down interview on Wednesday.
But that conversation never came, according to Beshear, as Harris narrowed her choices down to three candidates she interviewed in person in D.C. on Sunday, ultimately choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her No. 2 on the Democratic presidential ticket.
"When you go into something like this, you wanna make sure it's a good fit for the vice president," Beshear said. "But you also want to make sure it's a good fit for you. And so, I was always waiting to have that conversation about what the actual role would be because I made a promise to Kentuckians that I would only consider it if I felt that it would help our people in a different and important way. So, I was still waiting for that conversation, but let me just say, it's important that Vice President Harris wins."
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To some degree, the revelation is a moot point, but it does paint a clearer picture into where Beshear ranked in the end amongst the other VP hopefuls.
With reports that Walz told the Harris campaign he's not seeking a future run for president himself one day, it raises the question of where Beshear would have drawn the line had he been the one asked to join the ticket -- if higher aspirations were a sticking point.
On Wednesday, Beshear confirmed reports that Harris called him Tuesday to let him know who she picked.
"I told her she was picking a really good governor and a really good person," Beshear said, speaking about his friend. "She asked for my help going forward, and I agreed."
Beshear also confirmed he plans on hitting the campaign trail for the Harris-Walz ticket, though he didn't specify where or when that could happen.
In the interview, Beshear talked more about his family's close friendship with Walz, who attended Beshear's second-term inauguration in December 2023 and this past Kentucky Derby in Louisville.
"I actually think back the year of his reelection, which was before I was up," Beshear recounted from 2022. "I remember walking onto an elevator and Tim looked like he was walking on air. And I looked at him and said, 'Tim, I want to feel that way.' And he looked back and said, 'I want you to feel that way, too.'"
"Nobody worked harder for my reelection in terms of out-of-state than Tim did."
And with regards to his work in Frankfort, the governor was asked whether he's concerned his tryouts to be Harris' running mate could hurt his chances at mending relationships with Republican state lawmakers.
"No, we work with Republicans behind the scenes; I know that this story is repeated, but this is performative politics," Beshear told WHAS11. "Go to some of our announcements in their communities, and you'll see us standing next to each other -- Democrat, Republican -- both talking optimistically about Kentucky. Both talking about how we work together."
Some Kentucky Republicans have voiced frustration with Beshear "taking the credit" for bills they've passed and what they see as GOP policy wins.
"I think the relationship is not going to get any better," long-time State Sen. Damon Thayer said. "Look, he spent the last two weeks on a national stage taking credit for our good work, and also in sort of a preening way, proving what we've said all along and that is -- he is a left-wing liberal."
On Wednesday, Beshear again doubled down on his intention and excitement to serve out the rest of his term as Kentucky Governor, which runs until December 2027.
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