LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Republican gubernatorial hopeful Kelly Craft pressed for the death penalty for drug traffickers connected to fatal overdoses in Kentucky, while rival Ryan Quarles defended the state's abortion ban during a free-wheeling GOP primary debate Wednesday on a popular sports radio program.
Craft, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during Donald Trump's presidency, continued her tough talk on combating illegal drugs flowing into the Bluegrass State, blaming it on the nation's “wide open” Southern border.
Quarles, the state agriculture commissioner, didn't budge from Kentucky's current abortion law, which includes prohibiting abortions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest.
They joined two other GOP gubernatorial candidates — state Auditor Mike Harmon and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck — for the debate on Kentucky Sports Radio, coming less than a month before the May 16 primary.
State Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a leading candidate in the GOP contest, did not participate in the debate. Craft skipped two earlier debates that Cameron attended.
At Wednesday's debate, the participating candidates offered contrasting answers when asked for a policy that could immediately help Kentucky the most. Quarles pointed to public safety in a response focused on Louisville.
The state's largest city has been plagued by gun violence, including the deaths of five people at a downtown bank last week when a man opened fire with an assault-style rifle.
The candidates asked whether they'd push for gun reform as governor. Their short answer: No, including any red flag legislation.
Craft says she "won't touch the second amendment," saying the focus should be to remove the stigma around mental health and expand access.
Keck honed in on the predictable fighting between political parties when it comes to mass violence.
"The left will say take guns, Republicans say mental health, and then nothing happens. And I think we need to do something, and I think it's inpatient clinical treatment. I think it needs to happen in Kentucky, [and] I think we need to commit the resources to it," Keck said.
Harmon called Louisville's violence a "crisis of faith and crisis of family," while Quarles noted the importance of 'checking in on our neighbors' and raising awareness for mental health challenges.
“We have a great city in Louisville,” Quarles said. “When Louisville is safe and secure, Kentucky is safe and secure.”
Then, came the issue of the 'woke agenda' in schools, deemed by some to be the indoctrination of left-wing views.
Craft took just seconds to utter the word, "wokeism," while pointing to a book she brought with her. The book, All Boys Aren't Blue, is a young adult non-fiction she says is available in Woodford County Schools -- just west of Lexington.
"[It says], 'Be bold and brave and queer,'" Craft read. "We have teachers who have a passion to teach and they are being directed as to what to teach."
Craft, along with Quarles and Harmon, put the blame on Kentucky Department of Education Commissioner Jason Glass.
Quarles pointed to what he calls a "poor relationship" with the General Assembly in Frankfort, Kentucky. Harmon said, "We need to get back to teaching the basics."
Keck had a slightly different view, saying "painting with a broad brush puts a lot of people in a bubble they might not belong in." He added, "It doesn't move the conversation forward."
Harmon selected school choice as his preference while voicing support for public money going to private schools.
Keck listed welfare reform, saying the state needs a system “where we take care of the working poor instead of those who are unwilling to work.”
Craft pointed to removing a “woke” agenda from public schools, continuing another of her campaign themes. She said she has met with teachers who “are not happy at all about being told what to teach.”
Craft also staked out her position on what she sees as an appropriate punishment for those found responsible for drug-related deaths in Kentucky.
“If someone takes the life of a Kentuckian by supplying them with illegal drugs, it is the death penalty," she said. "And we have to have a full-court press on this.”
Craft was pressed about what a governor can do to stem the flow of illegal drugs into a state. The former diplomat said she would have an “open line of communications" to track drug cartels or major traffickers suspected of operating in neighboring states.
Craft has vowed to combat illegal drugs in a state plagued by fatal drug overdoses, many linked to fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid. She said it's a widespread concern among Kentuckians.
"They are so concerned that drugs are taking the lives of their loved ones, or their loved ones are missing," she said. “This is in every corner of our state.”
Quarles was pressed on details about the state’s strict abortion law, which is under review in the courts. When asked for his stance on adding exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban, he replied: “I value all life.” Quarles added that he met someone who was born as the result of rape.
“I value that person’s life just as much as anyone else," he said. "I know this is a touchy issue.”
Quarles called for the state to fix what he called a “broken” adoption and foster care system, saying that thousands of children are “without a forever home.”
During a portion of the debate, each candidate was asked which likely Republican contender for the 2024 U.S. Presidential race they'd support if they were to vote right now.
Harmon and Craft each said they'd back former President Donald Trump. Keck and Quarles instead opted for current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Twelve candidates in all are competing for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The Kentucky campaign is drawing national attention to see if Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear can win reelection to a second term despite his party’s struggles in the GOP-trending state.
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