Kentucky governor primary race in final days as Republicans look to replace Democrat in key seat
Rachel Schilke
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The countdown to the Kentucky GOP‘s gubernatorial primary is ticking away as Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) prepares for tough opposition from Republicans looking to take back the office in a heavily red state.
Twelve candidates have stepped forward to take on Beshear, with the top three contenders emerging as Attorney General Daniel Cameron, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, and state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.
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With eight days until the GOP primary, here are the three top candidates and their plans for the governorship.
Daniel Cameron
Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, continues to hold the largest lead in the GOP primary. An April poll from Emerson College and Lexington station WDKY showed Cameron in the lead with 30% of the vote.
Cameron is the first African American to hold the attorney general position and the first Republican to hold the office since 1943. He took on the role in 2020. Previously, he served as legal counsel to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), assisting with the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch during the Trump administration.
He received an endorsement from McConnell and former President Donald Trump, the latter of which could be an important factor in the race given the former president’s recent legal scandals and contribution to the Republican Party’s weaker-than-expected performance in the 2022 midterm elections.
Cameron has pegged himself as “THE law enforcement candidate,” emphasizing his endorsement from over 100 law enforcement officers in Kentucky and blasting Beshear for his actions toward police in a six-figure ad released in late April.
“Despite facing intimidation and threats against his family from hundreds of protesters on his front lawn, Daniel never waivered,” campaign manager Gus Herbert said. “Daniel Cameron is THE choice of law enforcement because he’s tough, he’ll do what he says, and unlike Andy Beshear, he won’t abandon our cops for political gain.”
Cameron is also anti-ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies and has blasted both Beshear and President Joe Biden for their stances on hot-button issues, such as transgender rights, immigration, critical race theory, and abortion.
Kelly Craft
Kelly Craft, former U.N. ambassador under Trump, holds a steady second-place lead under Cameron at 24% of the vote, per the Emerson College/WDKY poll. This is a significant increase from a January Mason-Dixon poll that found Craft trailing with only 13% of the vote.
The former ambassador’s strategies have pushed her to the front of the race after originally entering the fray as a lesser-known candidate throughout Kentucky.
Craft is the biggest spender in the primary race, allocating $5.3 million for advertising as of May 4. A majority of her ads target Cameron for his tenuous connections to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and former President Barack Obama, as well as a criminal justice group that supported bail reform — all topics that Cameron has pushed back on or defended in multiple debates.
However, Cameron and Craft, as well as many of the GOP candidate hopefuls, have the same views on Beshear and the Biden administration’s policies. She is pushing her campaign as an “honest return” to Kentuckians’ trust and painting herself as the sole person who can “repair the connection between the people and their leadership.”
Craft received an endorsement from Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Last week, Cruz stumped for Craft’s campaign, saying she is the candidate that will bring in “a new generation of leadership” and emphasizing her work in international affairs and trade.
Ryan Quarles
Ryan Quarles, the state’s agriculture commissioner, is holding up the tail end of the top three candidates with 15% of the vote. Quarles has also boosted his support from January when he received 8% of the vote.
Quarles’s campaign has remained fairly light on the attack ads, which he has been quick to point out as support rises. He has painted himself as the grassroots candidate with connections to Kentucky’s farming and labor community.
He has decried the negative tactics used by other candidates and has avoided trading insults, particularly during debates.
Quarles released an ad on Monday condemning the “mud slingin'” attacks from his fellow candidates.
“My momma used to say, watch how a politician runs their campaign, and it’ll tell ya’ a lot about who they are,” he says in the ad.
This is not Quarles’s first experience with state politics. From 2011 to 2016, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. He has focused on policies relating to mental health, education, and “fiscal responsibility.”
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Several state representatives and senators have endorsed Quarles, bringing his total endorsements to over 200. He has not received any national endorsements from key players when compared to Cameron and Craft.
Voters will head to the polls on May 16 to vote in the primary, and the general election is scheduled for Nov. 7, 2023. The nine other candidates in the GOP primary have yet to receive double digits in polling support, and 20% of April respondents said they were undecided — a significant amount that could sway the primary one way or the other.