Mary Potter
Tuesday, July 17, 2018 2:36 pm

Attorney General Andy Beshear first to jump into 2019 governor's race.

Attorney General Andy Beshear announced his candidacy for governor on July 9th in a series of supporter gatherings and press conferences around Kentucky. Beshear is the first of what is expected to be a crowded field of candidates for the 2019 race. Governor Matt Bevin has hinted he will run again, but has not made a formal announcement.

In an appearance in Paducah, attended by a small group of supporters, Beshear introduced his running mate, educator Jacqueline Coleman. The choice of the Nelson County assistant principal, shown at right, is a signal that Beshear will be courting retired and active teachers heavily. Beshear has fought in the media and in court with Governor Bevin over state retirement benefits.

Beshear, the son of former Governor Steve Beshear, is in his first term as attorney general. Beshear has focused on opioid abuse and clearing the backlog of rape kits which was a national embarrassment for Kentucky. Beshear announced that additional staff was funded for the Kentucky State Police to finally test the last of the thousands of kits that sat on shelves for lack of funds to process them.

Other Democratic potential candidates include Secretary of State Alison Grimes, former state auditor Adam Edelen and House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins. Both Grimes and Adkins were in the Purchase in May to attend a Democratic dinner in Murray.