KY Gov. Andy Beshear addresses rumors he’ll join Harris ticket at Vice President
DAVIESS CO., Ind. (WFIE) - Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is one of a handful of contenders that presidential hopeful Kamala Harris could choose as her running mate if she secures the Democratic Party’s nomination.
Multiple political analysts have named the two-term governor as a potential front-runner for the role.
Others who have been named as candidates for the role include several governors such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Former Daviess County Democratic Party Chair Ken Bosley says it’s no surprise that Beshear is a contender.
“I think because of his polling numbers nationwide, one of the most favorable governors in the United States, he’d have to be on that list,” he said.
Gov. Beshear threw his support behind Harris only the morning after President Biden’s exit from the race. During an interview with MSNBC Monday morning, Beshear seemingly avoided the question of whether he would accept the role if asked to run alongside Harris.
“I think if somebody calls you on that, what you do is at least listen,” he said.
During an interview with CNN later in the day, the Kentucky governor disclosed that he was one of Harris’ first calls after announcing her campaign.
“I’m going to keep any of the details of that call personal,” Beshear said about that call from the Vice President. “What she did is she called and asked for my support, and I willingly gave it”
Beshear has also publicly backed Harris like any good VP candidate would by bashing his opponent, Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance.
“J.D Vance ain’t from here. The nerve that he had to call the people of Kentucky. The people of eastern Kentucky, lazy,” said Beshear on Vance’s book Hillbilly Elegy.
According to Bosley, what Gov. Beshear would bring to the Democratic ticket as a vice president is the possibility of delivering a win in red-state Kentucky.
“He’s done proved that,” said Bosley. “He’s won the governor’s race twice, so we don’t want to say he can’t win Kentucky.”
Even as a Democrat, Beshear won his gubernatorial race this past November by a five-point margin.
However, since a victory in Kentucky only earns Democrats eight of the 270 electoral votes needed to win, Bosley says question comes down to whether Kentucky will play a big enough role in the Democrats strategy for November.
“I don’t know what Kentucky could do for Harris,” said Bosley. “He’s young. He’s got a good track record, but we need someone that can deliver a certain area. So, I doubt that Andy will be asked.”
Whether Gov. Beshear does get a call from Harris or not, Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Jaqueline Coleman says she’s ready to step in to take his place.
“The reason they have the lieutenant governor is to have that succession plan in place,” she said Monday. “They pick someone they believe is ready. I wouldn’t have accepted if I didn’t think I was ready, and I don’t think the governor would’ve asked me if he didn’t think I was ready.”
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