For months, rumors swirled regarding Kentucky’s Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron and his potential candidacy for the Republican governor primary in 2023.
Wednesday afternoon, Cameron swept away rumors and announced his campaign for the position — set to begin immediately.
In a written statement, Cameron said he decided to run for governor because “Kentucky needs a leader who reflects the values of the men, women and children of all 120 counties,” and “that’s not [Kentucky’s] current governor.”
In Cameron’s note, the attorney general attack Beshear’s early COVID-19 protocols, stating that “if you attend church or own a small business, you should know your Governor won’t target you and shut you down.” Cameron added that Kentuckians should expected a governor who will “stand up for life, and that if you’re in law enforcement, you deserve a governor who won’t abandon you for political gain.”
Cameron’s campaign website can be found at CameronforKentucky.com.
Current Governor Andy Beshear’s office released a statement about Cameron’s announcement, citing Beshear’s popularity not just within the state, but the country, because “he works for Kentuckians, with strong leadership that is taking Kentucky from difficult years…to record-breaking economic development.”
The statement noted Beshear’s record comes in “clear contrast” of Cameron’s, with Kentuckians “less safe from predators” under his “failed and highly politicized term as AG.” The statement called out Cameron’s weak record of protecting children, seniors and survivors, and because of the alleged politicizing of his office, “Kentucky voters will have a clear choice next November if he emerges from the messy Republican primary.”
Cameron joins a Republican primary that already includes Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and State Auditor Mike Harmon, with continued steam that former United States UN Ambassador Kelly Craft might also be involved.
Cameron is the 51st Attorney General for Kentucky, the first Republican to hold the position since 1944, and the first-ever African-American in state history to hold the post.
