As Kentucky approaches the final stretch before the November 7 general election, incumbent Governor Andy Beshear and Attorney General turned gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron are nearing the full throes of debate season.
On the calendar for both: an 11:30 AM to 1 PM Thursday, October 12, appearance at the “Power in Partnership” Luncheon in McCracken County.
Sponsored by the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce and WPSD Local 6, Beshear and Cameron are expected to address the future of the Commonwealth — and what it would look like under their vision and guidance.
Beshear’s first term was beleaguered by unprecedented challenges, including a global pandemic surrounding COVID-19, an ice storm in central Kentucky, a pair of long-tracking tornadoes in west Kentucky, and historic flooding in east Kentucky.
His response in each has naturally drawn both praise and scrutiny, depending on who one talks to, but his tenure has also largely been lauded as a time of economic growth for the Commonwealth. Bounce back from the shutdown can be quantified in new jobs reports, a recovering workforce participation rate and record-low unemployment.
As such, Beshear tells the News Edge he’s looking forward to Thursday’s coming conversation against Cameron.
Beshear also noted that, if re-elected, he’d be working to complete several promises already made to many Kentuckians.
Cameron is among many of the state’s top Republicans who have questioned Democrat efforts in the Commonwealth over the last three years.
At the zenith of his concerns, Cameron tells the News Edge: Beshear’s perceived failures in education, crime and protection of the family unit.
Citing Beshear as a “shut-down” governor during the pandemic, Cameron said that’s something he would’ve never done — nor will ever do.
Furthermore, Cameron notes he wants to “re-establish a culture of work,” catch kids up in a new 16-week reading/science/math program, give more money to teachers, and “restore discipline” in the classroom.
In reference to the state’s increased crime, Cameron points to Beshear’s release of more than 1,800 inmates during the pandemic — as well as his own endorsement from the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police and 200-plus law enforcement leaders — as checks in his favor.
He also stated he wants to be the governor who “zeroes out” the state’s income tax — an effort that’s currently stalled due to unmet revenue benchmarks.
Several other contentious and controversial topics could also serve as fodder for friction in this, and two other, upcoming debates — including Beshear’s vetoing of the anti-trans Senate Bill 150, Cameron’s involvement around Louisville’s Breonna Taylor case, the long-litigated language around abortion and women’s health, and more.
Milder topics could include budgetary decisions, the state’s pension fund following the legalization of sports betting, and infrastructure needs for Kentucky.
Emerson College Polling, a highly-reputable service per fivethirtyeight.com, revealed last week Beshear owns a 16-point lead on Cameron going into these final 30 days: 49% to 33%, with 13% still undecided.
Spencer Kimball, executive director of ECP, reported that Beshear holds a 66% approval rating among state Democrats and a 34% approval rating among independent and Republican voters.
The poll was conducted October 1-3, consisted of 450 registered voters, and displayed a margin of error at 4.6%.
Some other things to consider going into Thursday, and beyond:
— In January 2020, just before the pandemic, Kentucky’s workforce participation was at 58.8% and its unemployment was at 4.1%. In August 2023, workforce participation was 57.6% and unemployment was at 4%.
— In 2020, and per the Center for Disease Control, Kentucky’s COVID-19 death rate was just over 74-per-100,000 cases. In 2021, that doubled to just over 136-per-100,000 cases. According to The New York Times, to date more than 20,000 Kentuckians have died due to complications from the coronavirus. Only Mississippi, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Alabama have higher COVID-19 death rates, while California, Texas, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania own the most COVID-19 related deaths.
— Through factcheck.org, Kentucky was one of 24 states that released nearly 38,000 inmates early due to the pandemic. Through a request from Louisville’s Representative Jason Nemes, a report released in October 2021 found nearly a third of those 1,800-plus released early were tacked with new charges. However, a review from the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet revealed most charges came following the prisoners’ projected release. Many of the commuted offenses were drug-related.
— In a letter to an unnamed Republican member of the Kentucky General Assembly, officials with the University of Kentucky’s Transform Clinic admitted to performing some sex change surgeries on children, despite Beshear’s previous insistence they “don’t happen.”
Per Fox News, the letter denoted the organization “does not perform genital gender reassignment surgery on minors,” but had in recent years “performed a small number of non-genital gender reassignment surgeries on minors, such as mastectomies for older adolescents,” and at the behest of parental consent and “careful medical evaluation.” Beshear has said repeatedly he does not, and has not ever, supported sex reassignment surgeries for minors.
Cameron has since doubled down, and recently released an ad indicating Beshear would freely allow reassigned boys and young men to pervade girls and women’s athletics.
— Within the last month, Beshear has released a scathing ad, in which a young woman named “Hadley” states she would’ve had “no option” for abortion under Cameron, despite being raped and impregnated by her stepfather at 12 years old. Cameron has issued a rebuttal, clarifying while he supports the state’s near “trigger ban” on abortion after six weeks, he would “sign a bill that adds exceptions” like rape and incest if it passed in Kentucky legislature.
