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Andy Beshear
DWon the Primary, 2023 Kentucky Governor, Primary Election
Won the General, 2015 Kentucky Attorney General
Governor (KY) (2020 - Present)
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What is your stance on abortion?
- Pro-choice
Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?
- No
Do you support the legalization of same sex marriage?
- Yes
Should gay couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples?
- Yes
Should employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job?
- Yes
Should the government enforce a "stay-at-home" order to combat the coronavirus?
- Yes
Should the government increase environmental regulations to prevent climate change?
- Yes
Should the government continue to fund Planned Parenthood?
- Yes, their services reach far beyond abortions and can save many lives through cancer screening, prenatal services, and adoption referrals
Do you support the impeachment of President Donald Trump?
- Yes
Should the government require children to be vaccinated for preventable diseases?
- Yes
Should marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?
- Yes
Should health insurers be allowed to deny coverage to individuals who have a pre-existing condition?
- No, it is immoral to deny health insurance to people with pre-existing conditions
Should police officers be required to wear body cameras?
- Yes
Should the federal government institute a mandatory buyback of assault weapons?
- Yes
Should a business be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner’s religious beliefs?
- No, all customers deserve to be treated equally
Should the government regulate the prices of life-saving drugs?
- Yes, and the government should regulate the price of all prescription drugs
Should "gender identity" be added to anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes
Should teachers be allowed to carry guns at school?
- No
Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
- Yes
Should adults that are illegally attempting to cross the U.S. border be separated from their children?
- No
Should the U.S. raise taxes on the rich?
- Yes
Should the government increase funding for mental health research and treatment?
- Yes, our mental healthcare system needs more funding to provide a higher quality of care and services
When should your state end the "Stay at Home" order and reopen its economy?
- Until a vaccine is approved by the FDA
Should the U.S. build a wall along the southern border?
- No
Should there be a temporary ban on all immigration into the United States?
- No
Do you support increasing taxes for the rich in order to reduce interest rates for student loans?
- Yes
Should the government raise the federal minimum wage?
- Yes
Should Muslim immigrants be banned from entering the country until the government improves its ability to screen out potential terrorists?
- No
Should local police increase surveillance and patrol of Muslim neighborhoods?
- No, targeting Muslims is unconstitutional, racist, and incendiary
Should the federal government pay for tuition at four-year colleges and universities?
- No, but provide more scholarship opportunities for low-income students
Should the redrawing of Congressional districts be controlled by an independent, non-partisan commission?
- Yes, gerrymandering gives an unfair advantage to the party in power during redistricting
Should the military allow women to serve in combat roles?
- Yes, preventing women from serving in combat roles is discriminatory
Should businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member?
- Yes, the lack of paid sick leave is unfair to working men and women
Should the U.S. go to war with Iran?
- No
Should illegal immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare?
- Yes, if they pay taxes
Should people on the "no-fly list" be banned from purchasing guns and ammunition?
- Yes, if the government considers you too dangerous to board a plane you should not be able to buy a gun
Should children of illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
- Yes
Should every 18 year old citizen be required to provide at least one year of military service?
- No, service should be a choice instead of an obligation
Should immigrants be deported if they commit a serious crime?
- Yes, as long as it is safe for them to return to their country
Should the U.S. remain in the United Nations?
- Yes
Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
- Yes, and retroactively reduce sentences for those already serving time
Should foreign lobbyists be allowed to raise money for American elections?
- No, foreign interests should not be able to buy the influence of our politicians
Should the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid)?
- Yes
Do you support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)?
- Yes
Should there be term limits set for members of Congress?
- Yes, term limits will increase performance and prevent corruption
Do you support the legalization of Marijuana?
- Yes, but only for medical use
Should the electoral college be abolished?
- Yes
Should the U.S. raise or lower the tax rate for corporations?
- Raise
Should local law enforcement be allowed to detain illegal immigrants for minor crimes and transfer them to federal immigration authorities?
- No, only if they are convicted of a violent crime
Do you support the death penalty?
- No
1. Should there be a limit to the amount of money a candidate can receive from a donor?
- Yes, politicians should not be bought by wealthy donors
Do you support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources?
- No, we should pursue more sustainable energy resources instead
Should the government attempt to influence foreign elections?
- No, and we should not try to influence any other country’s elections or policy
Should the NSA (National Security Agency) be allowed to collect basic metadata of citizen’s phone calls such as numbers, timestamps, and call durations?
- No, only with a warrant showing probable cause of criminal activity
Do you support a single-payer healthcare system?
- No
Should immigrants be required to learn English?
- No, we should embrace the diversity that immigrants add to our country
Should it be illegal to join a boycott of Israel?
- No, this is a violation of free speech
Should working illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
- Yes, create a simple path to citizenship for immigrants with no criminal record
Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?
- Yes
Should transgender athletes be allowed to compete in athletic events?
- Yes
1. Should the U.S. remain in NATO?
- Yes
Should victims of gun violence be allowed to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers?
- No, manufacturers and dealers should only be held liable for negligence
Should the government give tax credits and subsidies to the wind power industry?
- Yes, the government should support more sustainable energy technologies
Should the President be able to authorize military force against Al-Qaeda without Congressional approval?
- No
Should states be allowed to display the Confederate flag on government property?
- No, it is a symbol of racism, separatism and treason
Should foreigners, currently residing in the United States, have the right to vote?
- No, only legal citizens should be allowed to vote
Do you support the killing of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani?
- No
Should the military be allowed to use enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to gain information from suspected terrorists?
- No
Should illegal immigrants be offered in-state tuition rates at public colleges within their residing state?
- Yes, as long as they pay taxes
Should the government regulate social media sites, as a means to prevent fake news and misinformation?
- No, the government should not determine what is fake or real news
Should the U.S. increase restrictions on its current border security policy?
- No, make it easier for immigrants to access temporary work visas
Should a photo ID be required to vote?
- Yes, this will prevent voter fraud
Should businesses be required to have women on their board of directors?
- No, board members should be the most qualified regardless of gender
Should the government hire private companies to run prisons?
- No
Should the government prevent "mega mergers" of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry?
- Yes, and the government should break up existing mega corporations
Should internet service providers be allowed to speed up access to popular websites (that pay higher rates) at the expense of slowing down access to less popular websites (that pay lower rates)?
- No
Should disposable products (such as plastic cups, plates, and cutlery) that contain less than 50% of biodegradable material be banned?
- Yes
Should welfare recipients be tested for drugs?
- No
Should the U.S. expand offshore oil drilling?
- No
Should the U.S. continue to support Israel?
- We should give equal support to Israel and Palestine.
Should immigrants be required to pass a citizenship test to demonstrate a basic understanding of our country’s language, history, and government?
- Yes, but it should only cover very basic and simple topics
Should terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via assisted suicide?
- Yes, but only after a psychological examination to show they fully understand this choice
Should political candidates be required to release their recent tax returns to the public?
- Yes
Should the U.S. withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement?
- No
Should the government make cuts to public spending in order to reduce the national debt?
- No
1. Should corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations be allowed to donate to political parties?
- No, and political campaigns should be publicly funded
Should the US increase or decrease the amount of temporary work visas given to high-skilled immigrant workers?
- Increase
Do you support the Patriot Act?
- No, and pass strict laws prohibiting government surveillance without probable cause and a warrant
Should people be required to work in order to receive Medicaid?
- No, the vast majority of people who receive Medicaid are disabled
Do you support a universal basic income program?
- Yes, everyone should receive an income to cover basic necessities including food and housing
Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate drug prices for Medicare?
- Yes
Should universities provide "trigger warnings" and "safe spaces" for students?
- Yes
Should it be illegal to burn the American flag?
- No, it’s just a piece of cloth that doesn’t represent what it should
Should there be a 5-year ban on White House and Congressional officials from becoming lobbyists after they leave the government?
- Yes, and ban all forms of lobbying
Should the U.S. conduct military strikes against North Korea in order to destroy their long-range missile and nuclear weapons capabilities?
- No, we must use every diplomatic option first
Should the minimum voting age be lowered?
- No, and voters should be required to pass a basic test demonstrating their understanding of politics in order to vote
Should there be fewer or more restrictions on current welfare benefits?
- Fewer, current benefits do not provide enough support
Do you believe labor unions help or hurt the economy?
- Help
Should the government pass laws which protect whistleblowers?
- Yes, but only if releasing the information does not threaten our national security
Should the U.S. provide military aid to Saudi Arabia during its conflict with Yemen?
- No, and cut ties with Saudi Arabia until they end their human rights violations
Should women be allowed to wear a Niqab, or face veil, to civic ceremonies?
- Yes, we should respect all cultural traditions
Should the government increase or decrease military spending?
- Decrease
Should the Supreme Court be reformed to include more seats and term limits on judges?
- Yes
Should prisons ban the use of solitary confinement for juveniles?
- Yes, and we should create more social programs to help prevent and rehabilitate criminals
Should the IRS create a free electronic tax filing system?
- Yes
Should the U.S. accept refugees from Syria?
- Yes
Do you support affirmative action programs?
- Yes
Do you support Common Core national standards?
- No, teach to each student's potential instead of uniform testing
Should the US assassinate suspected terrorists in foreign countries?
- No
Should the government support a separation of church and state by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments?
- Yes, but do not waste money removing existing references
Should the government increase the tax rate on profits earned from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate?
- Yes, on stocks and bonds but not real estate
Should researchers be allowed to use animals in testing the safety of drugs, vaccines, medical devices, and cosmetics?
- Yes, but not for cosmetics
Should cities open drug "safe havens" where people who are addicted to illegal drugs can use them under the supervision of medical professionals?
- Yes, drug abuse should be treated as a health issue, not a criminal issue
Should the government stop construction of the Dakota Access pipeline?
- Yes
Should the US increase or decrease foreign aid spending?
- Increase
Should the U.S. send ground troops into Syria to fight ISIS?
- No, we should stay out of this conflict
Should the government require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours?
- Yes, and all employees should be paid time-and-a-half for overtime hours regardless of their pay scale
Should the government be allowed to seize private property, with reasonable compensation, for public or civic use?
- Yes
Should foreign terrorism suspects be given constitutional rights?
- No, they should be tried in military tribunals but not subject to torture
Should the military fly drones over foreign countries to gain intelligence and kill suspected terrorists?
- Yes
Should the government use economic stimulus to aid the country during times of recession?
- Yes
Should there be more or less privatization of veterans’ healthcare?
- Less, we should increase funding to improve the current system instead
Should the government raise the retirement age for Social Security?
- No, this will disadvantage low income seniors whose life expectancy is lower than wealthier seniors
Should producers be required to label genetically engineered foods (GMOs)?
- Yes, consumers have a right to know what is in their food
Should the federal government fund Universal preschool?
- Yes
Should convicted criminals have the right to vote?
- Yes, every citizen deserves the right to vote
Should the United States pull all military troops out of Afghanistan?
- Yes
Should immigrants to the United States be allowed to hold dual citizenship status?
- Yes
Should a politician, who has been formerly convicted of a crime, be allowed to run for office?
- Yes, as long as it was not a felony, violent, financial, or sexual crime
Do you support mandatory minimum prison sentences for people charged with drug possession?
- No
Should the U.S. continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?
- Yes, NAFTA helps lower the prices of consumer products
Should the current estate tax rate be decreased?
- No, and increase it at a progressive rate
Do you support the use of nuclear energy?
- Yes, temporarily while we increase investment into cleaner renewable alternatives
Should drug traffickers receive the death penalty?
- No
Should the government fund space travel?
- Yes, and drastically increase NASA’s current budget
Should the U.S. formally declare war on ISIS?
- No, we should not legitimize ISIS as a sovereign entity
Do you support President Obama’s move to lift the trade and travel embargo on Cuba?
- Yes
Should the government add or increase tariffs on products imported into the country?
- No, a global free trade system is better for our businesses and consumers
Should the U.S. increase tariffs on imported products from China?
- No
Should the U.S. provide military assistance to defend Ukraine from Russia?
- No, we should pursue diplomatic options instead
Should the President offer tax breaks to individual companies to keep jobs in the U.S.?
- No
Should the government break up Amazon, Facebook and Google?
- No
1. Should the U.S. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
- Yes, and refusing to defend other NATO countries sets a dangerous precedent for the balance of global power
Should the Federal Reserve Bank be audited by Congress?
- Yes, we deserve to know who the bank gives money to
Should the government subsidize farmers?
- Yes
Would you favor an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes?
- No
Should the U.S. continue NSA surveillance of its allies?
- No, spying on our allies severely damages our reputation abroad
Should pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts?
- No, privately managed accounts will jeopardize the financial security of senior citizens
Should U.S. citizens be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts?
- No, too many wealthy citizens are abusing loopholes in offshore banking laws to evade taxes
Should the U.S. government grant immunity to Edward Snowden?
- Yes, he should be protected under the Whistleblower Protection Act
Do you support charter schools?
- No, we should focus on improving our public schools and increasing teacher wages instead
Should the U.S. prevent Russia from conducting airstrikes in Syria?
- No, all airstrikes should be conducted through UN coordination
Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?
- Yes
Do you support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
- Yes, it will bring economic growth to all countries involved
Should the U.S. sell military weapons to India in order to counter Chinese and Russian influence?
- No, and we should increase diplomatic efforts to resolve conflicts peacefully
Should pension payments be increased for retired government workers?
- Yes, for government workers but not for politicians
Should the government increase spending on public transportation?
- Yes
Should Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of Israel?
- No
Should an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers?
- Yes
Should the government decriminalize school truancy?
- No
Should the Chinese government be able to extradite fugitives from Hong Kong?
- No
Should cities be allowed to offer private companies economic incentives to relocate?
- Yes, as long as the tax revenue will eventually exceed the tax incentives
Should the government cancel production of the F-35 fighter?
- No
Should the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency?
- No
Should the government acquire equity stakes in companies it bails out during a recession?
- No
Should the United States acquire Greenland?
- No
Should the military upgrade Air Force One?
- No, not until the cost ($4B) is dramatically reduced
Should sports betting be legal?
- Yes
Strengthening Public Education
I believe in a Kentucky where we fully fund every public school and make sure every child has a shot at the American dream—regardless of zip code or family income. It’s a disgrace that some of our kids read from ten-year-old text books held together with duct tape. I’m proud to be the only candidate with an active educator on the ticket in Jacqueline Coleman. Strong public schools will help us attract companies who want to invest in Kentucky and allow our children to pursue their dreams without having to move away.
Affordable Health Care
Health care is a basic human right. All Kentuckians, no matter where they live or how much they earn, deserve access to affordable health care. I’m currently fighting against a federal court ruling which would eliminate mandatory coverage for pre-existing conditions and could eliminate health coverage for 1.3 million Kentuckians — costing Kentucky in both money and lives. Also, on my first day as governor, I will halt Governor Bevin’s effort to throw thousands of families off the Medicaid program. Learn more
Good-Paying Jobs
Under Matt Bevin, Kentucky is near the bottom in the nation for job and wage growth. I will work every day to bring good-paying jobs that enable our hardworking men and women to raise their families. My vision for growing our economy doesn’t depend on massive give-aways for wealthy out-of-state CEOs like we’ve seen from Matt Bevin. We should be investing in our workforce and focusing on the areas in which Kentucky is uniquely positioned to lead, like agritech, automation, data analytics and healthcare.
Pensions
We’ve made a promise to our teachers, police officers, firefighters and other public employees that they’ll be able to retire with dignity, and under my watch, Kentucky will keep that promise. When this governor tried to slash pensions, I went to the Supreme Court and personally argued for the promised pensions of more than 200,000 teachers, police officers, firefighters, EMS, social workers and nearly all city and county employees in Kentucky. Our public servants go to work everyday to keep our communities safe, educate tomorrow’s leaders—our children—or put themselves in harm’s way. The least we can do is protect the promised pension benefits they have paid into during their years of service.
Honesty and Openness
I believe that all candidates for governor and lieutenant governor must embrace full transparency. That’s why I became the first sitting Kentucky attorney general to release my taxes outside of an election year. I have released my tax returns for three straight years— including my 2018 returns in February—and Jacqueline has released her 2017 and 2018 returns. As governor, I will fight corruption in state government by requiring all statewide officeholders to release their tax returns, banning state contractors from giving gifts to public officials and instituting term limits for state legislators.
College Affordability
For far too many Kentuckians, a college education is financially out of reach. And crushing student loans are burying many of those who do go to college under a mountain of debt. As attorney general, I’ve fought against unscrupulous for-profit colleges and secured over $5 million in restitution or debt relief for Kentucky students. And I stopped Matt Bevin when he tried to illegally cut the budgets of our universities and community colleges. As governor, I’ll fight to lower the costs of attending Kentucky’s public universities and community and technical colleges.
Criminal Justice Reform
In my first week as governor, I’ll sign an executive order that automatically restores voting rights for Kentuckians with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. I’m also committed to rooting out the bias and discrimination that exists in our criminal justice system, which leads to disproportionately high incarceration rates for people of color. I will continue to work to ensure that people suffering from addiction are sent to treatment instead of jail, while ensuring that drug traffickers receive appropriate punishment.
Diversity and Inclusiveness
I believe that our state government works best when people with a wide range of voices and backgrounds have a seat at the table. I’m proud to lead an AG’s office in which more than 60% of the leadership positions are held by women or people of color. As governor, my office and my cabinet will reflect the growing diversity of our great state.
Energy
Climate change is real, and Kentucky needs an all-the-above energy policy that includes renewables and clean-coal technology. At the same time, one of the biggest challenges our Kentucky families face, especially in the eastern part of the state, is that their energy bills go up year after year, while good jobs are hard to find and wages remain flat. Kentucky families shouldn’t have to choose between putting food on the table and paying their utility bills. Unfortunately, that’s a decision many families have to make. As attorney general over the last three years, my office has opposed dozens of utility bill hikes, and has helped save Kentucky families nearly $1.2 billion.
Equal Pay
It’s wrong and absurd that women in Kentucky make significantly less than men for doing the same job. As the father of both a son and a daughter, this is personal for me. Kentuckians should not be paid different amounts just because of their sex. This is common sense and as governor I’ll work to eliminate this pay gap. Learn more
Expanded Gaming
Kentucky can’t afford to fall behind our neighboring states who are moving forward with the rest of the country on expanded gaming. We lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars a year. As governor, I will work to legalize sports betting, casinos, fantasy sports and prepare for online poker, and use the revenue from these activities as a dedicated funding stream for our public pension system.
Job Training
We must prepare our workforce for the 21st century in jobs well-suited for Kentucky in fields like agritech, automation, data analytics and healthcare; we can build an economy and workforce for the future. In a global economy, it’s vitally important that skills training continue after high school. As governor, I’ll promote apprenticeship training and work to ensure that Kentuckians can afford community college, technical school or college. In order to attract businesses to our state, we need an educated and highly-trained workforce.
Labor
I oppose so-called Right-To-Work (for less) laws that undermine workers’ rights, and every year as governor, I will support a bill to repeal this law and reinstate the prevailing wage law. Right-To-Work (for less) results in lower wages and fewer benefits for working families. Unlike this governor, who is dismissive of the struggles facing working families, I understand that our economy is stronger when working families make a truly living wage. As governor, my labor secretary will be a card-carrying union member.
Marriage Equality
I support the right of all Kentuckians to marry the person they love. Discrimination is wrong and it’s time to turn the page on a governor who seeks to divide us and demean those he disagrees with.
Medical Marijuana
I support placing medical marijuana legalization on the ballot as a constitutional amendment and would vote in its favor. I would vote for it because I’ve seen the impact opioids have had on every Kentucky community. So many Kentucky families have seen a loved one fall into addiction, and their lives have been devastated. If medical marijuana is an alternative and gives people the chance to get pain relief without being subjected to opioids, I think it’s something we’ve got to explore.
Reproductive Rights
I support the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v Wade. Women should be able to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions without interference from the government. I’ve repeatedly stood up to the legislature when they’ve tried to unconstitutionally undermine women’s rights, and I’ll continue to stand with Kentucky’s women as governor.
Opioids
We lose 30 Kentuckians a week to the drug epidemic. Our state has been devastated by this crisis. I’m the most aggressive attorney general in the nation fighting opioid manufacturers and distributors in court. I’ve kept all nine lawsuits in Kentucky, because these companies should have to show up in the communities they’ve ravaged and explain themselves. So far, we’ve directed $9.5 million in settlements to 16 treatment centers and programs across the state. This is a fight I will continue every single day as governor.
Voting Rights
I believe that our democracy is strongest when more Kentuckians are involved in the process. As Attorney General, I launched a voting rights unit to protect and fight for every Kentuckian’s right to vote. I also support the automatic restoration of voting rights for Kentuckians with a non-violent felony who have completed their sentences, and will sign an executive order doing so. We should implement automatic voter registration and make it easier for all voters to vote by absentee ballot. Learn more
By Gov. Andy Beshear COVID-19 has hit us hard. It has taken the lives of far too many and it has upended our economy, damaging Kentucky's small businesses and hurting our workers. I've seen that hurt and that sacrifice, but I've seen our small businesses doing it willingly, knowing that it's protecting the health and the lives of their customers, their employees and their community. That's why we have a duty to help them. I have submitted a bill (HB 191) to the state legislature that, if passed, would immediately provide $220 million of aid to small businesses and $20 million to nonprofits. It is the most significant aid package from Kentucky in generations, and it needs to pass as quickly as possible. The money is there. Thanks to the hard work of my administration, we have a better budget forecast than initially anticipated. The Rainy Day Fund is at its highest level ever; we have added $100 million to protect it; and we have more than $600 million in one-time money available to invest in our future. The budget also does not rely on tax increases or new revenue measures, and there are no spending cuts. We should not let these dollars sit when our small businesses are suffering and need help now. In fact, a recent poll by Politico and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health showed that almost all Americans agree, with 95% of Democrats and 92% of Republicans saying relief for small businesses should come from government. Instead of spending the first part of the legislative session trying to fight between branches -- trying to pull power from the courts or the executive branch -- we should help our businesses and our people. In addition to small business relief, I am authorizing $48 million in CARES Act funding for approximately 24,000 workers who have waited too long to receive unemployment benefits and another 60,000 who missed out on the federal government's Lost Wages Assistance Program because they made too little. I am also allocating $47.5 million to correct a legacy of underfunding the unemployment insurance (UI) system after my administration inherited a UI operation running on an IT system that has been in operation since the 1970s and is functionally obsolete. In the years leading up to the pandemic, lawmakers and the previous administration closed in-person offices, cut 95 employees and slashed the UI budget by $16 million. This, coupled with a once-in-a-lifetime, 1,300% year-over-year increase in claims meant many Kentuckians have had to wait too long for their payments during a difficult time. I am providing funding to restore employees to help with unemployment claims at the 12 career centers throughout the commonwealth. This plan is part of my Better Kentucky Budget proposal I unveiled last week. In addition to relief, we are prioritizing our people by investing in their education, health care and retirements. My proposal includes raises for educators and state employees; $100 million to build or repair our schools; support for our law enforcement and retired military; increased funding for K-12 and higher education; and full funding for our retirement systems and Medicaid while providing money for additional social workers. To make sure we lead in the post COVID economy, I am proposing bold investment in our future including $50 million to expand broadband to make sure that everyone who needs it has it. To further support education, we are going to provide assistance to more than 6,300 Kentuckians to attend college or earn a certificate through the Better Kentucky Promise scholarship program. This is the bold agenda we need now. State leaders have no excuse for not seizing this moment. We can have a fiscally responsible budget at the same time we help Kentucky families break free of this global crisis. It will take courage. It will take vision. It also will take Kentuckians everywhere raising their voices, calling and emailing their elected officials telling them we need to pass relief and invest in our people and our future. Now is the time for all Kentuckians to demand we take our rightful place as leaders in the post-COVID world and pass the Better Kentucky Budget.
A year after voters turned out in record numbers to help Democrats recapture the House majority with health care -- not the Russia investigation -- as their top concern, Republicans refuse to address their worst political liability heading toward the 2020 elections. Alarm bells are ringing in the deep-red South where Republicans have lost gubernatorial races this month in Kentucky and Louisiana -- despite rallies President Trump held to boost their prospects -- largely on the issue of Medicaid expansion. Republicans in Washington better hear them. Andy Beshear upset incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin in Kentucky, campaigning against the work requirements Bevin put on Medicaid in a state that had seen the uninsured rate for adults too young for Medicare drop from 21% to 7%. Democratic Gov. Jon Bel Edwards fended off a GOP challenge Saturday from a candidate pledging to block new enrollment in Medicaid and conduct stricter oversight of how recipients qualify for benefits. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, won her race in 2018 after running on the same issue in a state Trump won by 20 percentage points. Since then she has battled with Republicans in the state legislature who are pushing for work requirements she has called “a non-starter.” “Medicaid is kryptonite to Republicans once it’s been introduced,” Matthew Continetti, founder of The Free Beacon and a conservative, noted on “Meet the Press” the week before Edwards prevailed. “In places like Kentucky, Louisiana where [expansion] has been introduced, Republicans have to come to grips with the fact that the safety net is not going anywhere.” So while the issue threatens red-state Republicans, smart Democrats will campaign on Medicaid in purple states such as Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, where it has not been expanded. If Democrat Doug Jones, the most vulnerable senator up for reelection next year, holds on to his seat in Alabama, it will likely be because of Medicaid expansion. “Time and again, people in states across the country have affirmed their support for expansion by supporting candidates who embrace the Medicaid program,” said Democrat Capri S. Cafaro, executive in residence at American University’s School of Public Affairs, citing both the Kentucky governor’s race and elections in Utah and Nebraska, where the issue was explicitly on the ballot. “Medicaid expansion’s popularity amongst the electorate is growing and thus will remain a prominent policy issue in the 2020 election,” added the former minority leader in the Ohio Senate where she co-authored and co-sponsored a Medicaid reform law. In addition to their anxieties over coverage and costs, GOP voters in rural areas are victims of a burgeoning hospital closure crisis. Since 2010 Texas has seen 17 hospitals close, for example. According to a report by the Urban Institute, nearly 20% of Texans younger than 65 are uninsured despite most of them working, the highest number in the country. There is majority support in the Lone Star State for expanding Medicaid, and health care will be a huge political burden for Republicans on the ballot there next year as Democrats work to replicate the turnout surge they saw in 2018. Sen. Ted Cruz, who won his race last year by only 2.6 percentage points, said while he thinks Sen. John Cornyn and President Trump can win next year, he admits it’s a state that “will be hotly contested.” At the nearly 10-year anniversary of passing the Affordable Care Act, Democrats -- who were on defense over the law’s unpopularity during four elections in six years -- were on offense in the 2018 midterms touting the successes of Obamacare, a program that is now more popular than President Trump. In May, our RealClear Opinion Research poll showed health care remained the number one issue for voters at 36%, 10 points higher than the economy and more than 21 points ahead of immigration. Earlier this year, Trump declared the GOP to be “the party of health care” and enthusiastically repeated that assertion, promising voters a plan was being developed that would produce “far lower” costs and would be “on full display during the Election as a much better & less expensive alternative to ObamaCare...” That is not happening -- no one is developing a health care plan that Trump and Republicans will be campaigning on next year. What is happening is the administration has joined a lawsuit that may end up in the Supreme Court, and be decided next summer, that could dismantle the rest of Obamacare (the individual mandate was eliminated by the GOP tax law of 2017), rendering 20 million people uninsured and destabilizing the entire system. The administration has also issued new federal rules or executive orders on health care, but they are likely to face legal challenges and it’s unclear whether they will represent changes significant enough for voters to experience by next year’s elections. Meanwhile, prospects for bipartisan drug pricing legislation are fading as the left demands something more perfect while the right says proposed price controls will threaten innovation. This will further frustrate voters who have paid an additional $5.1 billion more for the seven most-prescribed drugs in the last two years alone -- despite hearing Democrats and the president tout the issue as a top priority. For all the criticisms Trump is spewing these days about the “Do Nothing Democrats,” it will be hard for him to attack them on health care. That’s because the GOP failed to repeal and replace health care before the 2018 midterm elections, and the party has ignored the issue ever since. But Democrats can blow their advantage if they nominate Sens. Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders, who both support Medicare for All. That plan is deeply unpopular with general election voters, swing state voters and most Democratic primary voters, who support a public option instead. The Republicans’ health care plan is to run against Medicare for All as a scary, costly and socialist plot to ruin health care as we know it. If Democrats oblige them, Republicans will be rescued from their decision to turn their backs on the voters’ number one concern. Source: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/
Andy Beshear, right, and his running mate, Jacqueline Coleman, celebrated in Louisville on Tuesday, after Mr. Beshear won the Democratic nomination for governor. Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press Kentucky Democrats on Tuesday nominated the state’s attorney general, Andy Beshear, to run against embattled Gov. Matt Bevin, who fended off a surprisingly strong challenge in a Republican primary that illustrated his general election vulnerability. Mr. Bevin captured only about 52 percent of the vote and lost a wide swath of counties in eastern Kentucky to Robert Goforth, a little-known state lawmaker. In Mr. Beshear, the governor will be facing the son of the man he succeeded, in a race that will test whether Kentucky’s turn toward the G.O.P., and President Trump’s appeal in the state, is enough to offset the incumbent’s deep unpopularity. The general election is Nov. 5. Mr. Beshear survived a scare of his own in Tuesday’s primary. He won with about 38 percent of the ballots after splitting voters with another mainstream Democrat, the former state auditor Adam Edelen, and a conservative Democrat, State Representative Rocky Adkins. Mr. Bevin was elected governor in 2015 after entering Kentucky politics by unsuccessfully challenging Senator Mitch McConnell in 2014, but he has seen his popularity plummet after clashing with state employees and teachers. He has made several incendiary comments and repeatedly sparred with the state’s news media. Gov. Matt Bevin of Kentucky after surviving a challenge in the Republican primary on Tuesday. Bryan Woolston/Associated Press He also has the dubious distinction of being the least popular governor in the country, according to the polling organization Morning Consult. But Kentucky, which has a long history of electing Democrats to state and local office, has started to embrace Republicans up and down the ballot. Mr. Bevin has assiduously courted Mr. Trump, making repeated trips to Washington and appearing with him whenever he can. The question is whether the president can transfer his popularity in a heavily conservative state to an incumbent who has alienated crucial constituencies. Voters in central Pennsylvania also went to the polls Tuesday, where by a wide margin they elected Fred Keller, a Republican state lawmaker, to fill an open seat in a conservative House district. Mr. Trump appeared in the district this week to rally support for Mr. Keller. In Kentucky, Mr. Beshear was the best-known candidate in the Democratic race, thanks to the prominence of his father, Steve Beshear, who was governor from 2007 to 2015. He focused his campaign on economic issues, including health care and the state’s pension crisis. The abortion rights group Naral supported him, an important endorsement in a race that featured Mr. Adkins, who opposes abortion rights. Like several other states, Kentucky recently passed a highly restrictive abortion law, known as a “heartbeat bill,” and Mr. Bevin has called himself “the most pro-life governor in America.” Mr. Edelen energized some liberal Kentuckians and also received some prominent endorsements, including from the state’s largest newspaper, The Courier Journal of Louisville. But it was Mr. Adkins who proved to be more of a threat, sweeping much of eastern Kentucky and demonstrating the enduring strength of a more conservative brand of Democratic politics in rural areas. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/us/politics/kentucky-primary-elections.html
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