Andy Beshear is Actively Pursuing a Potential 2028 Presidential Campaign
A Democratic operative who extended an invitation to the Kentucky governor to be the main speaker at a 2024 fundraiser noted that major donors failed to recognize him upon his initial arrival at the event.
TroibNews 
PERRY COUNTY, Kentucky — Andy Beshear is not merely considering a run for the presidency; he is actively charting a path for a potential 2028 campaign.
The Kentucky governor is engaging with donors behind closed doors, recording podcasts, and making frequent appearances at national events. Consulting for him is a former communications staffer for Kamala Harris, and he's set to speak at the Future Forward donor summit this weekend in California. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has identified him as one of the toughest Democrats to defeat.
Beshear, a popular two-term governor, has demonstrated his ability to win in traditionally Republican areas while unapologetically embracing Democratic values. However, his relative obscurity on the national stage presents a significant challenge as he attempts to translate his “reasonable” and “common sense” narrative from Kentucky into a national campaign. The key question will be whether his laid-back demeanor generates excitement among major Democratic donors and primary voters amidst a fragmented media landscape.
“He’s the kind of guy that is either going to bump along at two percent and never catch fire, or he’ll catch fire and you’ll say, ‘Where did this guy come from?’” commented Pete Giangreco, a veteran of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns. “He’s a former attorney general, he talks about ‘all God’s children,’ and you believe him. He’s the exact opposite of Donald Trump, so he’s an intriguing dark horse for a reason.”
While Beshear draws comparisons to former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the political landscape has shifted since those eras. Other rural-state Democratic governors, such as Montana's Steve Bullock and Colorado's John Hickenlooper, struggled to gain traction in the 2020 Democratic primary.
The upcoming 2028 campaign may offer favorable circumstances for governors, with Democrats currently out of power in Washington and needing to coordinate an effective response to Trump's changes in federal governance. Governors saw their visibility increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a rare source of power for Democrats today.
“He’s definitely actively making the rounds on the donor circuit,” said a prominent Democratic donor adviser who requested anonymity to discuss private matters. His super PAC invested six figures in a rural mail campaign during the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race in March, representing an initial electoral challenge in the second Trump administration. Beshear has also delivered speeches at notable events, including Davos and the House Democrats’ “issues conference” in Virginia, while headlining a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hosted by Nancy Pelosi in March. He is receiving consulting support from Lauren Hitt, the former Kamala Harris aide, alongside new fundraising consultants.
Significantly, Beshear will become the chair of the Democratic Governors Association next year, a role that has propelled other presidential hopefuls, like Tim Walz, to expand their networks.
“What you see are cable news stations that set up a camera outside of Congress because it's the easiest thing to do, and then take whatever is said there, and say, ‘that’s this party or that party.’ Governors are very different,” Beshear reflected in an interview with PMG while seated in the back of his black SUV. “You have a big difference, I will say, between the DC bubble and when you’re a governor.”
Despite being a member of the pool of potential candidates among governors, Beshear faces significant hurdles in building his national profile. He does not represent a wealthy economy like California's Gavin Newsom, nor is he a billionaire like Illinois’ JB Pritzker. Additionally, he lacks the visibility that figures like Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro have on cable news and among major donors.
A Democratic operative who invited Beshear to headline a 2024 fundraiser noted that major donors initially did not recognize him when he arrived, suggesting he lacks the excitement and intrigue necessary to capture their attention. “He strikes me as a great Cabinet secretary,” the operative added.
Nonetheless, some Democratic senators have taken notice of Beshear's efforts, reaching out to him in recent weeks to discuss his approach to key issues, according to a source familiar with the communications who requested anonymity for the private conversations. Furthermore, House Democratic leadership continues to invite him to significant events.
“There’s not enough people who have watched what he’s done,” stated Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “I think people should be studying what he’s done.”
Beshear has a track record of success in a party that has struggled in recent elections. His political career began in 2015 when he won the race for Kentucky attorney general — the same year his father, Steve Beshear, completed his term as the state’s Democratic governor. At the time, many attributed his victory to his last name. In 2019, Beshear narrowly defeated Matt Bevin, an unpopular Republican governor with business credentials who ran on a Trumpian platform. Some observers credited Beshear's win in a state that Trump had carried by 30 points in 2016 to Bevin’s unpopularity.
By 2023, however, Beshear's re-election against then-state Attorney General Daniel Cameron — a rising star in the GOP — by over five percentage points garnered significant attention. He not only performed well in liberal cities like Louisville and Lexington, but also expanded his margins in rural areas that had suffered from severe flooding and tornadoes.
During his first term, Beshear supported widely popular Democratic proposals, including Medicaid expansion and legalizing medical marijuana. He voiced his support for abortion rights through a compelling television advertisement, which became a model for other Democrats following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, while intertwining his Christian faith into his messaging.
“Andy’s been able to break down political barriers and work across party lines with people … because he focuses on the issues that matter most to people,” said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “Governors have to get stuff done … and I think it’s pretty clear that people are going to vote for someone who’s going to deliver for them.”
During a recent event in Perry County, Kentucky, where Beshear allocated funds to help community organizations assist flood victims in rebuilding homes, he provided a scene that Democratic ad creators would find appealing: a rain-soaked Beshear working alongside Republican lawmakers in a community that had supported both him in his 2023 campaign and Trump a year later.
“I see God in every person who's working to bring this neighborhood to life,” Beshear told the gathered crowd.
He maintains that Democrats can regain the trust of the American people by prioritizing the issues they grapple with daily. He encourages party members to speak about “faith or values or the reason we do things” and to communicate in relatable terms — referring to addiction as addiction rather than a substance use disorder.
Most crucially, he believes “the next presidential candidates need to get dirt on their boots.”
That concept resonated with Beshear during a recent visit to eastern Kentucky, where his boots were indeed muddy as he engaged with flood victims and shared light-hearted moments with local officials celebrating a birthday. Even the Republicans present acknowledged his positive impact as governor.
“When I'm around him at things like this, he seems more like the old Democrats that I grew up with — our coal miners, our laborers,” remarked Republican state Sen. Scott Madon, who joined Beshear at the event where he distributed large checks to fund new housing for flood victims. “The Democrats we see on the news every night now are not the same Democrats.”
As he shifts focus toward the Democratic primary — a process often dominated by cable news exposure — Beshear faces the challenge of standing out in a crowded field. His limited experience with such platforms was evident during recent media appearances while auditioning for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket, where he struggled to establish a strong presence against candidates like JD Vance, who has Eastern Kentucky roots.
His initial attempts on cable news were described as “canned and corny” by former staffers. “The Morning Joe interview hurt him. It was, 'Are you ready for primetime or no?' And he wasn't ready,” one former staffer noted. “Now, that may have been the best thing for him because he's not tied to that ticket and he, I'm assuming, learned a lot from that experience.”
Beshear's unassuming nature contrasts sharply with figures like Newsom, who has engaged in numerous controversies via his podcast, and Pete Buttigieg, who achieved viral attention through a lengthy appearance on “Flagrant” last month. Democratic strategists have raised questions about how Beshear might differentiate himself in debates and build the requisite name recognition.
For his part, Beshear asserts that he has the capacity to be vocal when needed, believing that shouting back at noise only leads to more noise: “When somebody's yelling, and you yell back, then there's just two people yelling, and nobody hears a thing.”
Nonetheless, he has shown readiness to take a firm stance. Earlier this year, he sharply criticized Newsom for hosting Steve Bannon on his podcast, asserting that “I don’t think we should give [Bannon] oxygen on any platform — ever, anywhere.” Additionally, while Newsom diverged from party lines regarding trans athletes in sports, Beshear has championed the rights of transgender athletes in his state, gaining praise from progressives.
In March 2023, leading up to his re-election, Beshear vetoed legislation aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths, asserting that “all children are children of God.” Reflecting on the situation, he recounted an encounter with a constituent who approached him after the veto. “But he stuck out his hand, and the first thing he said surprised me a little bit. He said, ‘I'm not sure I agree with you … But I know you're doing what you think is right,’” Beshear recounted. “And he slapped me on the back, and he said, ‘I support you,’ and walked away.”
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville opined that if the primary electorate in 2027 is “in the mood for the most partisan, loudest person, then Andy is not going to win. That’s pretty clear; that’s not going to be a race he’s going to win.”
However, Carville believes Beshear holds an advantage regarding the party’s desire to win, highlighting his impressive performance against Trump: “When he says there was a differential of 30 points between my performance and Trump, that will impress people because they want to win. He can say, ‘If you need a podium pounder, I’m not your guy, but if you want somebody that can effectively do things to help people, then I’m there for you,’ and that may be the winning way to distinguish yourself.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
The Kentucky governor is engaging with donors behind closed doors, recording podcasts, and making frequent appearances at national events. Consulting for him is a former communications staffer for Kamala Harris, and he's set to speak at the Future Forward donor summit this weekend in California. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has identified him as one of the toughest Democrats to defeat.
Beshear, a popular two-term governor, has demonstrated his ability to win in traditionally Republican areas while unapologetically embracing Democratic values. However, his relative obscurity on the national stage presents a significant challenge as he attempts to translate his “reasonable” and “common sense” narrative from Kentucky into a national campaign. The key question will be whether his laid-back demeanor generates excitement among major Democratic donors and primary voters amidst a fragmented media landscape.
“He’s the kind of guy that is either going to bump along at two percent and never catch fire, or he’ll catch fire and you’ll say, ‘Where did this guy come from?’” commented Pete Giangreco, a veteran of multiple Democratic presidential campaigns. “He’s a former attorney general, he talks about ‘all God’s children,’ and you believe him. He’s the exact opposite of Donald Trump, so he’s an intriguing dark horse for a reason.”
While Beshear draws comparisons to former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the political landscape has shifted since those eras. Other rural-state Democratic governors, such as Montana's Steve Bullock and Colorado's John Hickenlooper, struggled to gain traction in the 2020 Democratic primary.
The upcoming 2028 campaign may offer favorable circumstances for governors, with Democrats currently out of power in Washington and needing to coordinate an effective response to Trump's changes in federal governance. Governors saw their visibility increase during the COVID-19 pandemic, representing a rare source of power for Democrats today.
“He’s definitely actively making the rounds on the donor circuit,” said a prominent Democratic donor adviser who requested anonymity to discuss private matters. His super PAC invested six figures in a rural mail campaign during the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race in March, representing an initial electoral challenge in the second Trump administration. Beshear has also delivered speeches at notable events, including Davos and the House Democrats’ “issues conference” in Virginia, while headlining a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hosted by Nancy Pelosi in March. He is receiving consulting support from Lauren Hitt, the former Kamala Harris aide, alongside new fundraising consultants.
Significantly, Beshear will become the chair of the Democratic Governors Association next year, a role that has propelled other presidential hopefuls, like Tim Walz, to expand their networks.
“What you see are cable news stations that set up a camera outside of Congress because it's the easiest thing to do, and then take whatever is said there, and say, ‘that’s this party or that party.’ Governors are very different,” Beshear reflected in an interview with PMG while seated in the back of his black SUV. “You have a big difference, I will say, between the DC bubble and when you’re a governor.”
Despite being a member of the pool of potential candidates among governors, Beshear faces significant hurdles in building his national profile. He does not represent a wealthy economy like California's Gavin Newsom, nor is he a billionaire like Illinois’ JB Pritzker. Additionally, he lacks the visibility that figures like Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer and Pennsylvania's Josh Shapiro have on cable news and among major donors.
A Democratic operative who invited Beshear to headline a 2024 fundraiser noted that major donors initially did not recognize him when he arrived, suggesting he lacks the excitement and intrigue necessary to capture their attention. “He strikes me as a great Cabinet secretary,” the operative added.
Nonetheless, some Democratic senators have taken notice of Beshear's efforts, reaching out to him in recent weeks to discuss his approach to key issues, according to a source familiar with the communications who requested anonymity for the private conversations. Furthermore, House Democratic leadership continues to invite him to significant events.
“There’s not enough people who have watched what he’s done,” stated Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “I think people should be studying what he’s done.”
Beshear has a track record of success in a party that has struggled in recent elections. His political career began in 2015 when he won the race for Kentucky attorney general — the same year his father, Steve Beshear, completed his term as the state’s Democratic governor. At the time, many attributed his victory to his last name. In 2019, Beshear narrowly defeated Matt Bevin, an unpopular Republican governor with business credentials who ran on a Trumpian platform. Some observers credited Beshear's win in a state that Trump had carried by 30 points in 2016 to Bevin’s unpopularity.
By 2023, however, Beshear's re-election against then-state Attorney General Daniel Cameron — a rising star in the GOP — by over five percentage points garnered significant attention. He not only performed well in liberal cities like Louisville and Lexington, but also expanded his margins in rural areas that had suffered from severe flooding and tornadoes.
During his first term, Beshear supported widely popular Democratic proposals, including Medicaid expansion and legalizing medical marijuana. He voiced his support for abortion rights through a compelling television advertisement, which became a model for other Democrats following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, while intertwining his Christian faith into his messaging.
“Andy’s been able to break down political barriers and work across party lines with people … because he focuses on the issues that matter most to people,” said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. “Governors have to get stuff done … and I think it’s pretty clear that people are going to vote for someone who’s going to deliver for them.”
During a recent event in Perry County, Kentucky, where Beshear allocated funds to help community organizations assist flood victims in rebuilding homes, he provided a scene that Democratic ad creators would find appealing: a rain-soaked Beshear working alongside Republican lawmakers in a community that had supported both him in his 2023 campaign and Trump a year later.
“I see God in every person who's working to bring this neighborhood to life,” Beshear told the gathered crowd.
He maintains that Democrats can regain the trust of the American people by prioritizing the issues they grapple with daily. He encourages party members to speak about “faith or values or the reason we do things” and to communicate in relatable terms — referring to addiction as addiction rather than a substance use disorder.
Most crucially, he believes “the next presidential candidates need to get dirt on their boots.”
That concept resonated with Beshear during a recent visit to eastern Kentucky, where his boots were indeed muddy as he engaged with flood victims and shared light-hearted moments with local officials celebrating a birthday. Even the Republicans present acknowledged his positive impact as governor.
“When I'm around him at things like this, he seems more like the old Democrats that I grew up with — our coal miners, our laborers,” remarked Republican state Sen. Scott Madon, who joined Beshear at the event where he distributed large checks to fund new housing for flood victims. “The Democrats we see on the news every night now are not the same Democrats.”
As he shifts focus toward the Democratic primary — a process often dominated by cable news exposure — Beshear faces the challenge of standing out in a crowded field. His limited experience with such platforms was evident during recent media appearances while auditioning for the vice presidential slot on the Democratic ticket, where he struggled to establish a strong presence against candidates like JD Vance, who has Eastern Kentucky roots.
His initial attempts on cable news were described as “canned and corny” by former staffers. “The Morning Joe interview hurt him. It was, 'Are you ready for primetime or no?' And he wasn't ready,” one former staffer noted. “Now, that may have been the best thing for him because he's not tied to that ticket and he, I'm assuming, learned a lot from that experience.”
Beshear's unassuming nature contrasts sharply with figures like Newsom, who has engaged in numerous controversies via his podcast, and Pete Buttigieg, who achieved viral attention through a lengthy appearance on “Flagrant” last month. Democratic strategists have raised questions about how Beshear might differentiate himself in debates and build the requisite name recognition.
For his part, Beshear asserts that he has the capacity to be vocal when needed, believing that shouting back at noise only leads to more noise: “When somebody's yelling, and you yell back, then there's just two people yelling, and nobody hears a thing.”
Nonetheless, he has shown readiness to take a firm stance. Earlier this year, he sharply criticized Newsom for hosting Steve Bannon on his podcast, asserting that “I don’t think we should give [Bannon] oxygen on any platform — ever, anywhere.” Additionally, while Newsom diverged from party lines regarding trans athletes in sports, Beshear has championed the rights of transgender athletes in his state, gaining praise from progressives.
In March 2023, leading up to his re-election, Beshear vetoed legislation aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths, asserting that “all children are children of God.” Reflecting on the situation, he recounted an encounter with a constituent who approached him after the veto. “But he stuck out his hand, and the first thing he said surprised me a little bit. He said, ‘I'm not sure I agree with you … But I know you're doing what you think is right,’” Beshear recounted. “And he slapped me on the back, and he said, ‘I support you,’ and walked away.”
Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville opined that if the primary electorate in 2027 is “in the mood for the most partisan, loudest person, then Andy is not going to win. That’s pretty clear; that’s not going to be a race he’s going to win.”
However, Carville believes Beshear holds an advantage regarding the party’s desire to win, highlighting his impressive performance against Trump: “When he says there was a differential of 30 points between my performance and Trump, that will impress people because they want to win. He can say, ‘If you need a podium pounder, I’m not your guy, but if you want somebody that can effectively do things to help people, then I’m there for you,’ and that may be the winning way to distinguish yourself.”
James del Carmen for TROIB News
