GRAVES COUNTY, Ky. — A little over a week after Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced they'd be absent from Kentucky's famed Fancy Farm this year, Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul said they also won't be in attendance.
What You Need To Know
- Gov. Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman won't attend Fancy Farm this year
- Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul will also be absent, citing their ongoing work on the bipartisan infrastructure bill
- With the absence of Beshear and Coleman, no Democrats will be speaking at the event
- Former Secretary of State Bob Babbage will emcee this year's event
The annual Fancy Farm picnic is considered the kickoff to the political season in Kentucky.
In a statement emailed to Spectrum News 1, Beshear spokesperson Sebastian Kitchen said, "With no elections scheduled for 2021, the governor will be spending that weekend with his family making up for opportunities lost during the pandemic and the lieutenant governor will be volunteering in the Commonwealth alongside her family."
Kitchen said Beshear and Coleman encourage anyone who plans on attending to get vaccinated as soon as possible, citing the "aggressive rise in the Delta variant and the vaccination rate in the region." Fancy Farm is held in Graves County, which has a roughly 34% vaccination rate, according to state data.
"Fancy Farm is a great tradition and we’re committed to returning in the near future," Kitchen added.
Fancy Farm representatives confirmed in a Tweet on Wednesday that McConnell and Paul wouldn't be in attendance. Republican Treasurer Allison Ball declined to attend.
Infrastructure bill will cause @LeaderMcConnell & @RandPaul to miss the 141st Fancy Farm Picnic. They will be in Washington on Saturday. The 141st FF Picnic will continue forward. #fancyfarm #FF141 #FancyFarmPicnic@ElderKY @markwilsonFF @bobbabbage pic.twitter.com/eysytzaDNE
— Fancy Farm Politics (@FancyFarmKY) August 4, 2021
With the absence of Beshear and Coleman, no Democrats will be speaking at the event, which didn't include its typical political sparring last year due to COVID-19.
The list of confirmed speakers for this year includes:
- State Sen. Jason Howell
- State Rep. Richard Heath
- U.S. Rep. James Comer
- Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles
- Secretary of State Michael Adams
- Auditor Mike Harmon
Former Secretary of State Bob Babbage will emcee this year's event, which is slated to take place on Aug. 7. The annual picnic and political stumping ground is also a fundraiser for St. Jerome Catholic Church in Graves County.