FANCY FARM, Ky. — In a sweltering, packed pavilion, Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., and Attorney General Daniel Cameron, R-Ky., faced off Saturday for the first time since securing their parties’ nominations for governor.

What You Need To Know

  • Candidates and current officeholders delivered speeches at the 143rd St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic Saturday

  • The picnic is considered Kentucky's political Super Bowl

  • Organizers estimated 15,000 people attended

  • Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was among those who made remarks at the picnic

The 143rd Annual St. Jerome Fancy Farm Picnic drew close to 15,000 attendees, one of the highest totals on record, organizers said.

Close to 20 Republican and Democratic candidates and current officeholders gave political speeches, shouting their remarks over the cheers and jeers from the crowd.

“You know, if you took all the people on Daniel’s [lieutenant governor] list above Robby Mills, and you put them all in a room together, you’d have the biggest crowd of the Cameron campaign,” said Beshear, referring to State Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, Cameron’s running mate.

“Governor, I know you guys are obsessed with pronouns these days, but come November, yours are gonna be ‘has’ and ‘been,’ said Cameron.

It was one of several anti-transgender comments by Republicans at the picnic.

Earlier this year, Beshear vetoed a bill that would ban gender transition services for children and allow school staff to mis-gender students.  

Beshear didn’t stray from his campaign message and touted what he sees as a first term with a winning record.

“When you’re on a historic winning streak, you don’t fire the coach, you don’t sub out the quarterback,” said Beshear. “You keep that team on the field and you rack up championships.”

“We can recover for our children what Andy Beshear took from them,” said Cameron. “We can restore law and order. We can build a future that’s based on true Kentucky values instead of the Beshear Biden radical ideology.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., made his 28th trip to the picnic, after recent concerns over his health.

“Biden and Beshear aren’t working for Kentucky,” said McConnell. “Andy might as well be on the White House payroll.”

Some in the crowd chanted “retire,” and “lost the Senate,” as he spoke.

Republicans and Democrats down the ballot got a chance to make their pitches Saturday, with just three months left to win over Kentucky voters.

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