LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., has pledged his support for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee for President. The governor did so on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program a day after President Joe Biden announced he would suspend his reelection campaign.

What You Need To Know

  • Gov. Andy Beshear endorsed Kamala Harris for the Democratic nominee for president

  • In a post on social media, Beshear said Harris had the "compassion and empathy to be a phenomenal president"

  • His endorsement comes even as his name has been floated for a potential spot on the Democratic ticket
  • Beshear is believed to be on the short list for vice president

During the interview, Beshear stopped short on multiple occasions of saying he would accept an offer to become VP, but his messaging has shifted in recent weeks, showing he is not ruling anything out. 

“The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believed I could further help my people and to help this country,” Beshear said Monday. “Well, I don’t know how that process is going to work. It’s flattering to be a part of it.”

Dr. Dewey Clayton, a political science professor at the University of Louisville, described the significance of the interview.

“He would not have been on national television this morning if he weren’t seriously being considered for the ticket,” Clayton said. “And someone must think that he’s got something to add.”

Beshear has been floated as a possible vice presidential pick for Harris, as have a handful of other hopeful Democrats.  

“I think that when you’re looking for a vice-presidential candidate, I think you’re looking for someone who can balance help balance the ticket, I think he does that,” Clayton said.

Last year, Gov. Beshear won reelection in Kentucky by five points, beating then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron who was endorsed by Former President Donald Trump. His win follows a first term that included a global pandemic and two major natural disasters. 

While Democrats have touted this win for the party, the governor lacks broad support from the legislature. Republicans hold a veto-proof supermajority in both the State House and Senate, allowing them to pass legislation with ease.

In January, Beshear launched a national political action committee, the In This Together PAC, focused on helping elect more Democrats nationally. 

Federal campaign finance reports show it has raised nearly half a million dollars since then. As of last month, the PAC has around $361k in cash on hand.

“He will be term limited at the end at the end of this term, and I think clearly people began to see that he is starting to look at what might be next for him, his political future,” Clayton said.

Clayton believes a vice-presidential candidate will be picked ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which takes place in August.

On Monday, the Kentucky Democratic Party announced that at the request of Gov. Beshear, the state’s delegates will endorse Kamala Harris for President.

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