FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., continues to raise his national profile.
His election success is getting the attention of Democrats in other Red states. He will speak at an abortion rights event Friday, June 21 in Nashville and is the keynote speaker at an Iowa Democrats event next month.
Stephen Voss, University of Kentucky associate professor of political science, said the timing is interesting.
“The timing of Beshear’s activity fits with the idea that he might at least be dabbling with the idea of running for president because by the time you see presidential candidates emerge, they often have been running for that office for three or four years," Voss said.
Voss, Spectrum News 1's political analyst, said Kentuckians should not read too much into Beshear's speaking schedule as politicians have a myriad of reasons to raise their national profile, including fundraising, lobbying for a presidential cabinet position or a vice presidential bid.
“Beshear cannot serve as governor again; we don’t know that he necessarily wants to run for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat, so the question for a successful politician like Gov. Beshear is what’s next," Voss said. "Almost any answer to the question of what’s next for Governor Beshear would be helped by him building national name recognition."
The Republican Party of Kentucky has been critical of Beshear’s national rise, however. Andrew Westberry, the party's communications director, said Beshear is too concerned with scouring the nation for cameras and big-money donors instead of focusing on Kentucky.
“Look at the Department of Juvenile Justice," Westberry said. "We have some of the most vulnerable children in the commonwealth who are suffering right now and staff that are there to house and take care of them. He has not done anything to really address that."
"I would encourage him to stay within the confines of the commonwealth, get to work, reach out to the General Assembly and find a solution.”
Earlier this year, Beshear announced leadership changes at DJJ focused on reducing recidivism and signed into law last year legislation aimed to protect DJJ inmates and staff.
Westberry said it's "obvious" Beshear wants to raise his national image in hopes of a higher office.
"Just the face time in these battleground states; he’s going to places like Virginia, Iowa ... these are places where it’s basically a pilgrimage if you’re running for higher office and you’re trying to become a player on the national stage," Westberry said.
Some states where Beshear is speaking voted for Donald Trump in 2020, including Montana and Ohio in March, Tennessee June 21 and Iowa in July.
Eric Hyers, the campaign manager for both of his gubernatorial victories, said Beshear has a unique message to share to other Democrats in red states.
“When you have an approval rating of over 60-65% in a state like this, a lot of independents and a lot of Republicans think you’re doing a good job," Hyers said. "He is one of the most popular governors in the entire country."
Despite the governor's rising popularity, Beshear is committed to serving his entire second term as governor, Hyers added.
"He will serve every single day of the second term and greatly enjoys being governor of Kentucky," he said. "And that's why he ran for reelection."
Voss said it’s too soon to tell who the nominee might be for the 2028 presidential race, but it’s common for many to float trial balloons.
“If we’re looking at the places that ultimately decide a Democratic presidential nomination or a presidential general election, Iowa’s significance has receded," Voss said.
Beshear is also speaking at a Virginia Democrats fundraiser June 22, an expected battleground state this election.