Rocky Adkins accepts ‘underdog’ title in Kentucky governor race
House Minority Floor Leader Rocky Adkins acknowledged Thursday that he is an underdog in this year’s race for Kentucky governor but said he’s the candidate who can win back Democrats who have backed Republicans in recent years.
With family and friends at his side, Adkins, who has been in the state House since 1987, officially filed Thursday to run for governor with his running mate, former Jefferson County school board member Stephanie Horne.
“We may even be looked at as the underdog in this race but we are going to earn the respect and confidence of the good people of this state,” he said. “Yes, we are in this race to win it.”
He later said he described himself as the possible underdog because he’s the only major Democratic candidate for governor who has not run a statewide race and his name recognition may not be as high now as the other two, Attorney General Andy Beshear and former state auditor Adam Edelen.
Adkins is from Sandy Hook in Eastern Kentucky, while Beshear calls Louisville home and Edelen lives in Lexington, setting up a potential rural vs. urban race for the Democratic nomination.
“I don’t mind being the underdog. I’ve been the underdog all my life,” he said, expressing confidence that “when it all is said and done, I believe this ticket will be the next governor and lieutenant governor.”
Adkins got a bit emotional after the filing, telling reporters in a halting voice that it was a “humbling experience” and “a tremendous honor” to run for governor.
He said people want a governor “who can work across party aisles and who can bring dignity and respect back to the governor’s office of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
He pledged to stand up for teachers, public employees and working families, support public education, fight for accessible health care and appreciate good infrastructure, such as roads and broadband.
“Those folks this morning that grabbed a dinner bucket and a hard hat and a pair of steel-toed shoes, that’s working in this zero-degree weather today, climbing those steel rails and those steel beams, I believe working families of Kentucky are worth fighting for and that is the reason we are in this race: to fight that fight,” he said.
Adkins said he will support whoever wins the Democratic nomination. He noted that he intentionally did not announce his candidacy until Nov. 14 to avoid hurting campaign fundraising for Democratic state legislative candidates in last fall’s elections.
Campaign finance reports at the end of 2018 show Adkins raising about $623,000 compared to about $1.13 million for Andy Beshear, who announced his candidacy July 9.
Adkins and Horne are the third Democratic ticket for governor and lieutenant governor to make their candidacies official. The others are Attorney General Andy Beshear with educator Jacqueline Coleman and perennial candidate Geoff Young with Josh French. Edelen has said he will run for governor with Gil Holland but they have not yet officially filed.
Republican tickets that have filed are state Rep. Robert Goforth with Michael Hogan and William E. Woods with Justin Miller. Gov. Matt Bevin has said he will seek re-election but he has not yet filed or announced his running mate.
The deadline for filing with the secretary of state’s office is 4 p.m. Tuesday.
This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 1:53 PM.