Live Updates: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s Inauguration Day
Operating on only a few hours of sleep after being sworn in as Kentucky’s top two elected officials in a midnight ceremony in the Governor’s Mansion, Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman started a jam-packed day of events early Tuesday morning in the capital city.
Beshear didn’t get to sleep until after 2 a.m. as he tweeted a sign of his name over the front door of the governor’s office at the Capitol, but his family and he were at the front of First Christian Church’s sanctuary for an inaugural worship service at 8:30 a.m.
In attendance were his parents, former Gov. Steve Beshear and Jane Beshear.
The elder Beshear was all smiles as he entered the church, knowing that his son and he are the first father and son to serve as Kentucky governor.
“It’s an exciting day for Kentucky,” he said.
Other dignitaries in attendance at the worship service were House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins, who will be the new governor’s senior advisor; Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer; Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr; and several other court justices.
Former Gov. Paul Patton, with his wife, Judi, predicted before entering the church that “there will be less controversy in Kentucky” with Beshear instead of former Gov. Matt Bevin.
Patton said that even though both the state House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, they and the new governor can work together.
“They are all good people,” he said.
Former state Rep. Jack Coleman entered the church as father of the state’s new lieutenant governor.
He said he “always knew she had the ability to do the job, but I didn’t know if she would get the opportunity.”
The new lieutenant governor greeted about 200 people who attended the 7:30 a.m. inaugural breakfast reception at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.
With her husband, Chris O’Bryan, at her side, Coleman said she welcomed all to Inauguration Day, especially teachers who greatly aided this year’s campaign for the Democrats.
Sesily Vinson and Devan French, two Bourbon County elementary school teachers, arose at 5 a.m. to attend the breakfast.
French, now in her ninth year of teaching, said she was so frustrated with the Bevin Administration’s handling of public education that she considered this year not returning to the class room.
Vinson, teaching in her sixth year, said she was excited with Beshear’s and Coleman’s emphasis on public education. She said she had not heard much talk among teachers about Beshear’s goal to raise their salaries by $2,000.
The two Bourbon County teachers were to march in the inaugural parade. Beshear picked educators to be grand marshals of the parade, which has 39 units.
The parade was sparsely attended compared to past inaugural parades, perhaps because of the cold weather. Temperatures were in the low 30s with gusty winds. There was no precipitation.
Beshear and his family viewed the parade from a viewing stand in front of the Capitol. Several legislative leaders joined him after they embarked from the parade.
When Adkins left his car, the crowd shouted, “Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!”
Also in the parade was Daniel Cameron, who is to be sworn in Dec. 17 as attorney general. Other constitutional officers are not to be sworn into office until Jan. 6 but Cameron is starting early to replace Beshear, who held the post the last four years.
The parade ended about 11:25 a.m. Teachers started it and another group that helped propel Beshear to office ended it — members of labor.
Later events in the historic day include the 2 p.m. public swearing-in ceremony, the Grand March at 8 p.m. in the Capitol to highlight the new governor and lieutenant governor and two balls from 9 p.m. to midnight.
On Wednesday, Beshear starts governing.
Follow live updates from Inauguration Day by our reporting team below.
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 10:16 AM.
