Buzz around potential 2023 GOP governor candidates dominates Paul campaign event
Sen. Rand Paul does not have a contentious Republican primary this year.
But a Saturday event kicking off Paul’s candidacy provided a clearer look into what is likely going to be just that: a crowded primary field for the Republican nomination for governor in 2023.
Several prominent members of Kentucky’s Republican Party considering runs for 2023 gave stump speeches and some ruminated on how the field might look at the event held for Kentucky’s junior senator. So while it wasn’t Fancy Farm, Republican attendees at House Speaker David Osborne’s family farm were afforded a clearer look into the field.
Later that night, Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles announced that he’s entering the race.
Auditor Mike Harmon was the only one who spoke at the event who already announced for governor at the time. Speakers who have stated interest in running for the state’s top post against Gov. Andy Beshear included Sen. Ralph Alvarado, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, Rep. Savannah Maddox and Quarles. Sen. Max Wise was scheduled to attend, but spent the night at a Republican event in Metcalfe County.
Everyone, even those with no stated interest in the role, agreed: the field will be packed.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m the only person on the stage not running for governor… at least not yet,” joked Sen. GOP Floor Leader Damon Thayer.
With the nitty gritty of actual primary campaigns to come, the potential candidates emphasized their united mission: beating Beshear.
Even Kentucky’s Washington delegation sounded off on their desire to see Beshear become a one-term governor, though recent polls suggest Kentucky voters approve of his job performance.
“We need to get rid of the Andy variant of the Beshear virus,” U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie said. “Unlike COVID, the variants get worse with the Beshears as time goes on.”
Alvarado said that the shared goal of beating Beshear should lead GOP candidates to consider their political tactics in light of that.
“I think the Democrats would like to see Republicans divided. It would strengthen them,” Alvarado said. “So we have to keep that in mind as a party that we have to come together no matter who comes out of our primaries.”
Alvarado added that he’s considering a run for governor because he’s been approached by several people outside his district. The bar for running, he added, is lower because of the recent rule change that allows candidates to file for the primary without a lieutenant governor running mate. So, we’ll likely see more candidates.
The Senator from Winchester also said that former Gov. Matt Bevin, who Beshear defeated in a tight 2019 general election, is “still contemplating” a run.
“I don’t know that Matt Bevin knows what he’s gonna do, to be perfectly honest,” Alvarado said. “I think there’s a lot of people that are out there with thoughts (of running) in mind. I’ve talked to him about it and I think he’s still contemplating it.”
Harmon said that he expects 10 to 12 people to enter the race, adding that he thinks a crowded field favors his odds at taking the role.
Cameron, who launched onto the political scene in 2019 and has made headlines because of his handling of the Breonna Taylor case and a 2020 Republican National Convention speech, recently turned heads when he indicated that he was thinking about a run for the higher office next year.
At the event, Cameron had two words on the subject: “stay tuned.”
He said that anybody else entering the race would have no bearing on his decision, and that he has talked to Quarles, Sen. Mitch McConnell and fellow potential candidate Kelly Craft about a potential 2023 race.
Cameron has stated that he and his wife, Makenze, have been mulling the decision as a family.
“I truly believe in Daniel. If he decides to run, I don’t think there could be anybody better to lead our state,” Makenze said on Saturday.
Kelly Craft, previously United States Ambassador to the United Nations under former president Donald Trump and wife of a prominent Kentucky coal magnate, has made the rounds at several local Republican events. Craft was not present on Saturday.
Maddox, a prominent figure in the ‘Liberty’ wing of the state Republican party, said she was “actively considering” her run. She said that other people running would not affect her decision.
“Every name that I’ve heard so far, the majority of them are individuals that are status quo Republicans in so much as they were unwilling to rise to the occasion whenever Andy Beshear shut down our economy and closed our churches and our schools. I think that Kentuckians are looking for an authentic conservative who is willing to lead from the front on the issues that matter to them,” Maddox said.
Keck acknowledged that his name recognition may not be as high as some of the other speakers, but emphasized how Somerset under his leadership pushed back against Beshear.
Secretary of State Michael Adams also indicated that the governor’s race will be packed. He said he wasn’t taking a potential run for the post off the table, but that he’s “leaning strongly” toward running for reelection to his current office. He told the Herald-Leader that his odds for a potential governor run would increase if he “sense(s) an appetite for a bipartisan problem solver,” and that right now he doesn’t. He might also consider a run for Attorney General if Cameron runs, he said.
Eric Deters, a former Northern Kentucky attorney who hosts a conservative talk show, has also raised significant funds to run for governor as a Republican in 2023. He told the Herald-Leader that he’s willing to lend “whatever it takes” to compete in the primary, a figure that he said could go above a million dollars. He’s also hired former president Donald Trump’s first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, to help consult.
The state’s two senators bookended the event speaking on the perceived shortcomings of the current administration and what they see as a bright future for Republicans in the state and the nation.
“I’ve never seen a better environment for us,” McConnell said. “1994, historians say, was the best Republican election in American history. This year has every chance to be better than 1994.”
Paul promised the crowd that he will do what he can to get rid of the country’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci – criticisms of Fauci often drew loud cries of support at the event – and that he will chair a committee to help “get to the bottom” of COVID-19’s origins.
The Paul campaign touts a significant fundraising advantage over Charles Booker – he raised more than four times as much as the likely Democratic challenger to start the year. As of April, Booker was left with just $527,603 in the bank compared to Paul’s $8.6 million warchest.
