Sen. Andy Beshear? Thanks, but no thanks, he says to prominent Dem supporters
Kentucky Politics Insider offers an analysis of Kentucky politics and the conversations that drive decisions. Email reporter Austin Horn at ahorn@herald-leader.com or ping him on social media sites with tips or comments.
No, Gov. Andy Beshear is not going to run for Senate.
That’s been the message from Beshear’s top political strategist Eric Hyers for a long time. It hasn’t changed.
“Governor Andy Beshear promised to serve his full second term as governor and intends to do so. For him, it is not about a future choice, but his love for and commitment to his current job. Andy loves Kentucky, and his job as governor lets him fight for the Commonwealth every day,” Hyers said in a statement to the Herald-Leader.
This comes as one of Kentucky’s most prominent political donors and philanthropists, Christy Brown of the Brown-Forman spirits dynasty in Louisville, wrote a guest column in The Courier Journal and spoke out strongly in favor of Beshear running for the U.S. Senate in 2026, succeeding Mitch McConnell.
So far in the aftermath of Beshear’s reelection victory in late 2023, all signs have pointed to a 2028 run for the White House. The governor has not played coy about his ambitions once he’s finished leading the Democratic Governors Association in 2026.
Still, Brown, along with her partner, Tod Sedgwick, former ambassador to the Slovak Republic, argued hard for Beshear to run for the Senate seat instead.
They compared the Beshear family to a deeply rooted forest.
“While the president’s power grows without any meaningful checks and balances, a Beshear victory could play an important role in supplying a Kentucky voice. It could also possibly determine the future composition of the Supreme Court,” Brown and Sedgwick wrote in the Louisville newspaper.
“A run for one of Kentucky’s two Senate seats is a natural outgrowth for Beshear, so that he may remain well rooted in his homeplace like our Blanton Forest trees.”
Hal Rogers, Beshear funding announcement
Near the close of the Saving Our Appalachian Region conference last week, Rep. Hal Rogers and Beshear announced the award of $26 million in federal Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization funds.
The funds will go to 11 projects across Eastern and Southern Kentucky.
Rogers, who represents the Eastern Kentucky-centric 5th Congressional District, holds the designation of dean of the U.S. House. That title is granted to the longest continuously serving member of that chamber. The 87-year-old has been in office since 1981.
Rogers was House Appropriations Committee chair at the inception of the abandoned mines reclamation program.
The biggest single awardee was Somerset Community College, which got $6 million in program funds to develop a career and technical facility for training programs in such trades as construction, HVAC, welding and automotive technology.
Also being awarded $2 million dollars or more were the city of Ashland for its planned conference center, Paintsville Independent Schools STEAM Program and the city of Whitesburg for improvements to its wastewater treatment system.
Rogers’ office estimated the projects would retain or create 3,500 jobs in the region.
“These grants are investing in strong projects that will support economic growth and stability in our coal communities,” Rogers said in a statement. “Our best days are ahead of us, and these projects ensure that we are on the right path for innovation and revitalization.”
Somerset mayor not running for reelection
Alan Keck doesn’t yet know what he’ll do next.
But come 2027, it won’t be serving as mayor of Somerset, the growing Southern Kentucky city. The 40-year-old Republican mayor announced Tuesday he won’t seek a third term.
“When I set out to do this, I said that two terms would be it. I think a lot of elected officials say one thing and do another, and I wanted to make sure that I honored that pledge,” Keck said.
Keck rose to statewide prominence in 2023 with a run for governor. The mayor shook up the race with a more moderate take on policy topics and splashier messaging. That didn’t translate to many votes, however, as Keck finished in a distant sixth place in a GOP primary filled with established statewide figures.
Since the loss, Keck has remained active in GOP circles, with a contingency pushing for him to take the reins as Republican Party of Kentucky chair. He ultimately opted against it.
He told the Herald-Leader he’d be focused on “private sector” opportunities in the immediate aftermath of his service in Somerset, but he’s very much open to running again for something. Governor is not in his “current plan,” he said.
“I ran in ‘23, and I think folks heard a vision and a passion for Kentucky. A lot can happen between now and then, but it’s certainly not in my current plan,” Keck said.
Same goes for Congress, though Keck is one of several names floated for whenever Rogers decides to not seek reelection or leaves office. For now, the Dean has said he intends to run for reelection in 2026.
If that isn’t ultimately the case, Keck said he’d consider a bid for the 5th Congressional District.
“It’s something that’s crossed my mind. But I mean, we’ve been served so well by the Dean. Congressman Rogers, and I understand it’s his intention to run again, and he’ll have my full support if that’s what he chooses… I have no interest in running against him and no plans to do so. Candidly, think it would be disrespectful.
“Should he decide not to run? Then it’s a race that I’ll consider at that time.”
Potential GOP KY candidate in 6th District?
The field to replace Rep. Andy Barr in Central Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District has been growing fast, with four declared Democrats and three Republicans in the running.
This column already raised the possibility of Wall Street veteran and Kentucky native Lain Garrett, a Lexington Republican and finance professor at the University of Kentucky. No updates on that front.
But here’s another name to consider: Greg Plucinski.
Plucinski, a Nicholasville resident, is an entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry. He recently sold his company, Summit Biosciences, which specialized in nasal sprays, to a larger pharmaceutical group last year.
Plucinski confirmed his interest in the seat to the Herald-Leader Wednesday, writing that he is “seriously considering” a run.
According to Plucinski’s posts on LinkedIn, he has been seeking the services of “an astute person to learn about US politics” residing in the Central Kentucky area, a freelance photographer and a political intern “responsible for assisting with campaign activities, conducting research, preparing presentations and helping to manage social media accounts.”
Plucinski recently posted photos from Republican Party of Kentucky’s statewide Lincoln Dinner.
This story was originally published September 4, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
