Abortion, universal pre-K and more: Coleman on running in 2027 governor’s race
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman says, there was a newfound understanding and sense of empathy nationwide for women who seek an abortion.
Coleman knows about shifting opinions on abortion — hers have changed during her political career, too.
In 2014, she declared herself a “pro-life” Democrat at a Mercer County candidate forum during her unsuccessful run for a state House seat. But five years later, when she was chosen as Gov. Andy Beshear’s running mate in the 2019 gubernatorial race, she said she supported “each individual woman’s constitutional right to make her own reproductive and health care decisions.”
Though she had already moved away from calling herself pro-life, she said she “absolutely” was one of the people who found a new sense of empathy after the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, eliminated the U.S.’ decades-old constitutional right to an abortion.
“People are now recognizing, I think, that (Roe) had it right,” Coleman said. “Roe was a reasonable allowance and restriction point and I think that’s where Kentuckians and as well as Americans want to get back to.”
Abortion rights were among several topics Coleman discussed in a wide-ranging interview Thursday with the Herald-Leader, days after she became the first candidate to launch a campaign to replace Beshear, who is term-limited and cannot run again for governor.
Here are some of the major points.
Coleman’s launch sparks support, criticism
Since Coleman announced her campaign April 19, more than a year ahead of the May 2027 primary, she has received both public support and criticism.
She said she has been overwhelmed by the former. She recently hosted a coffee with the candidate event in Owensboro, and she said nearly 100 people attended.
“It’s really refreshing to feel this excitement and energy from people across Kentucky,” she said.
Some Republicans quickly took to social media to criticize Coleman, too.
One post that raised eyebrows was from Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, who wrote on X: “A respectful reminder: Jacqueline Coleman isn’t my sister. She’s not my ex-wife. And she will never be Kentucky’s governor.”
During Thursday’s interview, Jacqueline Coleman noted that whether they were asked about it or not, male elected officials in Kentucky who responded to her launch tried to make her announcement about themselves.
“I consider this to be an excellent example of the difference in how I will be as governor versus how these other folks are choosing to serve in their current roles,” she said. “Because to me, I’m going to keep looking forward, and these guys can just keep looking in the mirror for all I care.”
Rocky Adkins?
Coleman may be the first to enter the 2027 race for governor, but she almost certainly won’t be the only notable politician in the Democratic primary.
Rocky Adkins, currently a senior adviser to Beshear, is also leaving the door open for a potential gubernatorial run.
“I’m thinking carefully about what comes next and what’s best for Kentucky and will have more to say when the time is right,” Adkins said in a previous statement.
It wouldn’t be the first gubernatorial run for Adkins, formerly the top Democrat in the Kentucky House. He gave Beshear a run for his money in 2019, losing to the governor by just six points in the primary.
Coleman declined to weigh in on whether she would welcome Adkins in the race, instead saying she was going to stay focused on “showing up for Kentuckians.”
“When I launched my campaign on Monday, I made it about Kentuckians, and I think one of my pet peeves is when political figures or elected officials talk about other politicians more than they talk about the people that they’re working to represent, and so I’m not going to do that.” Coleman said. “You could watch the U.S. Senate race in Kentucky right now. All of these guys do is get up and talk about other politicians. They don’t talk about Kentuckians. I’m just not going to be a candidate for governor who does that.”
Unemployment controversy
Another criticism leveled by Republicans is related to Coleman’s tenure as head of the cabinet overseeing the Office of Unemployment Insurance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, when joblessness was high and unemployment claims surged, a report from TV station WDRB revealed Coleman sought help getting close associates such as her hairdresser, unemployment benefits while many Kentuckians were waiting months for those same benefits.
Coleman stepped down from her role leading the cabinet in 2021, and she and Beshear said at the time she would focus more on economic development moving forward.
On Thursday, Coleman maintained that she did nothing wrong in that incident.
“If the biggest knock that some folks have against me is something that never really happened, then I’m probably doing OK,” she said. “When we were going through COVID, we did everything we could to help every single Kentuckian that needed it. It’s something that we continue to fight for today. I happen to believe that the best remedy for unemployment is job creation. When you look at the governor’s and my record in our administration for job creation and economic development, we’re making sure that we take care of Kentuckians and meet them where they are, and that’s really what we should be focused on moving forward.”
Universal pre-K
Throughout Beshear’s term as governor, he’s pushed for universal pre-K, including by establishing an advisory committee that’s hosted town halls, and setting aside funding in his proposed state budgets.
But the GOP-dominated General Assembly has showed little interest in bringing that program in Kentucky.
While the needle hasn’t moved on the legislative side, Coleman said she thinks it has moved with the public, and if she’s elected, she would continue making it a priority in her administration.
“There’s polling out there that shows that it’s actually the number two issue for Republican primary voters,” Coleman said.
Results from a poll conducted by Bipartisan Policy Center and Cygnal in June 2025 showed 71% of Republican primary voters said “making child care more affordable is one of the most pro-family, pro-worker actions that government can take.”
“I’m willing to work with anybody, regardless of who they are, to get this across the finish line,” Coleman said. “I think the relationships I’ve built in Frankfort with both Republicans and Democrats who have a history of working in public education and supporting public education will serve me well in that work.”
Coleman’s running mate
Coleman hasn’t decided who she would select as her running mate, but she has a vision for what she’s looking for — someone who is different from her but willing to work toward the same goals.
“To me, you’re choosing a force multiplier — someone who can represent you where you can’t be, (and) someone who has a different life experience and perspective than you do, so that you can learn from each other,” Coleman said. “I really am leaving the door open, and there will be a whole vetting process, which as someone who’s gone through it, I can tell you is a very interesting process.”
If elected, Coleman would be the only second woman to serve as governor in Kentucky. Martha Layne Collins, who died Nov. 1, 2025, was the first and only woman to serve in Kentucky’s highest elected office.
Coleman referenced Collins, as well as former Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen, as her inspirations.
“It’s a little hard for me to fathom that the way that I looked up to women, like Crit Luallen and Martha Layne, is the same way the young girls in Kentucky see me now,” Coleman said. “That is still something blows my mind, but it’s a responsibility that I take very seriously, that I’m very honored to have, and it’s a reminder of why I am running this race.”
