Who is a Kentucky Derby Day winner? According to Politico, it’s Andy Beshear
There’s always a winner and losers at the Kentucky Derby.
But ahead of the 152nd running of the race, Politico declared Gov. Andy Beshear the winner, “at least for today,” in the horse race for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Beshear has gallivanted across the country, including to crucial states that play prominently in primaries, like New Hampshire and Iowa, to build his national image and gear up for a likely 2028 presidential campaign.
In the lead-up to Derby Day, Beshear took the opportunity to stay in the Bluegrass and court the establishment and Latino portions of the Democratic Party, according to reporting from Politico.
This year, Beshear is the leader of the Democratic Governors Association and is playing host for a slew of Democratic governors. That includes North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“We’re going to be showing off to governors from other states what we’ve got here, and while they claim to have big sporting events, I don’t think anything rivals the Derby,” Beshear told Spectrum News.
It isn’t the first time Beshear has used the Kentucky Derby for the DGA. Last year, the DGA used Beshear’s black-tie Derby Eve party at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Frankfort as a fundraiser, according to reporting from the Kentucky Lantern.
Besides hosting governors, Beshear invited and spent nearly a week with social media sensation Carlos Eduardo Espina, according to reporting from Politico. Espina is a Uruguayan-Mexican-American from Houston, Texas, and the Bulwark calls him “the most sought-after influencer in Democratic politics.”
He has 22 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, and could be a decisive force in 2028.
“I like him a lot as a future president,” Espina wrote in Spanish on an Instagram post, according to Politico. “He is someone who values our people very much.”
Other Democrats who could be 2028 presidential candidates have courted Espina, too.
According to Politico, California Gov. Gavin Newsom invited Espina to Newsom’s book tour in Miami, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posed with Espina in an Instagram photo and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has met with Espina.
Beshear thanked the influencer for his visit in a social media post of his own.
“You’re delivering a lot of smiles,” Beshear said on April 30.
