Road to 2028: Beshear campaigns for Democrats in Iowa, Nevada, Ohio
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Road to 2028: Gov. Andy Beshear’s political future
Gov. Andy Beshear is increasingly in the spotlight as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. The Herald-Leader believes Kentuckians should know what he is saying and doing, where he is traveling and what is being said nationally about the two-term governor.
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Gov. Andy Beshear’s cross-country travels are catching national attention.
While many take advantage of June for summer vacation, Beshear is using the start of the season to bolster Democratic candidates ahead of the midterm elections. As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, he is leading the fight for Democrats to win gubernatorial offices and flip some states from red to blue. South Carolina, Michigan and Iowa are just a few of his targets.
But his out-of-state visits are also sparking more buzz around a rumored 2028 presidential run, which is something he hasn’t shied away from.
According to The Hill, Beshear’s travels are “making waves on the campaign trail” as the Democratic Party looks for a new leader, and Democrats are starting to weigh their options now.
Kentucky Democratic strategist Mark Riddle told The Hill in a June 11 article that Beshear is getting to meet a lot of Democratic activists and donors as he raises his visibility.
“And at the end of the day … Democrats are looking for somebody who can win, and Gov. Beshear has won now three races in a very tough state,” Riddle said. (Beshear served one term as state attorney general before twice being elected to the governor’s mansion.)
Others are more skeptical on Beshear’s moves, including Kentucky-based GOP strategist TJ Litafik, who told The Hill that Beshear has “checked out from governing, especially in the last few months, and his primary focus is now on running for president.”
Another day, another trip to Iowa
Beshear is getting more familiar with the Midwest
On June 7, Beshear joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand in Des Moines, Iowa, and encouraged a crowd of 500 that 2026 is when the state can turn the tide, according to reporting from the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
The 2026 general election is the first time Iowa’s gubernatorial seat will be wide-open in a decade. Incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has been in office since 2017, announced in April 2025 she would not run for a third term.
Sand will face Republican candidate Zach Lahn in the November election. Although Iowa is considered a red state, Beshear said at The River Place that Iowa Democrats should be “hopeful” in the upcoming general election and touted his political career in Kentucky.
“I am living, breathing proof Democrats can win anywhere, and we should be fighting everywhere,” Beshear said, according to the Dispatch. “And I’m here to tell you in Iowa, you’re going to elect a Democratic U.S. senator, you’re going to elect Democratic congressmen and women … and a great man who is going to do a good job in this governor’s seat.”
Sand said Beshear is proof that Democrats can still win in states with strong Republican support.
“So you might think we got a big hill to climb — I’ve seen bigger. He’s seen bigger, and he did it,” Sand said of Beshear.
Sand’s campaign stop wasn’t the only event Beshear attended. He also headlined a campaign event, “Beers with Beshear,” for congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott. So far this election cycle, the DGA gave the Iowa Democratic Party about $140,000, according to reporting from AP.
Beshear’s frequent trips to Iowa could also benefit a 2028 presidential run as he builds his name ID in the Hawkeye State. Iowa has a longstanding tradition of being early in the nation’s presidential primary contests and has served as a launchpad for underdog stories. Perhaps you’ve heard of Jimmy Carter? Or Barack Obama?
Beshear returns to Nevada
Speaking at other states’ Democratic Party events isn’t anything new for Beshear.
He made an appearance at the Nevada Democratic Party’s Convention June 13, where he supported Nevada Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Aaron Ford in the upcoming midterm election.
“I have known (Ford) for a long time,” Beshear said, according to C-SPAN. “We have served as attorneys general together, and I might be biased, but I think AGs make pretty good governors. As AG, he took on opioid manufacturers and corrupt landlords. Together, we have sued Donald Trump about 30 times.”
Beshear touted his own accomplishments in the Bluegrass State and listed a plethora of policies he stands for.
“I’m a proud pro-diversity governor. I’m a proud pro-choice governor,” Beshear said, according to C-SPAN. “I’m a proud pro-LGBTQ+ rights governor, and I’m a proud pro-public education governor.”
One question Beshear said he is often asked is how he was elected as governor in a state that widely supports Trump.
“You win by staying true to your values of compassion, of empathy and always doing right by our neighbors,” he said.
“We win by focusing on people’s daily most pressing needs,” Beshear said, according to C-SPAN. “Democrats have been outperforming everywhere. We’ve been doing so with a relentless focus on lowering costs and making people’s lives better. In doing so, we have sent a strong message to Donald Trump, and we are going to do it again when we flip the U.S. House of Representatives this November.”
It wasn’t Beshear’s first time in Nevada. In November 2025, he did an interview with KTNV Channel 13 News and outlined what a potential 2028 Democratic nominee for the presidential race should look like.
“In ‘28, we need a Democratic governor as the head of that ticket, and we’ve got a lot of great Democratic governors,” Beshear said Nov. 18, 2025. “And that’s not because someone is moderate, liberal or conservative; it’s because they’re pragmatic. Governors have to get results. We have to balance budgets, we have to create jobs, and we have to create that better life. We hear from our people every single day.”
A stop in Ohio
A little closer to home, Beshear rallied support for Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton June 12, according to reporting from WLWT5.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 212 chapter, which is based out of Evendale, Ohio, privately hosted the event. The IBEW represents more electricians than any other union across North America, with approximately 901,000 active members and retirees across the continent, according to the union’s website.
Acton said in a social media post on X she was honored to gain Beshear’s support.
“Governor Beshear and I share a steadfast support for organized labor, because unions are one of the strongest pathways to the middle class,” Acton said. “As governor, I’ll fight for good-paying union jobs, strong apprenticeship programs, and the dignity of work that every Ohioan deserves.”
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who has served since 2019, is term-limited and cannot seek reelection.
Acton is up against Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in the general election. Ramaswamy, an entrepreneur and politician, founded Roivant Sciences, a biotechnological pharmaceutical company, and considered a 2022 run for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat.
