Kentucky Republicans plan to rally around Cameron in governor’s race

(The Center Square) – After a hard-fought primary campaign that saw a dozen Kentucky Republicans vie for the party’s gubernatorial nomination, party leaders are set to rally around Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who won the primary convincingly Tuesday.

Unofficially, with 99% of the vote counted, Cameron amassed 144,496 votes. At 47.7%, he easily distanced himself from his top competitors. Agricultural Commission Ryan Quarles was second at 21.7%, and former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft had 17.2%.

As they made concession speeches Tuesday night to supporters, both Quarles and Craft said they now have a new goal.

“We must all unite,” Quarles said. “We must all come together after tonight. Because if we are going to defeat [Democratic Gov.] Andy Beshear, we have all come together, and it starts right now.”

The primary campaign was especially strong between Craft and Cameron, as Craft spent more than $10 million of her own money to get her message across. And often, her campaign was critical of Cameron.

Two weeks ago, they exchanged terse words in their only televised debate appearance. While Craft said Tuesday she was surprised fellow Republicans would attack her family in the campaign, she also urged her supporters to do what they can to defeat Beshear.

Beshear is a popular governor. He enjoys 63% support in the state, according to a Morning Consult poll from a month ago. However, Cameron and other Republicans believe he can be defeated.

On the campaign trail, Cameron touted lawsuits he filed against Beshear, challenging his COVID-19 mandates against churches and businesses. And Republican lawmakers are quick to note that many of the economic successes Beshear claims as part of his record are actually the result of bills passed by the General Assembly. Lawmakers passed some of those over the governor’s vetoes.

“Kentucky Republicans know that we cannot trust Andy Beshear with four more years in office,” Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Mac Brown said Tuesday night. “Fewer people are working today than when Andy Beshear took office, our streets are flooded with violence and drugs, and our students have suffered the largest learning loss in recent memory. Daniel Cameron will be a governor who takes us in a new direction, solves these challenging problems confronting our state, and delivers for the men, women, and children of all of Kentucky’s 120 counties.”

As Cameron prepares for the Nov. 7 general election, he must pick a running mate for lieutenant governor. According to state law, that selection must occur by 4 p.m. EST on Aug. 8.