This week, a number of law enforcement officials from around the Commonwealth of Kentucky endorsed the Democratic candidate seeking for reelection rather than the Republican, adding to the unexpectedness of this year’s most important political campaign.
More than 35 law enforcement officers endorsed Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday against Republican state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, joining a number of significant coal producers who also backed a candidate from a different political party than they typically support.
Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt, the co-chair of Law Enforcement for Beshear, said in a statement that law enforcement “needs a strong ally in Frankfort with a record of fighting for us and understanding the sacrifices our officers make to keep our Commonwealth safe”
“Governor Beshear has demonstrated his unshakable dedication to our law enforcement officers by working to enact salary rises, deliver more resources, and provide financing for training facilities around the Commonwealth. Governor Beshear has come through for Kentucky law enforcement while other candidates have tried to avoid their duties in office.
In his campaign for reelection, Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear received a flurry of support from law enforcement. (For Governor, Beshear)
Sheriff of Hardin County John Ward, who serves as co-chair of the pro-Beshear organisation, lauded the governor for what he claimed was him standing up for the law enforcement community and having “a proven track record fighting for our men and women in uniform.”
In founding Law Enforcement for Beshear, the two sheriffs were joined by 35 other current and former sheriffs and police chiefs from all around the commonwealth.
The endorsements come only a few weeks after the unexpected decision by executives in the state’s coal industry—a business that is not often seen as supporting the environmental policy goals of national Democrats—to support Beshear.
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In a statement, Beshear said, “I am honoured to have their support. Law enforcement personnel work hard every day to help make us safer while serving on the front lines of some of the most critical and difficult challenges we are confronting. “We’re asking our men and women in uniform to risk their lives, deal with some of the toughest crimes, and see things that are difficult for anyone to handle.”
On one of his three-day bus tours across the state from May 19–21, 2023, Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear visits with supporters. (Beshear for Governor)
Beshear praised the $15,000 wage increases for the Kentucky State Police that he claimed to have negotiated with the state legislature to pass, as well as the fact that his budget plans completely funded the Kentucky Law Enforcement Foundation Programme Fund and included additional financing for new training facilities and equipment.
“Everyone deserves to be safe, and our law enforcement community has committed their life to ensuring that this is the case. I want to thank our law enforcement officers for their bravery and dedication, and I’m honoured to have Law Enforcement for Beshear’s bipartisan support, he continued.
In response to the endorsements, Cameron’s campaign attacked Beshear for releasing convicts early during his first year in office as governor and praised the attorney general’s own law enforcement support.
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Sean Southard, a representative for the Republican Party of Kentucky and a campaign spokesperson for Daniel Cameron, said in a statement that Andy Beshear “coddles criminals, while Daniel Cameron does not.” Almost 3,000 convicts were released by Andy Beshear in his first year in office. Since then, offences have been charged in connection with one-third of the Governor’s Getaways.
On May 16, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron delivers a speech after winning the Republican primary for governor. The event was held at the Galt House Hotel. Getty Images/Jon Cherry
“Crime is terrible enough without Andy’s assistance. For this reason, more than 100 members of our law enforcement community have backed Daniel Cameron. The governor of catch-and-release is Andy Beshear. He continued, “Daniel Cameron will be harsh on crime.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, Beshear released the inmates that Southard had mentioned, along with a number of other states.
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Democrats have tried to make crime a key issue in the election. Following the primaries last month, they immediately began attacking Cameron for what they perceived to be his failure to handle another early release of felons by Beshear’s predecessor, former Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.
A pro-Beshear group supported by the Democratic Governors Association attacked Cameron for appointing what it claimed were the same advisers who persuaded Bevin to pardon convicted murderers and rapists in a new TV ad that was broadcast on Friday.
Andy Beshear, a Democrat running for governor of Kentucky, has the support of more than 35 law enforcement professionals from all throughout the state. (For Governor, Beshear)
The contest between Beshear and Cameron is generally seen as a predictor of the 2024 presidential election as well as Republicans’ desire to expand their narrow House of Representatives majority and regain control of the Senate.
