2019 General Election
Lucky Boy, Smart, too
Andy Beshear https://andybeshear.com is lucky; smart, too. Magna Cum Laude from Vanderbilt. University of Virginia Law School. The education of a leader in the south. Will he be lucky and smart enough to win in November, 2019? At age 41.
Silver spoon? Not exactly the right term. His father was governor of Kentucky – not long ago. He gained some national attention with the country’s most effective roll out of the Affordable Care Act.
Born on Third Base? His first run for political office was for Attorney General. He was elected by 2,001 votes. Lucky; smart, too. He has been a combative attorney general. He sued the governor for making cuts in the University of Kentucky budget. Won in the Kentucky Supreme Court. The governor could not make those budget cuts without the approval of the state General Assembly.
Big winner? Not really. In the Primary to be the Democratic nominee, he got 38% of the vote. The socially conservative, anti-abortion Democratic candidate, House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins, all old pro who didn’t spend much on the campaign was at 32%. The left wing candidate, Adam Edelen, who tried to make it a two-person race fell to 28%. Lucky to have two opponents. Smart to run as the mad in the middle.
As Attorney General, Andy Beshear targeted the powerful. He sued the governor again and again. The legislature, too. For changing teacher pensions. He won in the Kentucky Supreme Court, which would not allow the pension system contract with teachers be broken. He sued pharmaceutical companies claiming they were responsible for the opioid epidemic. He has kept most of his suits in the Kentucky courts. A smart attorney general. An AG lucky to tangle with an overreaching governor.
In Kentucky, Gubernatorial candidates run with a selected Lt. Governor candidate. Andy Beshear chose Jacqueline Coleman — the granddaughter of a Kentucky raised NBA basketball star and daughter of a long time state legislator. A teacher, school administrator, successful basketball coach, and unsuccessful candidate for the state legislature, she is even younger than the Andy Beshear. Unlike him, she is personally opposed to abortion. Smart choice? Lucky to have her?
Andy Beshear is running against Matt Bevin, the most unpopular governor in the country, the governor he has been suing. Bevin will not be a pushover this November. No matter how unpopular, Bevin will attack relentlessly.
Andy Beshear is prepared. He has already been attacked in this campatign. Adam Edelin, the progressive third place finisher in the Democratic primary attacked, hoping for a surge: Beshear’s former aide was jailed for bribery. Beshear is somehow connected to the people who make OxyContin.
Bevin will continue those attacks while reminding social conservatives that Beshear was endorsed by pro—choice groups.
Bevin might have been seen as an admirable self-made businessman.
He grew up in Shelburne, NH and went to Washington & Lee University. After four years in the army, leaving as a captain, he worked for SEI investments, becoming a vice president at Putnam Investments and obtaining partial ownership of Kentucky-based National Asset Management. A wealthy man, he revived the failing family business – bell manufacturers in Connecticut.
Politics was next. He ran against the unpopular US Senator from Kentucky, Mitch McConnell as the Tea Party candidate. A political amateur, he was facing a tough politician.
- McConnell accused Bevin of taking government handouts to revive the bell business. Accurate, the state of Connecticut helped the business revive.
- McConnell accused Bevin of not paying taxes. Not so accurate. The bell business was delinquent in taxes before Bevin got involved. When Bevin changed companies managing his properties, the new company failed to pay a property tax bill for a vacation home in Maine.
- McConnell accused Bevin of falsely claiming he attended an MIT seminar. On his Linked In page. He actually attending a seminar run by the MIT Enterprise Forum – an organization with no affiliation with MIT.
Done. McConnell knows how to do research. He clobbered Bevin.
Bevin persisted. After the 2014 defeat by McConnell, he ran for governor in 2015. He and African American Lt. Governor candidate Jeneane Hampton won the primary by 83 votes. (Talk about being lucky). He won the general election to become only the third Republican governor since World War II. He won, in part, because the urban vote was lower than previous years.
After initially appointing a moderate cabinet, but governed like he was endorsed by the Tea Party.
- He used executive orders to remove county clerk’s names from marriage licenses so they would not be seen as endorsing a same sex marriage;
- He eliminated voting rights for non-violent felons who had completed their sentences, and
- He eliminated the minimum wage that had been set by his predecessor (Andy Beshear’s father).
- He had campaigned on a plan to eliminate the system for administrating the Affordable Care Act and began plans to do just that.
- When the courts rejected his plans, he reduced services
- He declared 2016 the Year of the Bible.
- He declared 2017 the Year of the Bible.
- He cut the budget for the state university by 9%, intending to move the funds to support the inadequately funded state pension system.
- The courts rejected his effort to make that budget decision without legislative action.
- He cut the spending for all state agencies by nearly 5%
- The courts rejected that as well.
- He sought to prevent or, at least, restrict Planned Parenthood from performing abortions – with some success.
- His response to a school shooting was to attack video games
- His veto of an increase in school spending was overridden by the Republican legislature.
- He blamed teachers’ work stoppages for children being sexually assaulted
- He insisted that children and teachers had grown soft in connection with weather related school closings. He particularly got into a contretemps with Al Rocker, the NBC weather forecaster
In 2019, Bevin has a new Lt. Governor candidate – state Senator Ralph Alvarado. He won a surprisingly close primary 52 – 39 (close, but a lot more than 83 votes). Andy Beshear https://andybeshear.com has a chance to beat him. Don’t underestimate Bevin’s persistence, his willingness to fight and fight dirty, his ability to appeal to prejudices. Help Andy Beshear win this election.
Remember these southern Democrats running for office in 2019:
John Bel Edwards Reelection as Governor of Louisiana
Jim Hood Current AG, running for Governor of Mississippi
Jennifer Riley Collins Mississippi Attorney General
Andy Beshear Current AG, running for Governor of Kentucky
Remember this southern Democrat running for reelection in 2020
Doug Jones Reelection as Senator from Alabama
Remember these southern Democrats – candidates for reelection to a second term and candidates in special elections.
Joe Cunningham Reelection to SC 01
Elaine Luria Reelection to VA 02
Lucy McBath Reelection to GA 06
Dan McCready Special Election for NC 09
Debbie Mucarcel-Powell Reelection to FL 26
Allen Thomas Special Election for NC 03
THE SOUTH IS CHANGING. BE PART OF THAT CHANGE. HELP IT HAPPEN.
