Fundraising dollars and polls are not in Daniel Cameron’s favor, but that didn’t prevent the Kentucky attorney general and Republican gubernatorial nominee from delivering verbal jabs to incumbent Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear during their first face-to-face debate on Oct. 12.
Early and often, Mr. Cameron tied Mr. Beshear to President Joe Biden in a state where President Donald Trump won by 26 percentage points in 2020.
“I think we have to make sure that here in Kentucky, we remove the biggest enabler of Joe Biden, who is Andy Beshear,” said Mr. Cameron, who is endorsed by President Trump.
Mr. Cameron mentioned President Biden’s name more than a dozen times during the debate coordinated by the Paducah Chamber of Commerce.
That promoted Mr. Beshear to say, “Well, everybody, if you had Joe Biden or the far left on your bingo card today, congratulations, you just won.”
The Kentucky governor’s race is one of the nation’s most closely watched elections this year and could provide hints of what will happen in presidential and congressional campaigns in 2024.
Beshear Remains Popular
Kentucky is a deep red state, but Mr. Beshear remains popular, according to polls.He is running for a second term after winning in 2019 by less than a percentage point in a contentious race against former Gov. Matt Bevin.
A Morning Consult poll in October 2022 showed that Mr. Beshear was rated one of the 10 most popular governors in the United States, with a 59 percent approval rating.
A poll from Emerson College released last week showed Mr. Beshear with a 16-point lead over Mr. Cameron.
In another poll released by the conservative group Club For Growth, Mr. Cameron trailed Mr. Beshear by 6 percentage points.
Mr. Beshear’s campaign has significantly outspent Mr. Cameron’s team significantly throughout the general election season. In the first week of October, $1.8 million was spent on ads backing Mr. Beshear, while around $600,000 funded spots for Mr. Cameron.
Campaign finance reports indicate that Mr. Cameron has $968,000 cash on hand as of Oct. 11, compared to $1.9 million for Mr. Beshear.
Mr. Beshear opened the Oct. 11 debate by praising what he believes is positive momentum in Kentucky over the four years of his term, including a record number of new economic development investments, record-low unemployment rates, and the recovery of a western Kentucky region that was devastated by a 2021 tornado.
“We are on an economic win streak the likes of which we have never seen, with a true opportunity to turn our brain drain into a brain gain and to leave a legacy of more opportunity for our kids and grandkids than we ever thought was possible,” Mr. Beshear said.
‘A Race About Crazy Versus Normal’
Mr. Cameron presented a different picture of Kentucky that highlighted COVID pandemic restrictions impacting businesses, inflation, and virus-related school closures that resulted in learning loss among Kentucky students.“I think this is a race about crazy versus normal. And I think it’s crazy to have a governor who endorses Joe Biden for president.” Mr. Cameron said.
Earlier this year, Mr. Beshear signed a bill that represented a step toward phasing out individual income tax. Kentucky’s Republican-led legislature revamped the state’s tax code last year to gradually eliminate individual income taxes and extend the state sales tax to more services.
During the debate, Mr. Beshear said that he vetoed the original bill in 2022 because of the sales tax provisions, and he cautioned about further income tax cuts “to make sure the state can continue to provide vital services without the major source of state revenue.”
Mr. Cameron reiterated his pledge to keep Kentucky on the path to eliminating individual income tax.
“The difference between me and Andy Beshear is that he thinks government is in the best position to utilize your money,” Mr. Cameron said. “I think you are in the best position to make choices about how to spend your money.”
Mr. Beshear has often reflected on messaging from President Joe Biden, pointing to job creation from economic development and record-low unemployment rates.
“When you’re on a historic winning streak, you don’t fire the coach,” Mr. Beshear said at a campaign stop in September. “You don’t sub out the quarterback. You keep that team on the field.”
Seconds into his opening statement, the candidate endorsed by President Trump linked Mr. Beshear to President Joe Biden.
“Now, Gov. Beshear and Joe Biden will tell you that everything is going well in this commonwealth and in this country, but I assume that if you’re here today, you don’t believe that,” Cameron said.
“You’ve got concerns about inflation destroying your wallet. You’ve got concerns about the far left trying to indoctrinate your kids. And, you’ve got concerns about Joe Biden’s war on coal.”
Mr. Beshear defended his record and accused Mr. Cameron of stoking panic among Kentuckians.
“The reason that you hear that is to create fear,” Mr. Beshear said. “This attorney general knows that if this race is about me versus him, that you know who I am and how I’ve led and how I’ve shown up every day.”
Candidates Differ About Unity
Mr. Beshear encouraged unity among Kentuckians who have differing political beliefs.“Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or an Independent, there is space for you in this administration and on this campaign,” Mr. Beshear said.
Mr. Cameron said that Mr. Beshear’s plea for unity is empty and that Mr. Beshear is “beholden to the far left of his party.”
“I talk about Andy Beshear and Joe Biden because Andy Beshear refuses to stand up to this president, who tried to force vaccine mandates on your state, who’s trying to destroy the fossil fuels industry,” Mr. Cameron said.
“It is important to have leadership that’s going to represent your values, but also stand up to the nonsense that’s coming out of Washington.”
After the debate, both candidates said felt confident about their performance.
“I felt like I probably got under his skin a little bit talking about how close he is to Joe Biden,” Mr. Cameron said about Mr. Beshear.
Mr. Beshear chastised Mr. Cameron for “trying to get into the rank partisanship that’s been tearing our country apart.”
The candidates will meet face-to-face again during a debate on Oct. 16 at Northern Kentucky University.
