During festivities surrounding this weekend’s Fancy Farm Picnic, the majority of spectators focused on the contenders in Kentucky’s approaching GOP U.S. Senate primary. Nonetheless, a Democrat and a Republican fueled rumors that they might run for governor of the state in 2027.
Future statewide campaigns were brought up by U.S. Representative James Comer at a Republican breakfast and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman at a Democratic dinner while speaking to party loyalists. Due to Democratic Governor Andy Beshear’s term limit, both have been considered as potential contenders for the governor’s race, which would be extremely open.
Coleman spoke at the Marshall County Democrats Mike Miller Memorial Bean Dinner on Friday night, but she did not attend the yearly church picnic in West Kentucky on Saturday. She explained that she chose not to attend the picnic because she was not on the ballot this year. Politicians usually exchange roasts in front of a boisterous audience at the picnic.
However, I’ve heard that some races, like the one in 2027, could make me return to the Fancy Farm stage. I’m not sure. The audience laughed and applauded as she answered, “We’ll see.”
After her speech, reporters asked Coleman to clarify, and she responded, “It just means I might be back.” You never know, though.
Coleman is regarded as a leading contender for the Democratic candidacy in the 2027 gubernatorial election. Coleman was elected lieutenant governor twice on Beshear’s ticket. Rocky Adkins, Beshear’s senior adviser and a former Eastern Kentucky House Democratic floor leader who challenged Beshear in the 2019 primary, is another speculated contender.
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But Comer said Saturday morning at the Graves County GOP Breakfast that he thinks Kentucky Democrats will nominate Coleman.
In my life, there are no questions. It will be Lieutenant Governor Jackie Coleman, after all. “Comer said.”
The congressman went on to state what he believed to be Coleman’s running issue. He told Republicans that she is so unknown and inconsequential that the typical Kentuckian would still be unable to recognize her if she were photographed with two Kentucky heroes, Mark Pope, the men’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, and boxer Muhammad Ali.
Several Republican speakers made hints throughout the day that Comer ought to run for governor himself. The most fervent of them was Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell, who stated that Comer ought to enter the race both on the Fancy Farm Picnic stage and at the Republican breakfast.
For governor, I support Jamie Comer. Run, please. At the brunch, Shell said, “Please,” and the crowd exploded in applause.
After the picnic, Comer told reporters, “It’s not a secret that I’m very interested in the governor’s race, but I’m currently running for my U.S. House seat again in the 1st Congressional District in 2026, so I’m about a year away from making a decision.”
Comer was the state’s agriculture commissioner and a member of the state House of Representatives prior to his election to Congress in 2016. In 2015, he ran for governor and lost the Republican primary to former Governor Matt Bevin by 83 votes. As the chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the head of investigations into President Joe Biden and his family, Comer rose to prominence on the national scene.
Regarding the present support, Comer expressed his humility at hearing words of encouragement from people throughout the state. He thinks that part of the explanation is his rural upbringing, which may help him get support from voters outside of the state’s cities.
More than any other campaign in America, the Kentucky gubernatorial race has been dominated by Democrats. According to Comer, Republicans have even had greater success in areas like New York and New Jersey. Therefore, we must consider our nominees.
When asked why he believed Coleman would be the Democratic nominee instead of Adkins, Comer stated that Adkins’ pro-life stance on abortion and lack of support for tight gun control regulations might hurt his chances of winning over more liberal Democratic voters, especially in Lexington and Louisville.
According to Comer, Jackie Coleman is “the” clear frontrunner to be the Democratic nominee for governor until something changes.
Comer isn’t incorrect, according to Stephen Voss, a professor of political science at the University of Kentucky, about ideologues and activists finding it difficult to support candidates when the demand for ideological purity results in defeat. Ordinary voters are capable of more strategy. Voss used the 2020 presidential election as an example, where many Democratic voters thought defeating Donald Trump was more essential than Joe Biden.
Campaigning against the lieutenant governor did not cost Comer anything. Voss stated that he hasn’t done himself any quantifiable harm by pursuing her, even if he turns out to be mistaken and his main Democratic opponent turns out to be someone else. What matters is that he is trying out to be the Republican who will criticize the Democratic candidate for governor.
Comer would have stepped on toes and given notoriety to a primary opponent if he had openly disparaged another possible Republican candidate, according to Voss. Voters in the GOP primary are not offended by this action.
Voss responded, “If Democratic strategists don’t already know that Rocky Adkins would be a strong candidate, then God help them,” when asked if Comer could have taken the chance of telling Democrats that Adkins is a stronger candidate.
Some have conjectured that, in addition to Comer, term-limited Secretary of State Michael Adams and former Republican Senate Floor Leader Damon Thayer could be potential Republican contenders for 2027.
Twelve Republicans sought the gubernatorial nomination of their party in 2023. In most elections, Kentucky Republicans have a larger bench of up-and-coming candidates than the Democrats because they are the majority party with the majority of statewide posts and control of the state House and Senate.
This story originally appeared at kentuckylantern.com
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