Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is a rarity in American politics — a liberal Democrat serving as governor of a solidly red Southern state.
He’s also one of a handful of Democrats with a national profile to appear in New Hampshire this year, the traditional launching pad for presidential campaigns. While the 47-year-old, two-term governor repeated his mantra that it’s too early to talk about 2028 — telling WMUR he will discuss a White House run with his family after the midterms — he delivered a message in Manchester that clearly had Democratic primary voters in mind.
“I’m a proud pro-jobs governor. I’m a proud pro-union governor. I’m a proud pro-choice governor. I’m a proud pro-LGBTQ governor. And — I never thought I’d have to say this — I’m a proud free speech governor,” Beshear told a crowd of about 100 people at the Great North Aleworks.
With polls showing its popularity at historic lows, Beshear didn’t shy away from the party’s current struggles.
“I’ve got a lot of hope for the Democratic Party, but I’m also honest enough to say the Democratic Party has a lot of work to do. The Democratic Party has to re-earn the faith of the American people,” Beshear said.
He outlined three steps Democrats should take.
“Number one, we’ve got to spend 80 percent of our time on things that matter to 100 percent of Americans. It’s that idea that when somebody wakes up in the morning, they’re not thinking about the next (political) race, they’re not thinking about their party, they’re thinking about their job and whether they can afford to raise their family.”
Focusing on basic issues like healthcare, education, and public safety is key, Beshear said.
“Here’s the second thing we’ve got to do: We’ve got to talk to people like normal human beings,” he said to a smattering of applause. “Right now it sounds like we’re talking down to people.”
He gave the example of a phrase that recently came across his desk as governor: “Justice-involved population.”
“Anyone know what that is?” he asked the crowd. “It’s our inmate population.” Beshear outlined Kentucky’s success in teaching work skills to people in prison, as well as the state’s low recidivism rate.
“But with all that, do you know what our inmates call themselves? ‘Inmates.'”
Beshear said the third step for Democrats was to focus less on policy specifics and more on their motivation when talking to voters. “We are really good at the ‘what,’ but not so good at talking about the ‘why.'”
As an example, he told the story of his decision to veto a 2023 bill banning sex-change procedures for minor children, a law similar to one passed in New Hampshire this year. In Kentucky, the legislature easily overrode Beshear’s veto.
Beshear described the legislation as “nasty” and told the crowd that his veto didn’t cost him a point in the polls. Voters who disagreed with him respected him for explaining his position and standing by it.
“When we talk about our ‘why,’ we show people who we are, and we give them the grace and the space to disagree with us — maybe even over one of these hot issues that’s out there — they will still support us because they believe we will do the best job,” Beshear said.
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) speaks to former state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro at event in Manchester, N.H.
Democrats who spoke to NHJournal after his speech liked what they heard.
“I thought he was on point,” said retired state Sen. Lou D’Allesandro. “Look, we’ve got to start talking to people. We’ve got to start realizing and recognizing the needs that people manifest.”
Jen Brown, from Kentucky but currently living in New Boston, N.H., is a big Beshear fan. Asked what she wanted Granite State Democrats to know about him, Brown said, “Andy is here for the people. He’s one of us. (Other politicians) say it’s about the people, but it’s not. They’re on a power trip. Not Andy.”
Another attendee, who declined to give his name, shared a similar view. “He really talks to people. He resonates, and with all the communities.”
On his way out to travel to an event at the home of state Sen. Cindy Rosenwald (D-Nashua), Beshear stopped long enough for one question from NHJournal: Does he support New Hampshire staying first on the Democrats’ presidential primary calendar?
“I believe that the people of New Hampshire have shown that they are dialed in, that they have a rich history of bringing out the best in our candidates,” Beshear said. “I don’t know what process the DNC will ultimately use, but I hope they take that into consideration, because we’ve had really good candidates emerge from New Hampshire.”
One topic Beshear didn’t address was Israel and the war against Hamas. A pro-Palestinian group, the IMEU Policy Project, greeted the Kentucky governor with a small ad buy ($25,000) criticizing him for refusing to support an embargo on weapons to Israel.
“If you won’t stand against genocide, you can’t be our next president,” the group says.
The Israel issue has deeply divided Democrats, and Beshear’s message on Tuesday focused instead on unity.
“This ‘us-versus-them’ can’t continue,” Beshear said. “Your neighbor is not your enemy.”
