Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear voted ‘chair-elect’ of Democratic Governors Association

Gov. Andy Beshear will be a key player in national Democratic politics as the party picks up the pieces after its gut-punch loss to Republican Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.

The Kentucky Democrat was selected to be vice chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) in 2025 at the group’s annual meeting Saturday in Los Angeles.

Beshear was also voted to be chair-elect in 2026, which sets him up to lead the organization during a cycle where Democrats will be looking to wage a comeback.

The races in 2026 feature three dozen gubernatorial contests, including swing states Arizona, Pennsylvania and Michigan amid the pivotal mid-term elections for Congress.

National Democrats took a closer look at Beshear after his impressive 2023 re-election bid in state Trump has won decisively three times.

Beshear was consistently mentioned as a possible running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris and has been touted as a possible presidential contender in 2028.

In a statement provided to USA Today/The Courier Journal, Beshear said he looks forward to working with Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, who was elected DGA chair for next year. The Bluegrass Democrat said he will work hard to “grow our ranks of Democratic governors” two years from now.

“In Kentucky, we’ve shown that when you focus on bringing people together and the fundamental challenges families are facing every day, Democrats can win anywhere,” Beshear said.

“I’m excited to build on that record to help elect and re-elect Democratic governors across the country so we can continue making a positive difference in our states.”

Beshear’s future: White House or Senate?

This elevation by fellow Democratic governors is a testament to how well Beshear has climbed the party ladder during the past year.

At a time when Democrats’ ability to connect with working-class voters is in question, DGA officials stress how Beshear defied the odds in a Republican-dominated state by, “focusing on the issues that matter most” such as strengthening the economy, funding public education, fixing infrastructure and protecting fundamental freedoms.

Earlier in the year, as first reported by USA Today/The Courier-Journal, he launched “In This Together,” a federal political action committee (PAC) that endorsed and raised money on behalf of various candidates across the country.

Beshear’s PAC raised about $1.2 million, according to Federal Election Commission records. It doled out about $687,000 to candidates and committees he supported, including Democrats Jennifer McCormick of Indiana, and Joyce Craig of New Hampshire, who both lost their respective gubernatorial bids this year.

Beshear’s GOP foes are quick to spotlight that his PAC and popularity didn’t translate to wins at the ballot box.

“There’s a recurring theme here: Whether you ran for a seat in the Kentucky legislature, president, U.S. Senate, governor of New Hampshire, or any other office, if you used Andy Beshear as a campaign surrogate, you likely had a bad election night,” the state Republicans said Friday in a post on X.

Yet Beshear, 47, remains one of the country’s most popular leaders — including with Trump voters — at a time when Democrats are searching for a new, and likely younger, national voice.

Days after Harris’ loss, for instance, he penned an op-ed in the New York Times advising what the Democratic Party must do and be to win back certain voters.

“Earning trust and showing people you care about them also require that we talk to people like normal human beings,” he said.

“And that we are not afraid to share our ‘why.’ For me, my why is my faith, and I share it proudly,” Beshear added. “I vetoed anti-LGBTQ legislation last year because I believe all children are children of God. And whether people agree with my decision, they know why I’m making it. They know where I am coming from.”

Others are likely to pressure the term-limited Kentucky governor to forgo the White House and run for Senate in 2026. There is heavy speculation that Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell, 82, who stepped down from leadership, will not seek an eighth term.

Republicans would be more confident in their chances against Beshear in the context of a federal race given the governor was a visible Harris supporter. He publicly aligned with national progressives on some issues, such as abolishing the Electoral College, which will provide opponents with more ammunition for attacks.

But as DGA officials point out, Beshear led Kentucky through noteworthy wins, such as signing legislation establishing sports betting and the building of a new Ford battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky, which officials tout as the largest economic development project in state history.

Political observers say no matter what Beshear chooses to do next, the DGA role is a significant and brighter star in the party’s dimmed universe.

“The fact that Democrats lost and are going to spend at least two years in the wilderness means that a potential leader like Beshear is a lot more attractive to them as they look for ways to pick up the sorts of voters they lost,” Stephen Voss, a political science professor at the University of Kentucky, told USA Today/The Courier Journal.

“Almost no Democrat will outrank Andy Beshear in the next couple of years.”

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Andy Beshear set to lead Democrat Governors Association in 2026