(LEX 18) — Andy Beshear begins the week with a major endorsement for his bid to become Kentucky governor.
The Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police announced Saturday that its membership has endorsed the current Democratic attorney general in his campaign to unseat first-term Republican Gov. Matt Bevin.
"The conversations were largely geared around pensions, improving benefits, and overall safety concerns for police officers in the commonwealth," Drew Fox, the organization's chair of governmental affairs, said in a statement.
“I’m grateful to have the trust and support of Kentucky’s Fraternal Order of Police," Beshear said in a statement. "It’s been an honor to serve as Attorney General and partner with our law enforcement community to combat child abuse and human trafficking, battle the opioid epidemic, stop scammers, and clear Kentucky’s rapekit backlog.”
In addition to Beshear, the organization backed another Democrat, Heather French Henry, for secretary of state. The remaining endorsements went to Republicans: Daniel Cameron for attorney general, Allison Joy Ball for treasurer, Mike Harmon for auditor and Ryan Quarles for agricultural commissioner.
Bevin's campaign came back fighting, releasing a statement: “While Andy Beshear’s top staffer (who he personally selected as Kentucky’s deputy attorney general) was being sent to federal prison for bribery, Governor Bevin was fighting to protect the KLEFPF fund and give law enforcement officers their first bonus increase since 2001. Beshear’s support for Sanctuary Cities is not only bad policy, but will make every Kentuckian less safe. Every good law enforcement officer in Kentucky knows this. Governor Bevin will never support Sanctuary Cities and will continue to stand with and defend our law enforcement officers even though Andy Beshear has made clear that he will not.”
Kentucky voters go to the polls Nov. 5.
