FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — As the horse-drawn carriage, carrying Kentucky’s new first family, made its way up Capitol Avenue towards his new office, someone yelled out to Andy Beshear and asked how he was doing today. As you might imagine, the response was positive. “I’m doing great!” he shouted back.
Beshear was officially sworn in as Kentucky’s 63rd Governor at midnight, but for most, he didn’t officially take office until daybreak when the public could see the parade, and hear the words on the steps of the State Capitol.
“It’s a Kentucky tradition,” said Kitty Dougoud of the parade. “It’s exciting to participate in something that happens only once every four years.”
Today, and in reality the last month since Election Day, has been particularly exciting for teachers across the Commonwealth, who lobbied hard for a Beshear victory over Matt Bevin. They viewed Bevin as a threat to their profession, and their pensions, while Beshear was lauded as a champion of those. At least he campaigned on such a platform, with tangible actions while serving as Attorney General, which supported that platform.
Mack Yocum had a seat along the parade route. Yocum and his wife are teachers. “The fact that they (Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman) see that education is crucial to the future of Kentucky,” he cited as one of his reasons for supporting the new Governor.
That seemed to be a recurring theme along Capitol Avenue where educators were given a section of their own, and some even served as Grand Marshals for the parade. In their honor, Beshear broke from tradition, allowing that parade float to lead the way on Tuesday morning, while he followed behind.
