When Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Kentucky, officially filed for office on October 1 his campaign kicked into high gear with a torrent of fundraising requests, emailing online supporters nearly every other day for the first month.
With a re-election looming and Republicans looking tough in other places around the country Beshear is looking to fill his campaign war chest, and data from his first election shows he will need to earn every penny.
Beshear’s latest ask of supporters came on Wednesday, the day after Republican Glenn Youngkin’s victory in the Virginia governor’s race.
“It was tough to watch the results of the Virginia gubernatorial election roll in last night. Losing a close race is always hard and I know so many folks worked so hard for a different outcome.
Andy Beshear for Kentucky Email to Supporters
It’s also a good reminder of the importance of the work we are doing now.
In 2019, we shocked the country by winning a huge upset here in Kentucky. It was close. I was elected governor by just 5,136 votes. Last night is a clear indication that we have another tough fight ahead of us.
We won that race because we showed up, organized everywhere, and stayed focused on the issues that matter most to people’s lives. We knocked on doors in communities that hadn’t seen a Democratic campaign in years. We listened. Now we’re delivering what we promised: more good-paying jobs, better access to healthcare, investments in infrastructure. And we’ve restored decency and kindness to the governor’s office.
Kentucky’s gubernatorial election will be the follow-up to the 2022 midterms and the precursor to the 2024 elections. It’s only a matter of time before all eyes turn toward our Commonwealth, and we can’t afford to take a day off between now and then.
If we learned anything from yesterday’s election results, it’s that making early investments and talking to voters about the issues, not just the opposition, is key. This re-election campaign needs to be about the people of Kentucky, and that means meeting Kentuckians where they are and prioritizing the issues most important to them. That’s what will propel us to re-election in 2023.
I‘m grateful to have you in this fight, and I’m fired up to keep this campaign moving forward. If you are too, will you make an early investment in my campaign today so we can protect the progress we’re making for the people of the Commonwealth?
Onward,
Andy
Beshear narrowly won the election in 2019 against a deeply embattled incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin, R-Kentucky.
In the 2019 election, Beshear raised nearly $5.1 million for the race, but Bevin bested his fundraising with $7.7 million, according to their official campaign accounts. Beshear raised $2 million less but garnered nearly 2,000 more donors with an average raise of less than $1,000 per donor.
According to Beshear’s online ask for donations, he told supporters the campaign met their first goal of raising $20,000.
Republican Auditor Mike Harmon has officially filed to run in the GOP primary for governor in 2023, at least five others are said to be seriously considering the GOP primary race.
