Kentucky
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear talks political landscape and state progress amid national speculation at Kentucky Chamber event – The Bottom Line
On Sunday, President Joe Biden announced he is dropping out of the 2024 presidential race. Since his announcement, many have scrambled to make sense of what comes next for the Democratic party ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) next month and, more importantly, the election in November, when a new candidate will face former President Donald Trump.
Immediately following his announcement, President Biden offered his full endorsement to current Vice President Kamala Harris. While another candidate could be decided by the DNC, Harris is the only one who would have access to the millions of campaign dollars raised by the Biden-Harris ticket.
Harris released a statement Sunday stating she was honored to receive the President’s endorsement and plans to “earn and win” the nomination. As many prominent Democrats continue to announce their support of Harris and reports coming in Tuesday morning that she has secured enough delegates to secure the nomination, the conversation is turning to who would be her pick for vice president.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is one of the individuals named in the speculation. He fully endorsed Harris on Monday morning and while he did not clearly say whether or not he is being considered or if he would take the job, he said he would take another job only if “I could further help my people and to help this country” but also added “I think if somebody calls you on that, what you do is at least listen.”
Beshear joined Kentucky business leaders on Tuesday at an exclusive event hosted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce where he, of course, discussed the progress Kentucky has been making in recent years but also touched on many points related to the national political landscape.
Kicking off the event, Kentucky Chamber President and CEO Ashli Watts said it is always great to see Kentucky highlighted at a national level given that Beshear has been a part of the speculation on the vice president pick. She also noted the positive relationship the Governor has had with the business community throughout his time in office.
Kentucky Chamber Chair-Elect Scott Davis, CEO of Field and Main Bank, said it is an exciting time to build upon the successes of the Kentucky Chamber’s work. Davis also thanked the governor for his work with the business community.
In his remarks at the Chamber event with many of the state’s top business leaders, Beshear said he loves the Commonwealth of Kentucky and emphasized how meaningful his jobs as attorney general and now governor have been. He said seeing Kentucky front and center has been special to him and he hopes it is special to others, too.
“The rest of the country is yearning to be more like us in Kentucky. And it’s about time!” Beshear said. “And I don’t say that in a partisan way because it has taken everyone to get us to this point.”
Similar to what he said in national interviews, Beshear said people don’t wake up thinking about the presidential election but instead are worried about a good job, health care, safe infrastructure, public safety, and public education. “And none of those are partisan at all,” he said, adding the policies the state and even the nation need now are ones that lift up every person regardless of party.
“Elections are supposed to be years apart so you can stop being partisan and work with others to get things done,” he said, adding he does not care who gets the credit as long as policies are ensuring a state and country that is better for his children and everyone.
The Governor just returned from a trip to South Korea and Japan. He joked that he is still jet lagged from that trip and was when he did an interview the night before.
“I might have said some things,” Beshear said referencing his comments directed toward new Republican Vice-Presidential candidate and Ohio U.S. Senator J.D. Vance.
Expanding on his trip, he said other countries are excited about what Kentucky is doing. Additionally, he said it is incredible to see the difference in the last four or even eight years.
“We are now the first call companies are making instead of claiming they don’t have our number,” Beshear said.
Pointing to another budget surplus announced in recent weeks and $32 billion in new private sector investments during his terms, the Governor said he is excited to see the growth in all areas of Kentucky.
“If any part of our state is not thriving, we are not succeeding,” he said.
In closing, Beshear said he plans to continue to give Kentucky everything he has regardless of where he is or what role he is serving in.
Stay tuned to The Bottom Line for more updates.
See Triple Crown winners in Kentucky Derby history
Take a look at the 13 elite thoroughbreds who have claimed the ultimate prize in horse racing: the Triple Crown.
Intrepido is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2026 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September.
The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 25. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 2.
Intrepido will enter the Kentucky Derby off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4. He currently ranks 17th on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 38.
Buy tickets here for Kentucky Derby 152
Color: Bay.
Bred in: Kentucky.
Sire: Maximus Mischief.
Dam: Overly Indulgent, by Pleasantly Perfect.
Price tag: $385,000 at 2025 Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Owners: Dutch Girl Holdings (Michele Arthur); Irving Ventures (Ruben Isla). First Derby for both.
Trainer: Jeff Mullins. He’s 0 for 4 in the Derby, best finish with Buzzards Bay (fifth) in 2005.
Jockey: Hector Berrios. First Derby.
Record: 2-1-0 in six starts.
Career earnings: $342,800.
Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 38 (No. 17).
Last race: Fourth in Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 4.
Running style: Has displayed early speed but raced off pace in Santa Anita Derby.
Notes: Intrepido has done all of his racing in California, winning as a 2-year old at Del Mar and Santa Anita. This year, he finished second in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis before heading to the Santa Anita Derby. … Mullins is in the Derby for the first time since 2005 but had the morning-line favorite in 2009 with I Want Revenge. He was scratched the morning of the race because of an ankle injury. … Intrepido is a ridgling, which means he has at least one undescended testicle.
What they’re saying: “I didn’t (expect that),” Mullins said after Intrepido worked a quick 47.4 seconds for four furlongs on April 19 at Santa Anita Park. “But we often get what we don’t expect.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
Kentucky
Northern Kentucky Education Council honors NKY educators with 2026 Excellence in Education Awards
Sadiqa Reynolds was removed from the University of Louisville board of trustees last week, as the Kentucky Senate did not confirm her appointment before they adjourned the 2026 legislative session.
Reynolds, the former president of the Louisville Urban League, was appointed to a six-year term on the board last April by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Under state law, gubernatorial appointees to boards must be confirmed by the state Senate during the subsequent legislative session in order to stay in that position. While the Republican supermajority filed and passed more than 50 resolutions to confirm appointees, none were filed to confirm Reynolds.
Reynolds told Kentucky Public Radio this week that she was not given any reason for why the Senate failed to confirm her, but suspected Republicans wanted her out due to her open criticism of the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education by President Donald Trump and the legislature.
“Attacks on education are attacks on our democracy,” Reynolds said. “There is no honor in following the lead of Kentucky Republicans when they are hellbent on destroying any gains we have made in this country.”
Reynolds added that it was “a badge of honor” to be rejected by Senate Republicans.
“Fascists refused to confirm me,” she said. “One little woman with one voice. I have never felt more powerful.”
Asked why Republican leadership did not confirm Reynolds, a Senate GOP spokesperson replied that “there was no resolution filed by a Democrat or Republican for the Senate to consider.”
Republican senators — who make up 84% of the chamber — filed all of the 50-plus resolutions to confirm Beshear appointees. Only one Senate bill filed by a Democrat was passed into law this session.
Senate Democrats did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the chamber not confirming Reynolds.
Scottie Ellis, the spokesperson for Gov. Beshear, replied in a statement that Reynolds “is an accomplished leader and University of Louisville alumna who cares about the direction of the school and served on its Board of Trustees with pride and integrity. Her removal is the latest politically motivated move by the Republican-led General Assembly, who are ultimately hurting UofL and its students with this baseless action.”
Asked to comment on Reynolds’ removal from the board of trustees, U of L spokesman John Karman said it was “not our decision,” adding that “the university is appreciative of Trustee Reynolds for her service and grateful for her contributions as a member of the Board of Trustees.”
Reynolds was critical not just of the Trump administration’s actions targeting DEI initiatives, but legislation passed into law by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2025 to ban all DEI initiatives at public colleges. She added that she pushed the university not to “overcomply” with such efforts and challenge them legally, or “at least explain the impact of compliance to the legislators and to the public.”
“People are so afraid to ask questions and challenge them, and I was not afraid,” she said. “Republicans have heard what I said and didn’t like it.”
Reynolds was not the only Beshear appointee to not be confirmed by the Senate. Though Republicans filed a resolution to confirm Michael Abell to the Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission, they did not vote on it before the legislature adjourned.
Responding to Abell’s removal last week, Ellis said the Senate GOP “once again refused to confirm a commissioner nominated by the Kentucky sportsmen and appointed by the Governor. This is now the eighth time they have done so. Kentuckians should be very worried about the operations at Fish & Wildlife.”
Reynolds was formerly a judge and top aide to former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, until she was named CEO of the Louisville Urban League in 2015. She left that position in 2022 to become CEO of the Perception Institute, a New York City think tank that counters bias and discrimination. Reynolds stepped down from that position last fall to focus fully on the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, a West End sports complex she pushed for while at the Urban League.
The Louisville Urban League president that succeeded Reynolds in 2022 was fired after four months, then filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit alleging she was wrongfully terminated for airing concerns about its finances and allegations of conflicts of interest involving the sports complex. A mistrial was declared in that case, and a new trial was granted last month.
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