CHICAGO, IL. (WSMV) – Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear spoke on the first night of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Governor Beshear’s address to the crowd of democrats inside the United Center focused on women’s reproductive rights and leading America with compassion and empathy.

“Elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz to protect reproductive freedom,” Beshear declared to the crowd inside the United Center.

Beshear drew contrast between Harris’ and former President Donald Trump’s polices on reproductive rights noting that Trump’s three nominations to the Supreme Court, voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Beshear said Trump’s project 2025 goes even further.

“Trump and Vance simply don’t believe in your freedom,” Beshear said “Their policies give rapists more rights than their victims.”

Project 2025 is a blueprint of conservative policy proposals for a future Republican administration. It was developed in 2022 by The Heritage Foundation and like-minded conservative groups.

While a ban on abortion isn’t detailed in the plan, restricting access to abortion is included. Project 2025 proposes a reverse to the approval of chemical abortion drugs by the Food and Drug Administration. Blocking the mailing of abortion pills is also in the plan.

Trump has been distancing himself from Project 2025, stating on social media that he knew nothing about it but also didn’t agree with parts of the plan. He didn’t specify which part that was.

The two-time Kentucky Governor made a plea to end “anger politics” and move beyond “us vs. them” and to “remember we are all Americans.” He said that’s how President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris lead.

“Biden and Harris called to ask how they could help Kentucky recover from natural disasters, they helped us improve our roads, our bridges and invested in our people,” Beshear shared, “They didn’t ask me who Kentuckians voted for, they asked what Kentuckians needed and they delivered.”

Beshear said Harris “gets it,” and that she can move America past “anger, extremism and division.”

The Democratic National Convention goes through Thursday, August 22.

Beshear was on the list of Harris’ potential VP picks. He said he was honored to be considered.

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A suspect fatally shot a woman he had been in a relationship with and her mother near a Kentucky courthouse Monday morning, police say. The Elizabethtown Police Department says the suspect, 46-year-old Christopher Elder, fled the scene and shot himself during a standoff with police more than 100 miles away, in the far west of the state, WLKY reports. The victims were identified as 37-year-old Erica Riley and her mother, 71-year-old Janet Riley. Police said Elder shot himself in the head while he was talking to police negotiators and is in critical condition.

Police said a male relative of Riley’s was injured in the “ambush-style” shooting and is in stable condition. ABC News reports that the shooting across the street from the Hardin County Justice Center occurred before a hearing on an emergency protective order. Police described the shooting as an isolated, “domestic-related” incident. “It’s just terrible, it’s a tragedy,” said Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory, a former state trooper. “Domestic situations are never predictable. They often end in horrible situations like this. Unfortunately, that happened in downtown Elizabethtown today.” (More Kentucky stories.)

CHICAGO, Ill. (WKYT) – Kentucky is sending 59 delegates elected by the Democratic Party to the national convention in Chicago this week.

The Commonwealth is also sending six automatic delegates, who are typically party leaders and elected officials, including Governor Andy Beshear.

Robert Kahne is one of the representatives from Louisville. It’s his first Democratic National Convention. He says there is tight security around the event.

Kahne is looking forward to hearing Governor Andy Beshear speak before a national audience Monday night.

“I really think he’s going to put Kentucky front and center in his speech,” Kahne said. “The thing is, so many people overlook Kentucky for lots of different kinds of reasons for whatever reasons they have. I think they’re wrong to do so and I think Governor Beshear is going to be singing our praises talking about the amazing work he’s doing here, and other Democrats as well.”

Beshear posted to X that he would be sharing a message of “hope, freedom and unity.”

Kahne believes when Kentucky’s governor was floated as a potential democratic VP pick, it helped elevate the state’s notoriety.

“I’ve been here a couple of days already, and whenever anybody sees that I’m from Kentucky, they don’t say, ‘Oh, that’s the state with Mitch McConnell.’ They say, ‘Oh, that’s the state with Andy Beshear,’ and I certainly think he represents the future that I would like to see for Kentucky,” Kahne said.

Some are using the event to highlight other causes. The Chicago area is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the country. Protestors have already started to gather outside the DNC, voicing opposition to the war in Gaza as well as other issues.

The Kentucky Democratic Party told WKYT they are not releasing the full list of names of delegates due to privacy concerns.

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