Will Andy Beshear run for president? What Kentucky governor has said

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The title of a recent Andy Beshear Podcast episode begs you to tune in — as questions swirl about the Kentucky governor's plans after his final term in Frankfort ends ahead of the 2028 presidential race.

"Andy Answers THAT Question," it proclaims.

He does, to be fair. It just isn't a straight answer.

A May 1 episode of Beshear's podcast begins with an interview with Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware before diving into topics such as tariffs, President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office and former Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough joining the New Orleans Saints.

At the end, finally, the governor was asked "THAT Question" — is he going to run for president?

Beshear laughed and said he had been put "on the spot on the Andy Beshear Podcast." And while he didn't offer a closer look at his plans, he certainly didn't close the door on speculation. He wouldn't have considered it three years ago, he said, but "I’m committed to not leaving a broken country to my kids or anyone else’s."

"Now, what that looks like going forward, I don’t know," he added. "My job right now is to try to lift up as many leaders as possible all across the country that are hopefully focused on the right things with the right message to re-earn the faith of the American people."

That's not a "yes," but it's certainly not a "no." And Beshear acknowledged he expects "that 2028 conversation to get bigger and bigger and bigger" moving forward.

While he didn't necessarily announce his candidacy, Beshear did say he hopes the country's next president takes a different approach than the White House's current occupant.

"What’s most important to me is that we have a leader in the future that can heal this country, that can bring us back together and that can move us forward," he said. "And I think what we’ve seen in the first 100 days of this current president is we need to restore our humanity, the rest of the world needs to see that. We need a lot more love and a lot more kindness and a whole lot less cruelty."

The answer was nearly identical to what he told WDRB when the TV outlet asked him about his future plans in early May ahead of the Kentucky Derby.

"If you'd asked me a couple years ago if this is something I'd consider, I probably wouldn't have," the governor said. "But I don't want to leave a broken country to my kids. So if I'm somebody who can bring this nation together, hopefully find some common ground, it's something I would consider."

Beshear's name has frequently come up in discussions about the future of the national Democratic Party, which has faced questions about who will lead it going forward following former President Joe Biden's decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and ex-Vice President Kamala Harris' defeat to Trump.

Beshear was considered as a potential running mate with Harris after she ascended to the top of the ticket last summer, a role that eventually went to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. A new book about Biden's decline from CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson reports Beshear was courted by former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff to challenge Biden in the 2024 primary, according to the New York Times.

Politico recently reported Beshear, who has said he does not plan to run for the U.S. Senate seat Sen. Mitch McConnell is vacating next year, is "actively laying the tracks" for a potential run in 2028.

The national political outlet traveled with the governor on a recent trip through Eastern Kentucky to meet with flooding victims and community organizations, hearing his advice for Democrats seeking to regain power — "get dirt on their boots" and "talk like a normal human being," he recommended — and noting he's been in touch with some Democratic senators to "talk about how he's framing key issues."

The article also raised questions about his current level of recognition nationally, though, compared to other potential contenders such as Democratic Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania.

Beshear made several stops around the country last year in support of Harris' campaign, including speeches at the Democratic National Convention as well as appearances in Iowa and Georgia. In December, he was selected vice chairman of the Democratic Governors Association and was voted chair-elect of the group in 2026.

Beshear appears in no rush to announce his plans. And, to be fair, we're more than three years away from Election Day in 2028. While campaign season never stops, potential presidential candidates still have plenty of time to lay their groundwork.

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.

This story was updated to add a gallery.