Several Democratic elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, stood alongside Beshear and spoke to the crowd about the importance of turning out to help reelect him.
“We have a governor that has done what? Perform,” state Sen. Gerald Neal said Saturday. “Did he stand up when tornadoes hit western Kentucky? Did he stand up when floods ravaged eastern Kentucky?”
The crowd cheered in response to each question.
Beshear is running against Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the Nov. 7 election.
At Saturday’s open house, the Democratic governor thanked the dozens of people who crowded into his campaign’s office, located off West Broadway, to see him that afternoon.
“I am so grateful to each and every one of you for being here today. But I'm also grateful for your support these last four years,” Beshear told them.
He listed off some of the things Kentuckians have lived through since he took office in December 2019: a pandemic, tornadoes, floods, two wind storms, two ice storms, the world’s hottest summer on record, inflation and the economic repercussions of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
“But even with everything we've been through, I stand here today more excited, more optimistic and more hopeful for our future than at any point in my lifetime,” Beshear told the crowd.
He highlighted recent, record-breaking economic development investments in Kentucky, including Ford Motor Co.’s planned multibillion-dollar electric vehicle battery plants in Hardin County.
That’s a core part of his reelection pitch.
Beshear said the state is entering an exciting moment, and Kentuckians must meet it “with our faith and our values.” That means making sure no one is left out of the coming opportunities.
“We’ve got to make sure that every part of Kentucky, like Eastern and Western Kentucky, are included. And we’ve got to make sure every neighborhood in this city, including this one, sees new jobs and new prosperity,” he said.
Beshear went on to say that one of the most meaningful announcements he has made as governor happened when officials broke ground on what will become the first hospital built in west Louisville in well over a century.
He also spoke about the redevelopment of the Beecher Terrace apartment complex, along with the opening of the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center and the YMCA on West Broadway.
“It's not enough. But it's a start,” he said. “And I'm here to tell you, we are really close to a big jobs announcement in west Louisville I hope to make in the next couple of months.”
As for his opponent in the upcoming election, Beshear said Kentuckians are “hearing division” from Cameron’s side.
“You're hearing anger,” he said. “They're wanting one Kentuckian to hate another. I don't know about you, but I want to prove that's a losing strategy in the commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Mary Myers of Louisville came out to see Beshear Saturday afternoon and show her support.
She said he’s reasonable, has common sense and is “just a good guy.” In her estimation, the state — and the nation — need that.
“We just need him. We really do. I mean our country — people know all this, but we’re losing our democracy,” she said. “And I’m not going to let it be gone. I’m going to do everything I can to keep it here. And I know that he’s up for the job. He’s not God, but he’s a God-driven individual.”
