Tuesday is the Kentucky GOP's gubernatorial primary and voters are heading to the polls to choose among 12 Republican candidates who could face Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) in November.
Republicans, who hold the legislative majority, are hoping to secure a trifecta by installing a GOP governor, as Beshear has pushed back against several initiatives led by the party, on everything from transgender issues in education to gun control. Beshear is likely to win against his two challengers in the Democratic Party primary.
THE TOP ISSUES KENTUCKY GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES ARE CAMPAIGNING ON
Three candidates have emerged as the frontrunners in the GOP gubernatorial primary: Attorney General Daniel Cameron, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, and state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.
Here are the four leading Republican candidates on the ballot for Tuesday's primary.
Daniel Cameron
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is currently in the lead, with a final Emerson College/Fox 56 Lexington survey showing that Cameron holds 33% of the vote, followed by Craft and Quarles.
Cameron is the first African American to hold the attorney general position and the first Republican to hold the office since 1943. He has received endorsements from U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and former President Donald Trump, as well as support from several law enforcement officers and prosecutors.
He has pegged himself as "THE law enforcement candidate" and has said he does not support gun control reform.
Cameron also has worked to block some of the Biden administration's policies, including ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies, transgender students in sports, and the ending of the Title 42 immigration policy.
Kelly Craft
Former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft currently holds nearly 18% of the vote, according to the Emerson/Fox poll. She served as U.N. ambassador and U.S. ambassador to Canada during the Trump administration.
Craft has been critical of transgender activism and has directed most of her focus toward the economy and education, echoing Cameron's blasts against President Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington.
The former ambassador came under fire for comments she made regarding transgender rights in education, saying, "We will not have transgenders in our school system" during a debate last week.
Craft is the biggest spender in the primary race, allocating $5.3 million for advertising alone as of May 4. She is endorsed by Rep. James Comer (R-KY) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX).
Ryan Quarles
State Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles serves as the primary race's top rural and grassroots Republican candidate. The latest poll showed he had 13% of the vote.
With the economy a top priority for voters, Quarles has worked to appeal to Kentucky residents as the homegrown candidate that can fight for the farming and labor communities. He has held back from launching attack ads against his opponents and has publicly decried other candidates' use of mudslinging instead of focusing on policy.
Quarles has state political experience, serving in the state House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016. Several state representatives and senators have endorsed Quarles, bringing his total endorsements to over 200. He has not received any national endorsements from key players when compared to Cameron and Craft.
The commissioner ran his campaign focusing on policies relating to mental health, education, and "fiscal responsibility."
Eric Deters
Eric Deters has been in the race since 2021, holding around 10% of the vote according to polls. He is a suspended attorney who cannot practice law in the state of Kentucky.
Deters has run an unusual media campaign, blasting his fellow Republican candidates for being "puppets" of the party, per the Lexington Herald-Leader. He is not backed by any big-money donors or endorsements.
He said on his campaign website that he is "not a career politician (unlike my opponents)" and has libertarian and conservative views. He has voiced Right-wing views on gun control, transgender rights, and vaccines, but also supports legal recreational marijuana and unions.
Deters made headlines in March after he pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges after police say he chased his nephew in a truck and sent harassing messages to his sister-in-law in 2022. He was sentenced to 270 days in jail but the court conditionally discharged the sentence for the next two years. However, he said at the time that his misdemeanor convictions "do not affect, (in) any way, shape or form, my ability to be elected governor," per the Cincinnati Enquirer.
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Other candidates include State Auditor Mike Harmon, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck Jacob Clark, David Cooper, Bob DeVore, Johnny Ray Rice, and Robbie C. Smith. All have failed to receive double-digit support in polling.
Voting will begin on Tuesday. The general election will take place on Nov. 7, 2023.