Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.) said he’ll consider a 2028 White House bid in an article published Friday while seething over the “big, beautiful bill” backed by Republicans in Congress.
“Two years ago, I wouldn’t have considered [running for president]. But if I’m somebody who could maybe heal and bring the country back together, I’ll think about it after next year,” Beshear told Vanity Fair.
The Kentucky governor’s term ends in 2027 and he’s pledged to complete his tenure in office before launching another political bid for a higher office.
Fellow party members Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-Pa.) have also been listed as potential contenders for the presidency as Democrats look to claw back the executive branch after their November loss.
Political pundits have suggested the GOP-authored spending package will have a significant impact on midterm elections and cycles that follow as Americans grapple with the possibility of losing their healthcare coverage, a top issue for Beshear.
“What the Republican majority is getting wrong is that the American people don’t view health care in a partisan way. They want to be able to see their doctor when they need to, and they want their neighbor to be able to see their doctor,” Beshear, Kentucky’s former attorney general, said in the interview.
“No state will be able to compensate for the level of devastation that this bill would cause. What they’re doing is immoral, and it’s certainly not Christian,” he added.
The legislation is set to remove millions from Medicaid and introduce stricter work requirements for food stamp benefits and other social services.
However, Beshear said in order to break through on the cuts, Democrats will need to help voters conceptualize the ongoing impact of the bill.
“If Democrats say this bill is going to increase food insecurity, their point’s not going to get through. If they say people are going to go hungry, it will,” he said.
“And we have to explain not just what we disagree with in this bill, but why. And my why is my faith. The parable of the fishes and the loaves is in every book of the gospel. My faith teaches me that in a country that grows enough food for everyone that no one should starve.”
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