LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is officially running for re-election in 2023.
According to a statement Beshear made on social media, the governor filed the paperwork on Friday morning to run for re-election.
"There are so many challenges facing our Commonwealth," Beshear wrote. "Kentuckians are counting on me to deliver, and I won't let them down."
Team -- I just filed the initial paperwork to run for re-election! There are so many challenges facing our Commonwealth. Kentuckians are counting on me to deliver, and I won't let them down. Help my campaign get off on the right foot by chipping in now >> https://t.co/hCgtFw2OUK
— Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) October 1, 2021
The governor's statement concluded with a request for supporters to donate to his campaign.
Beshear narrowly defeated Republican Gov. Matt Bevin by 5,136 votes in Nov. 2019, taking 49.2% of the vote to Bevin's 48.8%. At 42, Beshear became the youngest governor to take office since Ned Breathitt, who was 39 when he was inaugurated in 1963.
Beshear's term has been a troubled one, with the global COVID-19 pandemic beginning months after he took office. Since then, the governor has faced issues related to a stalled Kentucky unemployment system and rising social unrest.
Supporters praise his leadership during the pandemic, as well as new investments in Kentucky during his term, such as the recently announced new Ford plants in Hardin County. Critics accuse him of violating the state constitution with his COVID-19 restrictions, and fault him for the commonwealth's stalled response to unemployment claims during the pandemic.
Throughout the pandemic, Beshear became known for his daily COVID-19 press conferences, as well as his catchphrase, "We will get through this, -- and we will get through this together."
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