Matt Bevin teases run for Kentucky governor, walks out as deadline passes

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin hinted at a fresh run for governor on Friday but ultimately passed on entering the race.

Bevin, a Republican who served one term before narrowly losing to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in 2019, whipped up speculation in media and political circles Friday morning in a tweet, his first since last September.

"A beautiful day dawning In Kentucky… Make it a great day!" Bevin tweeted with a picture of a bright sunrise shortly after 8 a.m.

Was Bevin, a Republican, planning to announce his candidacy for governor on the last day to enter the race?

The photo appeared to be looking east. And online commentators were quick to note that Frankfort is east of Louisville, where Bevin lives.

A possible Bevin run had been rumored for months, even as the Republican primary field continued to swell. Then, shortly before 1 p.m., Bevin tweeted again that he'd make remarks in the state Capitol rotunda at 2:45 p.m. before "proceeding down the hall...."

Was that an allusion to the Kentucky Secretary of State's office, where candidates for statewide office were trickling in on Friday before the 4 p.m. filing deadline?

No, it turns out. After speaking for more than 21 minutes in a speech that was part lecture, pleading and cheerleading, Bevin did walk down a hall, one that led out of the Capitol and into a sunny January afternoon without entering the governor's race.

Bevin, a Louisville businessman, served from 2015 to 2019 before losing to Beshear by a razor-thin margin of about 5,000 votes.

Bevin’s defeat in 2019 was a blow to Republicans, who have come to dominate state politics in Kentucky. All other Republicans seeking statewide office in 2019 won by comfortable margins.

Citing possible voter fraud, Bevin requested a recanvass, but ultimately conceded to Beshear.

The winner of the GOP primary on May 16 likely will face Beshear in the Nov. 7 general election.

Given his name recognition as a former governor, Bevin might have been a viable contender for the nod in a field of nearly a dozen candidates, in which the winner needs only a plurality of the vote.

Bevin's tenure was fraught with controversy, as he sometimes feuded with teachers, routinely criticized reporters and made decisions occasionally at odds with members of his own party. In remarks that went viral, he claimed teachers who descended on Frankfort in 2018 to rally against possible pension changes put children at risk of being sexually assaulted. He later issued an apology for the statement.

Bevin also led the effort to bring an aluminum plant to eastern Kentucky, but after the state invested $15 million in taxpayer dollars with Braidy Industries, the plant never materialized. Beshear has said taxpayers were "conned" in the deal, and the investment was also criticized by leading Republicans in the General Assembly.

Bevin also issued several controversial pardons as his term was coming to an end, including one for a convicted child rapist and one for a convicted killer. After the pardons were issued, lawmakers pushed for a bill to restrict gubernatorial pardon powers.

At least ten other Republicans also officially entered the governor's race. They include three statewide officeholders — Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, Auditor of Public Accounts Mike Harmon and Attorney General Daniel Cameron — as well as former United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft.

Alan Keck, recently re-elected as mayor of Somerset, also has filed for the office.

Other GOP candidates include Eric Deters, Jacob Clark, David O. Cooper, Bob DeVore, and Robbie C. Smith.

Related Stories: