Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear touts potential presidential run as he promotes memoir in Lexington

Taylor Six and Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader on Sep 20, 2026

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Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said on CBS Sunday Morning he’ll wait until the midterm elections — and after consulting with his wife and two children — to decide about a presidential run in 2028.

But during a book promotion later Sunday afternoon, Beshear said he was “no longer sure” what he told his wife after the 2024 gubernatorial election was true: that he would never have to run another campaign again.

“I will not leave a broken country to our kids and our grandkids,” he said. He also joked, “If I answered that question directly, I would have to fill our a lot of paperwork.”

Beshear appeared at Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington to promote his new book, "Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country.”

In the bookstore packed with more than 700 people, Beshear sat down with poet laureate Silas House, who led a question-and-answer portion as Beshear highlighted the book, which shares tellings of his Christian faith.

The title of the book refers to the parable of the Good Samaritan, found in the Gospel of Luke, and tells the story of a traveler beaten and left half dead who is rescued by a person of another faith.

“It is not a just a story, but an instruction,” Beshear told the crowd that included his father, Former Gov. Steve Beshear, first lady Britainy Beshear and Congressional nominee Zach Dembo.

“It is now more important than ever,” he said.

Throughout the discussion, Beshear spoke of his time as governor in Kentucky, including both good times and bad that he led the citizens through during his near eight-year tenure.

He mentioned a Louisville mass shooting that killed his best friend, tragic floods and tornadoes, and the COVID-19 pandemic that happened right after his election.

He compared his reactions and the humanity of Kentuckians to the current climate in Washington, D.C., and mentioned President Donald Trump by name, saying his actions have inspired hate, not love and kindness.

“These are not who we are as Kentucky, and it is not who we are as a nation,” Beshear said.

Despite his morning remarks with CBS, he took the time to speak about what in his view needs to be changed at the federal level, including constitutional amendments, outlawing partisan gerrymandering, term limits in Congress and the Supreme Court, and direct elections of the vice president and president.

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