The barbecue was hot, the bingo hotter and the jokes … were a little undercooked. Elected officials and candidates flocked to Fancy Farm this weekend for the annual political picnic at St. Jerome’s Church in west Kentucky.
On the menu? Mutton, pork, some cucumber salad and a political jab or two. Republicans dominated the stage in Graves County, but Democrats made a showing this year in a region that has continually shifted redder for decades.
The U.S. Senate race to succeed longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell was on everyone’s bingo card, but the quickly evolving primaries to choose Kentucky’s next governor after Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear was a big topic – just under a year out.
A few items received bipartisan support with standing ovations from the crowd: thanking veterans and police for their service, the singing of the National Anthem and recognizing the career of recently retired KET journalist Renee Shaw.
Dave Baker, Lexington sports broadcast with WKYT, emceed the event. He poked fun at the candidates and especially jabbed at Beshear for failing to appear at the picnic again — although he excused Beshear’s absence, explaining he is at his son’s baseball game in Knoxville.
In a shift for the traditionally raucous event, the picnic’s political chairman Steven Elder said chants would no longer be allowed that are designed solely to drown out a speaker.
“Everyone here that has been invited has earned the opportunity to address this crowd, whether you agree with them or not,” Elder said. “Fancy Farm has never been about silence and voices, but about hearing them.”
At least once during the speaking, a Graves County sheriff’s deputy pulled a bellowing crowd member to the side to ask him to refrain.
McConnell’s notable absence hung over the event. He was frequently commemorated for his lengthy career in the Senate as questions of his health and fitness to serve swirl. But Baker focused more on Beshear’s absence than McConnell’s.
“This is the Andy tracker that we've got, and with every place he's been, it's very difficult to find out where he is,” Baker said, pointing to a map of the U.S. showing that Beshear had made an appearance in Nevada. Hecklers responded by chanting “Where’s Mitch?”
GOP U.S. Rep. Andy Barr took time out of his six-minute speech to note he too had spoken over the phone with the 84-year-old senator on Friday. He said he reminisced with McConnell about previous Fancy Farm picnics and his desire to get back into Senate business. Many politicians and McConnell allies have publicly discussed calls with the senator, but neither they nor his emailed photos and statements have assuaged public calls for transparency, including from Beshear.
“What is going on with Mitch McConnell? I was the first person to call for transparency,” Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker said. “Instead of speaking up for Kentucky, Andy Barr has been quiet as a church mouse. He refuses to say anything. Now, Kentucky, one thing we hate more than bullies is cowards.”
A race to replace Mitch McConnell
GOP U.S. Rep. Andy Barr sparred with former state Rep. Charles Booker, his Democratic opponent. In fact, most Republicans who took the stage Saturday also took the chance to bash Booker and stump for Barr.
Latching onto the growing success of Democratic Socialists in major U.S. cities, GOP candidates worked to tie the Democratic candidates on stage to socialism. They also criticized Booker for being a perennial candidate — he has previously run for Senate twice, losing once in the primary and again in the general.
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, who is running to succeed McConnell in the Senate called his opponent former state Rep. Charles Booker the “Mamdani of Kentucky,” a moniker he's used before.
“Charles, socialism doesn’t work in Cuba and it won’t work in Kentucky,” Booker said. “The socialists can keep their electric scooters, their oat milk and the Green New Deal.”
Booker does not identify as a democratic socialist. In his speech, Booker borrowed language from the GOP Senate primary, calling Barr “McConnell’s puppet.”
“Andy Barr is a weak version of Mitch McConnell and a bootleg version of Donald Trump,” Booker said.
A third U.S. Senate candidate, Christopher Campbell of the Kentucky Party, took the chance to introduce himself to a Graves County audience and present a differing option to the two dominant parties.
2027 governor’s race already on top of Fancy Farm speakers’ minds
While most of the country focuses all its attention on the November mid-term elections, many Kentuckians are already locked in on the state’s 2027 gubernatorial race. Beshear, who has hinted heavily at a potential presidential run, is facing a term limit.
Two Democrats closely linked with Beshear have launched campaigns to try and follow him up in the governor’s office. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced her campaign in April, while Rocky Adkins – a former state House Majority Leader and senior advisor to Beshear – kicked off his bid last month. Both were invited to speak ahead of next May’s gubernatorial primary.
Coleman took the traditional Fancy Farm comedic approach in her remarks, joking about state auditor Allison Ball’s haircut and Beshear’s potential presidential run. She also poked fun at U.S. Rep. James Comer, a widely presumed GOP candidate for governor.
She highlighted the Beshear-Coleman administration’s accomplishments in economic development. A former teacher, Coleman also highlighted her work campaigning against Amendment 2, the Kentuckians voted down in 2024 that would have allowed public dollars to go to private and charter schools.
The 44-year-old lieutenant governor said she has known Adkins and Congressman James Comer for a “long time.”
“They both actually served in the House with my dad, so they'll probably tell you that they knew me when I was in diapers,” Coleman said. “And if these two hang around much longer, I'm going to be able to say the same thing about them.”
Adkins shied away from humor and stuck to a stump approach, hitting on Republicans for cutting Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and for supporting Trump’s expansive tariffs. Neither Democratic hopeful differentiated themselves from their primary opponent – but both took shots at Comer, who hasn’t officially announced intentions to run for governor.
Adkins also emphasized his connection to Beshear and how he’d lead in a similar fashion.
“I do believe that real leadership is about bringing common sense and common ground. How about you?” Adkins said. “I believe real leadership is treating people with dignity and respect.”
Comer did tell eastern Kentucky newspaper The Daily Independent that his bid will likely be official “somewhere around December.” Comer is held up from announcing a gubernatorial bid due to his role as chairman of the House Oversight Committee.
On the Republican side, several speakers hinted at Comer’s likely run. Even if Comer didn’t choose to contribute to the speculation on stage Saturday, a plane circled over the picnic ahead of the speaking with a banner reading “Run Comer Run” trailing behind.
Secretary of State Michael Adams, who hinted at a potential gubernatorial run of his own in late July, alluded to having a “major announcement” to make at Fancy Farm the day before the picnic. Instead of launching his own campaign, Adams said he will throw all of his support behind Comer, assuming he announces an official run.
“I've said Republicans can't take any chances weakening our shot in 2027, and that goes for me too,” Adams said. “I've dedicated my career to our beloved Republican Party, and the best thing I can do for my team is to call all Republicans to join me for James Comer to be our governor.”
Down ballot candidates and other officials
Fresh off chairing a Senate committee hearing earlier this week questioning Dr. Anthony Fauci about the origins of the COVID-19 virus, Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul spoke at the Fancy Farm picnic for the first time since 2016.
Paul turned much of his attention to promoting the rise of Kentucky’s Republican party, and said the commonwealth’s recent accomplishments are owed to the GOP supermajority in the state House and Senate, not Kentucky’s Democratic governor.
“If Andy Beshear is remembered, it will for be for being neutered at every turn by the Republican legislature,” Paul said. “If Andy Beshear is remembered, it may be as being the last Democrat governor.”
While he may be planning to run for another office in future, Comer focused his speech on his current congressional campaign. Democrat John “Drew” Williams of Marshall County launched a campaign last year to try and unseat Comer, speaking at his second Fancy Farm picnic since he filed for election.
Williams – the sole Democrat to speak at last year’s picnic – focused on his policy goals, including supporting workers’ rights and banning federal officials and their families from stock trading.
“If you are someone looking for more liberty in your life and [for] those in your community, for money in your pocket, power to the working people, and supporting the [Protecting the Right to Organize] Act and a visible opportunity for anyone willing to reach for it to achieve the American dream: Welcome to the team,” Williams said.
Meanwhile, Comer touted his relationship with President Donald Trump. The Kentucky Republican congressman also heckled Williams’ track record in previous local elections. Williams lost a Democratic primary for the Sixth State House District in 2018 and a bid for Benton’s city council in 2024, with Comer joking about Williams’ distant finish.
“Now my ambitious opponent has moved up again to run for Congress against me. At least this time, Drew, you're going to finish second,” Comer joked.
Comer has easily handled previous challengers to his congressional seat. In his last bid for reelection in 2024, he drubbed Democrat Erin Marshall – capturing nearly three-quarters of the vote.
