Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, both attorneys by trade, are making their closing arguments to voters in the final days of the campaign.
Cameron brought his Fight for Kentucky Bus Tour to Bowling Green on Wednesday.
Kentucky's attorney general appeared alongsideRiley Gaines, a former University of Kentucky champion swimmer and advocate for what she and Cameron described as protecting women’s sports from biological men.
Cameron turned up the heat on Beshear over an issue resonating with social conservatives: his veto of bills related to transgender individuals.
“We want leadership in this state that’s going to stand up and protect women’s sports from biological males, and is going to keep and protect our kids from transgender surgeries," Cameron said.
Cameron’s speech came the same day a group of Kentucky parents asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that allowed the state’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors to remain in effect.
Cameron spoke at Bowling Green-based Blue Cotton, which produces custom printed shirts.
"We need to elect a governor that views all businesses as essential, and will fight to keep all businesses open even in challenging times," part owner Mike Coffey said Wednesday.
Coffey was referring to restrictions Beshear put in place during the pandemic that Cameron and other Republicans have said hurt small businesses and schools.
He also made a direct appeal to teachers, promising them more money and what he called a return to the basics.
“We can make sure our schools are about reading, writing, and math, and that they’re not incubators for liberal and progressive ideas," Cameron said.
Cameron has tried to distance himself from former Kentucky Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who feuded with teachers over pensions.
Beshear, meanwhile, has attacked Cameron on the issue of school vouchers. As attorney general, his office defended a bill to award tax credits for donations supporting private school tuition.
The Kentucky Supreme Court struck down the legislation.
As three days of early voting begins on Thursday, Cameron pitted the race against Beshear as a choice between normal versus crazy.
"There's nothing crazier than having a governor here in Kentucky, Andy Beshear, who would openly endorse Joe Biden for president," Cameron quipped.
Former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed Cameron, trounced Biden in Kentucky's 2020 presidential contest. Cameron has blasted Biden's economic and energy policies in nationalizing the race.
Beshear has downplayed party affiliation while campaigning for re-election on his record, which he says includes record job creation, a historic budget surplus, and a steady hand during natural disasters.
Gov. Beshear is scheduled to bring his Get Out the Vote tour to Bowling Green on Friday.
