Andy Beshear

President Donald Trump will headline a fundraiser next week for Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, who is banking on his close ties with the Republican president as he faces a tough challenge from a Democratic rival in a state that Trump dominated in 2016.

Trump will travel to Kentucky to attend the Aug. 21 fundraiser in Louisville, Bevin's campaign announced Monday.

"Gov. Bevin is thankful for President Trump's friendship and strong support," Bevin campaign manager Davis Paine said in a release.

Kentuckians dislike their governor and one of their senators more than the residents of any of the other 49 states. Yet, Kentuckians could re-elect Matt Bevin as governor this November.

The non-partisan D.C.-based Cook Political Report ranks Bevin’s race against Democrat Andy Behear as a toss-up right now. The state is, according to Cook, also “likely” to send Mitch McConnell back to the Senate for a seventh term next fall, even though Democrat and former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath raised more than $2.5 million last month in her first day as candidate.

A black Democratic Kentucky lawmaker who was told by a white Republican colleague to “sit down” during a heated moment in the during this year’s legislative session is calling on Democrats to “take a stand.”

Louisville representative Charles Booker was the featured speaker at the Alben Barkley Dinner Thursday night in Paducah, one of the many political gatherings ahead of the Fancy Farm Picnic. WKMS News estimates more than 300 people were in attendance.

Booker recalled the moment near the end of the general session that involved Paducah representative Randy Bridges.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andy Beshear won an endorsement Monday from a longtime Republican state lawmaker who criticized GOP Gov. Matt Bevin for "running around the state insulting" people — including teachers in his own family.

Sen. Dan Seum, a former member of the Senate GOP leadership team, announced his support for Beshear at the start of a crucial week in Kentucky's hard-fought governor's race. Bevin and Beshear will square off Saturday at the Fancy Farm picnic — the state's biggest political event.

Attorney General Andy Beshear is appealing to Kentucky veterans with a set of health-related programs and policies he’d work toward if elected governor in November.

“We have a special duty to our veterans whose health care needs so often come from the sacrifice that they have made for our country,” Beshear said, adding that he wants to address some of the biggest challenges of vets.

“Our health care plan is designed to make sure that we can provide the services we need to stop those suicides, to stop that substance abuse. And to truly be there for our veterans.”

A federal appeals court in New Orleans heard oral arguments Tuesday on the legality of the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration and Republican-led states say the entire law — which goes way beyond the controversial individual mandate to buy insurance — is unconstitutional.

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is part of a group of Democratic state officials that argue the law is legal and should stay as-is. He spoke during a press conference following the oral arguments Tuesday.

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear took another jab at Governor Matt Bevin Friday, one day after scoring a win in their on-going battle over whether the state will discipline teachers for participating in “sickouts” that closed Jefferson County Public Schools six days this spring.

Beshear’s challenge is the latest highlight in his campaign to unseat Bevin as governor.

In a campaign appearance Friday, Beshear said Bevin should “do something right” and fire his Labor Secretary David Dickerson for pursuing an investigation into teachers who called in sick to protest education bills at the Capitol. 

Gov. Matt Bevin will return to the Fancy Farm picnic stage this summer after a two year absence from Kentucky’s premier political event.

Bevin has criticized the rowdy festival, which encourages politicians to trade insults on statewide television in front of a crowd of hecklers, and hasn’t attended the event since his first year in office.

But the governor is running for re-election this year and will share the stage with his opponent in the general election, Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear.