KY gubernatorial candidates speak in forum about abortion

Both candidates for Kentucky governor made their pitch to Kentucky business leaders Wednesday evening during the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s 77th annual meeting dinner.

Gov. Andy Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron were invited to participate in a gubernatorial forum during the program.

The forum focused on the Chamber’s plan called “Kentucky’s Winning Strategy.” The plan is a vision for future talent acquisition and business growth in the Commonwealth.

The mood during Wednesday’s event was good as Kentucky continues to experience record economic growth.

“We’ve seen a lot of new announcements in Kentucky as it relates to attracting new businesses and attracting new industries, and we certainly want to keep that momentum going,” said Kate, vice president of public affairs for the Kentucky Shanks Chamber of Commerce.

Each candidate was invited on stage individually for 30 minutes to discuss in detail how they would do it.

Beshear acknowledged the successes of the last three years while acknowledging that it was a team effort between the lawmaker and several others. But he warned now was not the time to change course.

“We just finished fifth in Site Selection’s Prosperity Cup rankings and are number one in our region for the first time ever, beating the two states of Tennessee and Texas,” Beshear said.

Cameron painted a different picture, saying his relationships with the Legislature put him in the best position to maintain momentum.

“I want to establish a workplace culture here in Kentucky and I find it unfortunate that Andy Beshear has, in many ways, established a culture of dependence on government over the last three and a half years,” Cameron said.

The forum came just hours after Beshear released a new campaign ad that took issue with Cameron’s position on abortion, sparking a dispute between the candidates.

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The ad features a young girl named Hadley from Owensboro who describes her experience becoming pregnant after years of rape and abuse at the hands of her stepfather.

“This goes to you, Daniel Cameron. Telling a 12-year-old girl that she must have the baby of the stepfather who raped her is unthinkable,” Hadley said in the complaint.

Cameron responded on social media that, despite previous comments, he supported exceptions for rape and incest.

He accused Beshear of running “the most despicable campaigns in Kentucky history.”

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“He lectures us about partisanship and unity and then launches disgusting false attacks,” Cameron said.

Beshear noted Cameron’s support for Kentucky’s trigger law, which went into effect after the Supreme Court ruled against Roe v. Wade had fallen. The law makes no exceptions for rape or incest.

“The AG supported this law, with no exceptions for rape and incest, from its passage to its enactment to its defense in the Supreme Court,” Beshear said.

The topic remained offstage, except for a brief mention when Cameron was asked to say something nice about his opponent.

“I would have had a lot of nice things to say about him until he filed the complaint against me today,” Cameron said.