Andy Beshear

Andy Beshear
50th Attorney General of Kentucky
Assumed office
January 4, 2016
Governor Matt Bevin
Preceded by Jack Conway
Personal details
Born Andrew Graham Beshear
(1977-11-29) November 29, 1977
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Britainy Beshear
Relations Steve Beshear (father)
Children 2
Education Vanderbilt University (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)
Website Government website

Andrew Graham Beshear (born November 29, 1977) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 50th and current Attorney General of Kentucky. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His father, Steve Beshear, served as the 61st Governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He is a Democratic Candidate for Governor of Kentucky in the 2019 election.[1]

Early life, education and law career

Beshear grew up in Fayette, Franklin, and Clark counties and graduated from Henry Clay High School. He is the son of Steve and Jane (Klingner) Beshear. Andy's father Steve was the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015.[2]

Beshear attended Vanderbilt University, and he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and anthropology. He then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor. In 2005, he was hired by the law firm Stites & Harbison.[3][4] He graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University, and from the University of Virginia School of Law. He has represented the developers of the Bluegrass Pipeline, which would transport natural gas through the state.[5]

Kentucky Attorney General

Beshear announced his campaign for the 2015 election for Attorney General of Kentucky in November 2013 to succeed Jack Conway, who could not run for reelection due to term limits.[6][7] Beshear defeated the Republican Party nominee, Whitney Westerfield, and was sworn into office in January 2016.[8][9]

In April 2016, Beshear sued Matt Bevin, the Governor of Kentucky, over his mid-cycle budget cuts to the state university system, which Beshear says Bevin is not authorized to do.[10] On September 21, 2016, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a 5-2 ruling agreeing with Beshear that Bevin did not have the authority to make mid-cycle budget cuts without the approval of the General Assembly.[11]

On July 9, 2018, Beshear declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination for Governor of Kentucky in the 2019 election.[12]

Personal life

He is the son of former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and former Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear. He and his wife, Britainy, have two children.[3]

Electoral history

Kentucky Attorney General Election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andy Beshear 479,567 50.12
Republican Whitney Westerfield 477,366 49.88
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "Andy Beshear announces run for governor". The Courier-Journal.
  2. ↑ "The Attorney General - Kentucky Attorney General". ag.ky.gov. Retrieved 2017-03-23.
  3. 1 2 "Profile: Meet Andy Beshear, the Democratic nominee for attorney general". Kentucky.com. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Beshear taps father's network in AG run". Paducah Sun. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  5. ↑ Bruggers, James (August 2, 2013). "Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's son working for Bluegrass Pipeline developers". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Andy Beshear Announces Bid for Kentucky Attorney General". WFPL News. November 14, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Andy Beshear breaks fundraising record for down-ballot 2015 race". CN2. October 3, 2013. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Andy Beshear prevails for attorney general". The Courier-Journal. November 3, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  9. ↑ Smith, Lawrence (November 10, 2015). "Democratic Attorney General-elect Andy Beshear pledges cooperation". WDRB-TV. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  10. ↑ Loftus, Tom (April 11, 2016). "AG Beshear sues to reverse Bevin university cuts". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Ky. Supreme Court Rules Bevin Can't Cut Budget of Public Colleges, Universities". WKYT. September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Andy Beshear becomes first to announce run for Kentucky governor". The Courier-Journal. July 9, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Jack Conway		 Attorney General of Kentucky
2016–present		 Incumbent
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