Andy Beshear
Born 1977 · Age 49
American attorney and Democratic politician; 50th Attorney General of Kentucky (2016–2019) and 63rd Governor of Kentucky (2019–present). Son of former governor Steve Beshear.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Lexington, Kentucky
Andrew Graham Beshear was born in Lexington, Kentucky to Jane and Steve Beshear.
Graduated Henry Clay High School
Completed secondary education at Henry Clay High School in Lexington.
Graduated Vanderbilt University, B.A. magna cum laude
Earned a BA in political science and anthropology; member of Sigma Chi fraternity.
Summer associate at White & Case LLP (New York)
Worked as a 2001 summer associate at international law firm White & Case.
Associate at White & Case (Washington, D.C.)
Worked at White & Case in Washington, D.C. for approximately two years after law school.
Received J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law
Graduated from UVA School of Law (Dean's Scholar).
Joined Stites & Harbison law firm
Hired by Stites & Harbison in Kentucky, where his father had been a partner.
Represented UFlex in tax-break request
Represented Indian company UFlex which sought $20M in tax breaks from Kentucky, drawing ethics questions.
Named 'Consumer Lawyer of the Year – USA'
Lawyer Monthly named Beshear its 2013 Consumer Lawyer of the Year – USA while at Stites & Harbison.
Represented developers of Bluegrass Pipeline (public controversy)
Represented pipeline developers; project drew environmental and eminent-domain criticism.
Broke fundraising record for 2015 AG race
Recorded strong early fundraising for a down-ballot 2015 attorney general campaign.
Announced candidacy for Kentucky Attorney General
Declared candidacy to succeed term-limited AG Jack Conway in the 2015 election.
Elected 50th Attorney General of Kentucky
Defeated Republican Whitney Westerfield by ~2,194 votes, 50.1% to 49.9%.
Sued over University of Louisville board overhaul (case lost)
Sued Bevin on grounds he lacked authority to overhaul U of L board; Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously sided with Bevin.
Sworn in as Attorney General of Kentucky
Assumed office as Kentucky's Attorney General.
Sued Governor Matt Bevin over mid-cycle university budget cuts
Filed suit arguing Bevin lacked authority to make mid-cycle cuts without legislature; ultimately state Supreme Court sided with AG.
Kentucky Supreme Court ruled against Bevin's mid-year university cuts
Court issued a 5–2 ruling agreeing with Beshear that Bevin lacked authority to make mid-cycle budget cuts.
Court dismissed AG lawsuit about temporary board reshaping
Kentucky Supreme Court dismissed a Beshear suit, holding Bevin had power to temporarily reshape boards while legislature out of session.
Filed suit challenging teacher pension reform (SB151)
Suited Governor Bevin over pension reform; later Kentucky Supreme Court ruled the bill unconstitutional (Dec 2018).
Declared candidacy for Governor of Kentucky
Announced run for governor; selected Jacqueline Coleman as running mate later.
Won Democratic nomination for Governor
Won a three-way primary with 37.9% of the vote.
Defeated incumbent Matt Bevin in gubernatorial election
Won the 2019 general election with 49.20% to Bevin's 48.83% — one of the closest gubernatorial margins in Kentucky history.
Op-ed in Washington Post on Democratic strategy
Co-authored 'How Democrats can win, everywhere' in The Washington Post (Nov 25, 2019) with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Reestablished and expanded access to health coverage (early week in office)
Within first week in office moved to expand access to healthcare and remove roadblocks, providing access to nearly 100,000 Kentuckians.
Sworn in as 63rd Governor of Kentucky
Assumed the governorship at midnight; resigned as attorney general and appointed AG-elect Daniel Cameron to finish the remainder of his term.
Issued executive order restoring voting rights
Signed order restoring voting rights to 180,315 Kentuckians who had completed sentences for nonviolent felonies.
Declared COVID-19 state of emergency in Kentucky
Declared emergency and instituted public health measures in response to the pandemic.
Ordered license plate recording for some churchgoers
Directed state troopers to record license plates of churchgoers who violated stay-at-home orders to attend in-person services, sparking debate.
Executive order releasing some inmates to slow COVID spread
Signed order releasing inmates from overcrowded facilities; later studies tracked recidivism of releases.
Relaunched kynect health insurance marketplace
Announced relaunch and expansion of kynect to broaden access to coverage in Kentucky.
Ordered statewide halt of in-person K–12 instruction
Ordered schools to halt in-person learning (first time he ordered rather than recommended closures).
Vetoed 27 bills passed by Kentucky legislature
Vetoed all or parts of 27 bills; the legislature overrode his vetoes.
Issued executive order allowing NIL compensation for college athletes
Signed order making Kentucky first state to allow college athletes to receive NIL compensation via executive order.
Led emergency response to Western Kentucky tornado outbreak
Coordinated state response after December 2021 tornadoes that devastated Mayfield and killed more than 70 people.
Coordinated federal response to Eastern Kentucky flooding
Worked with federal government to direct relief after July 2022 floods that killed over 25 people; federal disaster declared.
Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project received $1.6B federal grant
Project funding settled late 2022 with $1.6B federal grant; total project cost estimated at $3.6B.
Signed executive order on medical marijuana possession and regulated delta-8-THC
Issued an executive order expanding medical marijuana possession and regulating delta-8 THC.
Named States' Co-Chair of Appalachian Regional Commission
Selected by fellow Appalachian governors to serve as states' co-chair for 2023; commission invested $322M into 701 projects during his tenure.
Signed SB 47 establishing medical cannabis program
Signed SB 47 into law creating a regulated medical cannabis program in Kentucky.
Signed HB 551 legalizing sports betting
Signed House Bill 551 to legalize sports betting in Kentucky.
Reelected Governor of Kentucky (second term)
Defeated Republican Daniel Cameron, winning 53% to 47%; became the third governor in Kentucky history to win two consecutive terms.
Second gubernatorial term began
Assumed second term as governor (NGA records term dates Dec 11, 2023 onward).
Participated in World Economic Forum (Davos)
Attended 2024 World Economic Forum, meeting with foreign dignitaries to promote Kentucky business and investment.
Created political action committee for 2024 elections
Formed PAC to support candidates opposing divisive 'anger politics' in 2024 elections.
Reported private-sector investment milestone (~$35B+)
Governor's office reported securing over $35 billion in private-sector investments and thousands of jobs since taking office.
Restored voting rights total exceeded 194,000
Governor's office reported restoring voting rights to more than 194,000 Kentuckians who completed sentences for nonviolent offenses.
Opinion piece in The New York Times
Published 'I'm the Governor of Kentucky. Here's How Democrats Can Win Again' in the NYT (Nov 12, 2024).
Administration reports $43B in private-sector investment secured
Governor's accomplishments page reported more than $43 billion in private-sector investments and over 65,000 jobs secured since taking office.
Restored voting rights tally reported >198,000
Governor's accomplishment summaries reported restoring voting rights to more than 198,000 Kentuckians who completed sentences for nonviolent offenses.
Launched a public podcast
Launched a podcast covering various topics (April 2025).
Performed in Lexington Opera House production of '42nd Street'
Played the role of the Doctor at the Lexington Opera House production on July 10, 2025.
Expressed interest in 2028 presidential run
Publicly said he'd 'take a look' at running for president in 2028.
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