'Where I'm supposed to be': Beshear plans to see governor term through following VP search

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Gov. Andy Beshear let out a laugh when he was asked if he expected to gain the national spotlight less than a year into his second term.

His answer was no, but shining a light on him also meant bringing attention to Kentucky, Beshear told The Courier Journal in an exclusive interview Wednesday, adding his administration has received many calls from across the country and globe from people who now want to explore the state.

"I don't think anybody could have predicted all the things that are going on in this presidential race right now," Beshear said. "What I can say is we secured hundreds of millions of dollars of positive publicity for Kentucky. I mean, I'm so excited to see our country looking up at us instead of looking down on us."

For about two weeks, Beshear was among a handful of Democratic names circulated as a potential running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. Harris ended up tapping Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who Beshear said he supports as a friend.

Speaking with the CJ, Beshear confirmed he took part in the vetting process earlier this month, during which he made several national media appearances and campaigned for Harris in a battleground state. He even coined the phrase "he ain't from here," referring to former President Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance.

No matter the outcome, Beshear said he wanted to make sure Kentucky was kept in a positive light.

"I got into this because I think my kids and everybody's kids deserve a better tomorrow, a better country and a better world," he said.

Beshear declined to share how far he made it in the vetting process. But he said he was honored to be considered.

"How many people in their lives are vetted to potentially be a vice presidential running mate?" Beshear said. "And I was still looking forward to having conversations to make sure that if I was picked, that this was a role that I believed I could help Kentucky more. That was my threshold requirement."

Beshear said moving forward, people can expect him to do everything he can to advocate for the Harris-Walz ticket win, while also supporting other Democratic candidates nationwide, like Montana Sen. John Tester, who's up for reelection in November.

Asked if that includes continuing to campaign in other states for Harris and Walz, Beshear said their campaign sets the strategy, but he's willing to do whatever they ask to help send them to the White House.

Beshear added he's currently in his dream job, and he's going to continue his work on creating good jobs in Kentucky, making sure the commonwealth has affordable and accessible health care, and investing in public schools.

Beshear's term ends in 2027, and he's been tight-lipped on what his future political plans are. Kentucky's term limits prevent him from running for reelection, and some political scientists have said they think the governor is setting himself up for a potential run for higher office.

For now, Beshear said, "I'm right where I'm supposed to be, and I'm gonna be serving in this role the next three and a half years. I have no idea what comes after that, but I'm gonna get up every day for these next three and a half years to do the very best for the people of Kentucky."

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at @[email protected] or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Beshear plans to see governor term through following VP search