Who is Andy Beshear? Meet one of the six top names on Harris’s VP short list

Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) is among the top names being floated as a running mate for Vice President Kamala Harris if she secures the Democratic presidential nomination.

The popular Kentucky governor was elected to office by a razor-thin margin in 2019 and reelected to a second term last November. His ability to win over voters in a deep-red state while still taking liberal stances on issues such as abortion rights could make him a successful vice presidential candidate.

He endorsed Harris on MSNBC’s Morning Joe on Monday and hinted that he may be open to being her running mate.

Here are a few things to know about the popular Kentucky Democrat.

Age

Beshear was born on Nov. 29, 1977. He is 46 years old.

Hometown

Beshear was born and raised in Kentucky’s Fayette, Franklin, and Clark counties. He currently lives in Frankfort, where the governor’s mansion is located.

Education

Beshear graduated from Henry Clay High School in Lexington, Kentucky, and earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and anthropology from Vanderbilt University in 2000. He holds a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Time in office

Beshear has served as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019, beating out Republican incumbent Matt Bevin by just over 5,000 votes. He secured another tough victory against his Republican opponent, Daniel Cameron, in 2023, focusing his campaign on his successes within the state rather than on partisan politics.

Career

Before being elected as governor, Beshear served as Kentucky’s 50th attorney general since 2015. He previously worked at the law firm Stites & Harbison in the firm’s Louisville, Kentucky, office.

Religion

Beshear is a deacon at the Beargrass Christian Church in Louisville. 

Family

Beshear is the son of former Gov. Steve Beshear, making him the first child of a previous Kentucky governor to be elected to the office. 

Andy Beshear has been married to Britainy Beshear since 2006. They have two children, Will and Lila.

Major policy initiatives

As attorney general, Beshear sued more opioid manufacturers and distributors than any other attorney general and arrested a record number of child predators, according to his biography. 

He lists healthcare as one of his top priorities as governor, and he ended a Medicaid waiver that would have kicked nearly 100,000 Kentucky residents off their health insurance coverage. 

He also signed an executive order restoring voting rights to more than 140,000 state residents who had served time for nonviolent felony convictions.

Beshear’s handling of the tornadoes and floods that hit Kentucky in 2021 and 2022 have also contributed to his popularity. 

Comments on potential vice presidential candidacy

When asked on Morning Joe about being Harris’s running mate, Beshear said, “The only way I would consider something other than this current job is if I believe I could further help my people and to help this country.”

“I think if somebody calls you on that, what you do is at least listen,” he added.

He said it is “flattering to be a part of” the process.