AB
Andy Beshear
DemocratGovernor of Kentucky| Age | 48 (b. 1977-11-29) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2019-01-01 (~7 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (of French, English, and German ancestry) |
| Religion | Christian; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - member and deacon at Beargrass Christian Church, Louisville |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science and Anthropology, magna cum laude, Vanderbilt University (2000); J.D., University of Virginia School of Law, Dean's Scholar (2003) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney; associate at White & Case LLP (Washington, D.C., 2003-2005) and at Stites & Harbison (Louisville, 2005-2015) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Marital status | Married — Britainy Beshear (nee Colman) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Kentucky Governor's Mansion, Frankfort, Kentucky (home in Louisville, Kentucky) |
| Notable relatives | Father Steve Beshear, 61st Governor of Kentucky (2007-2015) and former Kentucky Attorney General/Lieutenant Governor; mother Jane Beshear, former First Lady of Kentucky |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2015 |
| Previous offices | Attorney General of Kentucky (2016-2019) |
| Leadership | Chair, Democratic Governors Association (2026) · Vice Chair / Chair-Elect, Democratic Governors Association (2025) |
| Ideology | Generally described as a moderate/centrist Democrat with populist streak; pro-choice, pro-Medicaid-expansion, supports LGBT nondiscrimination |
| Signature legislation | Restoration of voting rights to ~180,000+ nonviolent felons via executive order (2019) · Legalization of medical cannabis - Senate Bill 47 (2023) · Legalization of sports betting (2023) · Executive order banning conversion therapy (2024) · Established Juneteenth as a state holiday (2024) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2023) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Brooke Brown Barzun (Louisville philanthropist) ($62,000) · William T. Young Jr. (W.T. Young LLC) ($47,000) · Franklin T. Lassiter (HealthTech Solutions COO) ($47,000)
Top industries: Labor unions · Democratic/Liberal party committees · Lawyers/Law firms · Health care
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Roberts v. Beshear — COVID Church Quarantine Order: Court-Ordered Attorney Fees Against State
Three Kentucky churchgoers who attended an Easter 2020 service at Maryville Baptist Church were issued quarantine orders by Governor Beshear's administration. They sued, obtained a preliminary injunction from the Sixth Circuit, and the case was later dismissed as moot. In April 2023, the Sixth Circuit upheld a $272,142.50 attorney-fee award against the state, finding the plaintiffs were prevailing parties whose constitutional and RFRA rights had been violated by the quarantine enforcement.