Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman today announced that she is a candidate for Kentucky governor in the 2027 election.
She is the first person to announce, and if elected, would be only the second female governor of the Commonwealth.
Coleman was introduced by Crit Luallen, former state auditor and lieutenant governor, who said “Like Governor Martha Layne Collins, also an educator, Jacqueline Coleman knows that public service in the end is really all about people and serving those people with the commitment to dignity, the respect that they deserve to live their best lives. That will be her focus every single day. It is time for Jacqueline Coleman's life to shine even brighter.”
After walking out to a standing ovation, Coleman began her talk by noting the location of her campaign launch: “Good morning, and welcome to the Kentucky History Center in downtown Frankfurt. It’s a fitting place for a former history teacher to call a press conference to reflect on our past and prepare for our future.”
She noted that while Kentucky is blessed with both natural resources and its location, she believes its greatest asset is its people – which she had observed by seeing how people all across the state had focused on helping their neighbors and their neighbors’ children. She wants her administration to be similar: “ensure that every Kentuckian has fewer barriers and more opportunities to achieve success.”
In making the announcement, she said “I happen to believe the next governor of the Commonwealth, whoever she may be, will need to focus on economic and workforce development and complement that progress with a newfound concentration on people development. ... Because in Kentucky, we take care of business by taking care of people. And nobody knows that better than our friends in labor who fight for better wages for working families every single day.”
She then recognized Avral Thompson, the president of Teamsters Local 89, and announced that “on day one of this campaign, I have been endorsed by Teamsters Local 89.”
She went on to emphasize these issues that would be a focus of her term as governor:
- Giving schools the resources they need to “do what we need them to do. From our littlest learners to apprenticeship programs, community and technical colleges to our college campuses, large and small. The future of Kentucky's economy is in our classrooms today.”
- Included in that emphasis on schools and education would be pre-K for all Kentucky children.
- Accessible health care, including mental health care, for all Kentuckians.
- Continuing the economic development and growth realized under current governor Andy Beshear – whom she thanked in her speech for being given the opportunity to serve with him.
She closed her speech by saying:
You know, just as the governors that are pictured behind me, I did not come to the decision to run for this office lightly. I spent the last two years meeting with Kentuckians and asking them what they're looking for in their next governor and listening.
And it's crystal clear. They want someone who will show up, listen, and focus on the issues that matter to their families. Not the cable news culture wars of the day, but a governor who will continue to fight for Kentuckians and against the chaos and toxic negativity coming out of Washington, DC.
Well, folks, if you are looking for somebody to talk less about politicians and more about you, for someone who listens more than they talk, here she is.
This campaign will be about people over politics. It'll be about the dad in Warren County, who has worked hard his whole life, but fears automation will threaten his job. The single mom in Breathett County, who works harder than most, but can't seem to get ahead because she lives in a childcare desert. The grandparents in Kenton County who are raising their kids because addiction ravaged their family. The little girl in Owensboro that dreams of being a teacher one day and deserves to know her elected officials will respect her enough to pay her what she's worth.
I will continue to do what I've always done. Show up, listen, and deliver results, and I look forward to you joining this movement. I will stand up for working families and not be beholden to out-of-state billionaires, DC elites, and career politicians who talk more about themselves than they do you. Because your kids are watching, and so are mine. And that matters.
So for Emma, Will, Nate, Evelyn, and all the kids across Kentucky, I'm gonna run this race with grace, grit, and compassion.
You know, my own dad taught me to never back down. And he showed me what it looks like to work across the aisle and to fight for the little guy when he was in office. Thanks to him, I've always known that this work should never be about who you leave out, but who you lift up.
So, in the name of meeting people where they are and helping them to be better tomorrow than they are today, and knowing that we stand on the shoulders of the ones who came before us, and in recognition that it is our responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders in Kentucky, I say, let's do this, Kentucky.
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