Daniel Cameron, Kentucky AG, wins GOP primary for governor.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron Makes History as First Black GOP Gubernatorial Nominee

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has made history as the first major-party Black gubernatorial nominee in the state’s history. Cameron secured the Republican nomination after defeating Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles and former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft. The Associated Press called the race on Tuesday evening after Cameron secured 45.4% of the vote to Craft’s 17.6%. Cameron, who became the state’s first African American attorney general, announced his bid for Kentucky governor last year, looking to oust current Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.

Endorsements from Trump and McConnell

Cameron became known as the frontrunner after receiving an endorsement from former and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, who won the state by double digits during the 2020 election. Trump joined Cameron on Sunday for a tele-rally supporting the GOP nominee for governor. Cameron also received support from Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the chamber’s Republican leader, after serving as legal counsel for the lawmaker.

Advocating for Disenfranchised Groups

Scott Jennings, a prominent Republican consultant in the state, believes Cameron’s chances of becoming governor bank on the fact he advocated for people who feel like they were disenfranchised, or not listened to, or trampled upon during COVID. “I mean small business owners, churches, parents,” Jennings said. “There’s a lot of people out there that are still pretty sore about that.”

Challenging “Stakeholder Capitalism”

Last year, Cameron blasted so-called “stakeholder capitalism” in an opinion letter advising the Bluegrass State not to follow the globalist investment trend with taxpayer funds after the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos to continue its push for “ESG,” or Environmental, Social, Governance investing, a trend that scores companies by their commitment to progressive causes. Cameron wrote that investing public funds with managers who subscribe to the practice violates Kentucky law, arguing that management of the state’s pension fund must seek to maximize profits for taxpayers, not advance a political agenda.

Heading to the Gubernatorial Election in November

Cameron now heads to the gubernatorial election in November to face Governor Beshear, who currently holds a 63% approval rating in the state. Cameron acknowledged the riff between Trump and McConnell earlier this year, saying that his candidacy for Kentucky governor represents different factions within the GOP. “They’ve got their differences,” Cameron told reporters at the Kentucky Capitol. “I think what our candidacy means is that we’re able to transcend a lot of different factions within the Republican Party and bring people together. And I think that is what ultimately this candidacy represents.”