By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Accompanied by family members, Attorney General Andy Beshear and running mate Jacqueline Coleman filed their papers at the Secretary of State’s office on Tuesday as a gubernatorial slate for the May Democratic primary.
Speaking to reporters, Beshear called upon all slates for governor to release their income tax returns for the last two years, in the interest of transparency.
“After three years of (Gov.) Matt Bevin, we have seen what a lack of transparency can result in,” he said. “We need to make sure that everybody running for this office is upfront with the people of Kentucky, so they can make an informed decision.”
Beshear said Coleman, the assistant principal at Nelson County High School, will be an important part of the administration. “Any area that Jacqueline chooses to focus on would benefit so greatly from it,” he said. “But there is no question that Jacqueline’s role as a public educator is so important. Not just in areas of education, where I know Jacqueline will be highly involved, but in every other challenge we face.”
Coleman agreed that education is vital to everything in the state.
“To me, public education is the greatest economic investment we can make, in the future of the commonwealth. It’s time we started treating teachers with the respect they deserve, since they are the original job creators.”
Beshear said he and Coleman are running to put Kentucky families first.
“Under this Governor, our families have fallen further and further behind,” he said of Bevin’s administration. “We live in a commonwealth that has the third-lowest per capita income and the third-lowest wage growth in the country.”
He said there are three key reasons Kentuckians should vote for the Beshear-Coleman slate in the Democratic primary: That he is the only candidate who has proven he can go up against Bevin and win, he has a proven track record of addressing big problems and getting real results, and he has the right vision, which is about all Kentucky families.
Beshear also pledged what he termed a change in tone.
“No more bullying, no more name-calling. Right now, this Governor can’t get along with the other leaders of his own party,” Beshear said. “It’s time for a governor and lieutenant governor who understand that we all still agree on enough to move forward and that we were all raised with the same basic values.”
Beshear and Coleman are the first major Democratic gubernatorial slate to file with the secretary of state’s office, although slates headed by House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins and former State Auditor Adam Edelen have filed letters with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, which enables them to begin fundraising activities.
Two Republican slates have also filed with the Secretary of State’s office, one headed by Rep. Robert Goforth, another led by William Woods.
Bevin, who has repeatedly said he would seek re-election, has not yet filed with either the registry or the secretary of state.
If we are all lucky, maybe someone will file a lawsuit against him now!!
That’s funny. The first thing he wants to do is call on the candidates to release their tax records! Is he looking for something. Who cares what their personal tax records show?