Former senior adviser to Governor Andy Beshear and longtime Kentucky lawmaker Rocky Adkins has announced his candidacy for governor in 2027.
Adkins made the announcement Tuesday through social media and in an interview with Spectrum News, saying he is ready to “hit the ground running” on day one if elected. He is also scheduled to outline his vision for Kentucky during a Tuesday event in Lexington.
A native of Catlettsburg and a former point guard at Morehead State University, Adkins served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1987 to 2019, including many years as the Democratic floor leader.
He previously sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2019 before losing to Beshear, who later appointed him as a senior adviser after victory against incumbent Matt Bevin.
In that role, Adkins helped guide the administration’s response and messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple natural disasters, and has long traveled as Beshear’s aide-de-camp.
Beshear recently appointed Adkins to the Kentucky State Fair Board after Adkins left the governor’s administration last week, and Adkins joins a Democratic primary that already includes Beshear’s Lieutenant Governor, Jacqueline Coleman.
Kentucky’s GOP has yet to announce a candidate for governor, but wide speculation has placed Congressman James Comer as a potential frontrunner for the party, while Secretary of State Michael Adams, from McCracken County, has also been rumored as a possible option.
