History of Andy Beshear in Timeline

Andrew Graham Beshear is the current governor of Kentucky, serving since 2019. A Democrat, he previously served as the state's attorney general from 2016 to 2019. He is the son of Steve Beshear, who was also a former governor of Kentucky, serving from 2007 to 2015.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

November 29, 1977: Birth of Andy Beshear

On November 29, 1977, Andrew Graham Beshear was born. He is currently an American politician and attorney, serving as the 63rd governor of Kentucky.

1990: Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990

In 1990, the Kentucky Education Reform Act sought to insulate the Kentucky Board of Education from political influence. However, the Board had increasingly been the focus of political battles in the years preceding 2019.

2000: Graduated from Vanderbilt University

In 2000, Andy Beshear graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor of arts degree in political science and anthropology from Vanderbilt University, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

2001: Summer Associate at White & Case LLP

In 2001, Andy Beshear was a summer associate at White & Case LLP in New York, the same law firm where his father started his law career.

2003: Received Juris Doctor from University of Virginia

In 2003, Andy Beshear received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

2005: Hired by Stites & Harbison

In 2005, Andy Beshear was hired by the law firm Stites & Harbison, where his father was a partner. He represented the developers of the Bluegrass Pipeline and UFlex.

2007: Steve Beshear became Governor of Kentucky

In 2007, Andy Beshear's father, Steve Beshear, became the governor of Kentucky, serving until 2015.

November 2013: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

In November 2013, Andy Beshear announced his candidacy in the 2015 election for Attorney General of Kentucky.

2013: Consumer Lawyer of the Year

In 2013, while working at Stites & Harbison, Lawyer Monthly named Andy Beshear its "Consumer Lawyer of the Year – USA".

2015: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

In 2015, Andy Beshear announced his candidacy in the election for Attorney General of Kentucky.

2015: Steve Beshear term ended as Governor of Kentucky

In 2015, Steve Beshear's term ended as Governor of Kentucky. He is the father of Andy Beshear.

2015: Steve Beshear served in the Appalachian Regional Commission

In 2015, Steve Beshear, Andy's father, served in the Appalachian Regional Commission.

April 2016: Sued Governor Matt Bevin Over Budget Cuts

In April 2016, Andy Beshear, as attorney general, sued Governor Matt Bevin over his mid-cycle budget cuts to the state university system. The Kentucky Supreme Court agreed with Beshear.

2016: Became 50th Attorney General of Kentucky

In 2016, Andy Beshear became the 50th attorney general of Kentucky, a position he held until 2019.

2017: Lawsuit against Bevin dismissed.

In 2017, the Kentucky Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit Andy Beshear brought against Governor Matt Bevin, holding that Bevin had the power to temporarily reshape boards while the legislature is out of session.

April 2018: Successfully sued Matt Bevin over Senate Bill 151

In April 2018, Andy Beshear successfully sued Governor Matt Bevin over Senate Bill 151, a controversial plan to reform teacher pensions, with the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling the bill unconstitutional.

July 9, 2018: Declared Candidacy for Governor

On July 9, 2018, Andy Beshear declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor of Kentucky in the 2019 election, choosing Jacqueline Coleman as his running mate.

May 2019: Won Democratic Nomination for Governor

In May 2019, Andy Beshear won the Democratic nomination for governor with 37.9% of the vote in a three-way contest.

October 2019: Filed lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies

In October 2019, Andy Beshear filed nine lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies for their alleged involvement in fueling Kentucky's opioid epidemic.

December 10, 2019: Resigned as Attorney General

On December 10, 2019, Andy Beshear resigned from the attorney general's office before his inauguration as governor the same day.

December 12, 2019: Restored Voting Rights to Kentuckians

On December 12, 2019, Andy Beshear signed an executive order restoring voting rights to 180,315 Kentuckians who had been convicted of nonviolent felonies.

2019: Victory improvements compared to 2019 election.

Compared to the 2019 election, Andy Beshear most improved his performance in suburban precincts; he increased his margins by nearly six percentage points in suburban areas, compared to 4.5 percentage points in urban and rural precincts.

2019: Became 63rd Governor of Kentucky

In 2019, Andy Beshear became the 63rd governor of Kentucky. He had previously served as the attorney general of Kentucky from 2016 to 2019.

2019: Defeated Matt Bevin in Gubernatorial Election

In 2019, Andy Beshear defeated Republican Governor Matt Bevin in the gubernatorial election by approximately 0.4%.

2019: Replaced Members of Kentucky Board of Education

Upon taking office in 2019, Andy Beshear replaced all 11 members of the Kentucky Board of Education before the end of their two-year terms.

March 2020: Responsible Gambling Awareness Month

Andy Beshear proclaimed March 2020 Responsible Gambling Awareness Month in Kentucky.

March 25, 2020: Declared State of Emergency over COVID-19

On March 25, 2020, Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic. He encouraged business owners to require customers to wear face coverings while indoors.

April 2020: Ordered State Troopers to Record Churchgoers

In April 2020, Andy Beshear ordered Kentucky state troopers to record the license plate numbers of churchgoers who violated the state's COVID-19 stay-at-home order to attend in-person Easter Sunday church services.

April 2020: Vetoed Abortion Bill

In April 2020, Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would have allowed Attorney General Daniel Cameron to suspend abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 2020: Legislature Overrides Veto on Tax Break for Distilleries and Breweries

In April 2020, the Kentucky legislature overrode Andy Beshear's veto of a provision that would allow distilleries and breweries to qualify for a sales tax break on new equipment.

June 2020: Promised Free Health Care to African-American Residents

In June 2020, Andy Beshear promised to provide free health care to all African-American residents of Kentucky who needed it, in an attempt to resolve health care inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 30, 2020: Kentucky State Pension Fund Status

As of June 30, 2020, the Kentucky State Pension Fund was at 58.8% of its obligations for the coming decades. Andy Beshear has sought to fund the state's pension system.

October 5, 2020: Relaunch and Expansion of kynect

On October 5, 2020, Andy Beshear announced the relaunch and expansion of kynect, the state health insurance marketplace. kynect was originally started in 2013 during Steve Beshear's term as governor and dismantled by Matt Bevin in 2017.

November 2020: Kentucky Supreme Court Upholds Beshear's Executive Orders

In November 2020, the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Andy Beshear's emergency executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

November 18, 2020: Ordered Schools to Halt In-Person Learning

On November 18, 2020, as COVID-19 cases increased, Andy Beshear ordered Kentucky's public and private schools to halt in-person learning starting November 23 with in-person classes to resume in January 2021.

January 2021: Ordered Schools to Halt In-Person Learning

On January 2021, Andy Beshear planned the resume of in-person classes after halting them on November 18, 2020 as COVID-19 cases increased.

March 2021: Law Signed on Transfer of Minors in Firearm Crimes

In March 2021, Andy Beshear signed a law that allows judges to decide whether to transfer minors 14 and older to adult court if they are charged with a crime involving a firearm. Previously, judges were required to send juveniles to adult court to be prosecuted for a felony if a firearm was involved.

March 2021: Veto of Bill on Rental Property Damage

In March 2021, Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would make it a crime to cause $500 or more damage to a rental property. The Kentucky House and Senate overrode his veto.

March 2021: Vetoed 27 Bills

In March 2021, Andy Beshear vetoed all or part of 27 bills that the Kentucky legislature had passed. However, the legislature overrode his vetoes.

June 11, 2021: Lifting of COVID-19 Restrictions

On June 11, 2021, Andy Beshear lifted most of Kentucky's COVID-19 restrictions, one day after the Kentucky Supreme Court heard oral argument on the emergency powers issue.

June 2021: Executive Order on College Athletes' Compensation

In June 2021, Andy Beshear signed an executive order to allow college athletes to receive name, image, and likeness compensation, making Kentucky the first state to do so via executive order.

August 2021: Mask Mandate in Public Schools

In August 2021, amid an upsurge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Delta variant, Andy Beshear mandated that face masks be worn in public schools in Kentucky.

August 19, 2021: Temporary Restraining Order Against School Mask Mandate

On August 19, 2021, U.S. District Judge William Bertelsman issued a temporary restraining order blocking the school mask mandate issued by Andy Beshear.

August 23, 2021: Rescission of School Mask Mandate

On August 23, 2021, Andy Beshear rescinded his executive order requiring masks in Kentucky schools after the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling.

October 1, 2021: Declared Candidacy for Reelection

On October 1, 2021, Andy Beshear declared his candidacy for reelection as governor in the 2023 election.

December 2021: Led Emergency Response to Tornado Outbreak

In December 2021, Andy Beshear led the emergency response to a tornado outbreak in western Kentucky, which devastated the town of Mayfield and killed more than 70 people.

July 2022: Coordinated Flood Relief Efforts

In July 2022, torrential rain caused severe flooding across Kentucky's Appalachia region. Andy Beshear worked with the federal government to coordinate search and rescue missions.

November 2022: Executive Order on Medical Marijuana and Delta-8-THC

In November 2022, Andy Beshear signed an executive order to allow medical marijuana possession and regulate delta-8-THC in Kentucky.

January 4, 2023: Selected as Co-chair of Appalachian Regional Commission

On January 4, 2023, Andy Beshear was selected by fellow Appalachian governors to serve as states' co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission for 2023.

March 2023: Veto of Bill on Transgender Youth Regulations

In March 2023, Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would create new regulations and restrictions for transgender youth, including a ban on gender-affirming care; the Republican-dominated legislature overrode his veto.

March 31, 2023: Signing of SB 47, Establishing Medical Cannabis Program

On March 31, 2023, Andy Beshear signed SB 47 into law, which established a medical cannabis program in Kentucky.

April 10, 2023: Friend Killed in Louisville Bank Shooting

On April 10, 2023, a personal friend of Andy Beshear's was killed by gunfire in the Louisville bank shooting.

November 7, 2023: Won Reelection as Governor of Kentucky

On November 7, 2023, Andy Beshear defeated Republican nominee Daniel Cameron 53% to 47% in the 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election, winning reelection to a second term.

2023: Reelected as Governor of Kentucky

In 2023, Andy Beshear was reelected to a second term as governor of Kentucky by a wider margin of 5%, defeating Republican attorney general Daniel Cameron.

2023: Declared Candidacy for Reelection

In 2023, Andy Beshear was running for reelection as governor.

2023: Daniel Cameron unsuccessfully ran for governor against Beshear

In 2023, Daniel Cameron unsuccessfully ran for governor against Andy Beshear.

2024: Created a Political Action Committee

In 2024, Andy Beshear created a political action committee to raise money for candidates in the 2024 United States elections.

2024: Executive Order to Ban Conversion Therapy for Minors

In 2024, Andy Beshear signed an executive order to ban conversion therapy for minors after Republicans in the state legislature had repeatedly blocked legislative efforts to do so.

March 19, 2025: Expressed Concern over Federal Agencies

On March 19, 2025, Andy Beshear expressed concern about federal agencies' ability to function correctly following the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal government.