Career Timeline of Andy Beshear: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Andy Beshear, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Andrew Graham Beshear is the current governor of Kentucky, serving since 2019. Prior to his governorship, Beshear was the 50th Attorney General of Kentucky from 2016 to 2019. He is a member of the Democratic Party and the son of former Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. His political career has been primarily focused on serving the state of Kentucky.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

1990: Kentucky Education Reform Act

Upon taking office in 2019, Beshear critics suggested the governor appointments undermined the Kentucky Education Reform Act of 1990.

2001: Summer Associate at White & Case LLP

In 2001, Andy Beshear was a summer associate at White & Case LLP in New York.

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.

November 2013: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

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

2015: Beshear Runs Unopposed in Democratic Primary for Attorney General

In 2015, Beshear ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for Kentucky Attorney General.

2015: Campaign for Attorney General

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

April 2016: Sued Governor 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 Attorney General of Kentucky

In 2016, Andy Beshear became the 50th Attorney General of Kentucky.

2017: Lawsuit Against Bevin Dismissed

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

April 2018: Successfully Sued Bevin over Teacher Pension Reform

In April 2018, Andy Beshear successfully sued Governor Bevin for signing 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. He chose 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.

August 2019: Beshear Promises to Construct I-69 Ohio River Crossing by 2023

In August 2019, Beshear promised to construct the Interstate 69 Ohio River Crossing between Henderson, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana, by 2023.

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 and Inaugurated as Governor

On December 10, 2019, Andy Beshear resigned from the attorney general's office before being inaugurated as governor the same day. He appointed Daniel Cameron as Attorney General.

December 12, 2019: Restored Voting Rights to Felons

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

2019: Improved Performance in Suburban Precincts

Compared to 2019, Andy Beshear improved his performance in suburban precincts, increasing his margins by nearly six percentage points.

2019: Became Governor of Kentucky

In 2019, Andy Beshear became the 63rd governor of Kentucky.

2019: Defeated Matt Bevin in Gubernatorial Election

In 2019, Andy Beshear defeated Governor Matt Bevin by approximately 5,000 votes in the gubernatorial election.

2019: Beshear Pledges to Bring Advanced Manufacturing and Healthcare Jobs to Kentucky

In 2019, Beshear pledged to bring more advanced manufacturing jobs and health care jobs to Kentucky, aiming to offset job losses from the decline of coal.

2019: Beshear Proposes Teacher Pay Raise, Proposal Rejected

In 2019, Beshear pledged to include a $2,000 pay raise for all Kentucky teachers in his budgets, but the proposal was rejected by Republican House Majority Floor Leader John Carney.

2019: Beshear Supports Clean Energy Jobs and Clean Coal Technology

In 2019, Beshear said he wanted to create more clean energy jobs to employ those who lose their jobs in the coal industry and to expand clean coal technology in Kentucky.

2019: Replaced Kentucky Board of Education Members

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 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 and banned "mass gatherings".

April 2020: Ordered Recording of Churchgoers' License Plates

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 Bill on Abortion Regulations

In April 2020, Andy Beshear vetoed a bill that would have allowed Attorney General Daniel Cameron to suspend abortions during the COVID-19 pandemic and exercise more power regulating clinics that offer abortions.

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 need it in an attempt to resolve health care inequities that came to light during the COVID-19 pandemic.

August 2020: Ordered Release of Inmates from Prisons

In August 2020, Andy Beshear signed an executive order releasing inmates from overcrowded prisons and jails in an effort to slow the virus's spread.

October 5, 2020: Beshear Announces Relaunch and Expansion of kynect

On October 5, 2020, Beshear announced the relaunch and expansion of kynect, the state health insurance marketplace.

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

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

January 2021: Schools to Resume In-Person Learning

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

March 2021: Vetoed 27 Bills

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

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 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.

2021: Allowed Born-Alive Bill to Become Law

In 2021, Andy Beshear allowed a born-alive bill to become law without his signature, requiring doctors to provide medical care for any infant born alive, including those born alive due to a failed abortion procedure.

July 2022: Coordinated Response to Appalachia Flooding

In July 2022, torrential rain caused severe flooding across Kentucky's Appalachia region, leading to over 25 deaths. Andy Beshear worked with the federal government to coordinate search and rescue missions.

November 7, 2023: Beshear Wins Reelection as Governor

On November 7, 2023, Andy Beshear defeated Republican nominee Daniel Cameron to win reelection to a second term as governor of Kentucky.

2023: Beshear Reelected Governor

In 2023, Beshear was reelected to a second term as governor by a wider margin of 5%.

2023: Daniel Cameron ran for governor

In 2023, Daniel Cameron, who Beshear had appointed as the Attorney General, unsuccessfully ran for governor against Beshear.

2023: Campaign for Reelection

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

2024: Created Political Action Committee

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

March 19, 2025: Expressed Concern About Federal Agencies

On March 19, 2025, the Associated Press reported that Andy Beshear expressed concerns about federal agencies' ability to function correctly following efforts to shrink the federal government.