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 the Governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles

November 29, 1977: Andrew Beshear Born

On November 29, 1977, Andrew Graham Beshear was born. He is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019.

1990: Kentucky Education Reform Act

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

2000: Graduated from Vanderbilt University

In 2000, Beshear graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a bachelor of arts in political science and anthropology.

2001: Summer Associate at White & Case LLP

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

2003: Received Juris Doctor from UVA

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

2005: Hired by Stites & Harbison

In 2005, Beshear was hired by the law firm Stites & Harbison, where his father was a partner.

2007: Steve Beshear Became Governor

In 2007, Steve Beshear became the governor of Kentucky, serving until 2015.

November 2013: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

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

2013: Consumer Lawyer of the Year

In 2013, Lawyer Monthly named Beshear its "Consumer Lawyer of the Year – USA".

2015: Announced Candidacy for Attorney General

Beshear announced his candidacy in the 2015 election for Attorney General of Kentucky, to succeed Democrat Jack Conway.

2015: Ran unopposed for Kentucky attorney general

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

2015: Steve Beshear's Term as Governor Ends

In 2015, Steve Beshear's term as Governor of Kentucky came to an end, having served since 2007.

2015: Steve Beshear Served as Co-Chair

In 2015, Steve Beshear, Andrew Beshear's father, also served as co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

April 2016: Sued Governor Bevin Over Budget Cuts

In April 2016, Beshear sued Governor Matt Bevin over mid-cycle budget cuts to the state university system, with the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling in Beshear's favor.

2016: Became 50th Attorney General of Kentucky

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

2017: Lawsuit Against Bevin Dismissed

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

April 2018: Successfully Sued Bevin Over Pension Reform

In April 2018, Beshear successfully sued 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, Beshear declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor of Kentucky in the 2019 election.

May 2019: Won Democratic Nomination

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

October 2019: Filed Lawsuits Against Pharmaceutical Companies

In October 2019, 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, Beshear resigned from the attorney general's office before his inauguration as governor the same day and appointed Daniel Cameron to serve the remainder of his term.

December 12, 2019: Restored Voting Rights

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

2019: Improved Performance in Suburban Precincts

Compared to 2019, Beshear most improved his performance in suburban precincts during his reelection campaign.

2019: Became 63rd Governor of Kentucky

In 2019, Andrew Beshear began serving as the 63rd Governor of Kentucky.

2019: Defeated Bevin in General Election

In 2019, Beshear defeated incumbent Governor Matt Bevin in the general election.

2019: Replaced Kentucky Board of Education Members

Upon taking office, Beshear replaced all 11 members of the Kentucky Board of Education before the end of their two-year terms, fulfilling a campaign pledge and marking an unprecedented use of gubernatorial power in 2019.

March 2020: Beshear Proclaims Responsible Gambling Awareness Month

In March 2020, Andy Beshear proclaimed March as Responsible Gambling Awareness Month in Kentucky, supporting legalized casino gambling, sports betting, fantasy sports betting, and online poker betting in Kentucky.

March 25, 2020: Beshear Declares State of Emergency Over COVID-19

On March 25, 2020, Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency in Kentucky due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He encouraged businesses to require indoor masking and banned "mass gatherings," but this ban was criticized for potentially violating the First Amendment rights of protesters.

April 2020: Ordered Recording of Churchgoers' License Plates

In April 2020, 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, 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

In June 2020, 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.

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

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

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

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

January 2021: Ordered Halt to In-Person Learning

In January 2021, Beshear had ordered Kentucky's public and private schools to halt in-person learning on November 18, 2020 with in-person classes to resume.

March 2021: Vetoed Bills Overridden

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

September 2021: BlueOval SK Battery Park Announced

In September 2021, the BlueOval SK Battery Park was announced, which Beshear called the "single largest investment in the history" of Kentucky.

October 1, 2021: Declared Candidacy for Reelection

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

December 2021: Response to Tornado Outbreak

In December 2021, Beshear led the emergency response to a tornado outbreak in western Kentucky.

2021: Allowed Born-Alive Bill to Become Law

In 2021, 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: Response to Severe Flooding

In July 2022, Beshear coordinated search and rescue missions as President Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to the state due to torrential rain that caused severe flooding across Kentucky's Appalachia region and led to the deaths of over 25 people.

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

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

January 4, 2023: Appalachian Regional Commission Co-Chair

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

March 2023: Beshear Allows Bill on Federal Gun Regulations to Become Law Without Signature

In March 2023, Andy Beshear allowed a bill to become law without his signature that would bar state police from enforcing federal gun regulations.

March 2023: Beshear Vetoes Bill on Transgender Youth Regulations

In March 2023, Andy Beshear vetoed a bill creating new regulations and restrictions for transgender youth, including a ban on gender-affirming care, however, the legislature overrode his veto. He also showed support for a group of drag queens and defended his actions.

March 31, 2023: Beshear Signs 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: Beshear's Friend Killed in Louisville Bank Shooting

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

November 7, 2023: Won Reelection as Governor

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

2023: Declared Candidacy for Reelection

Beshear declared his candidacy for reelection as governor in the 2023 election and defeated perennial candidates Peppy Martin and Geoff Young in the Democratic primary election.

2023: Daniel Cameron runs for governor

In 2023, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who was appointed by Beshear, unsuccessfully ran for governor against Beshear.

2023: Re-elected Governor of Kentucky

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

2024: Beshear Participates in World Economic Forum in Davos

In 2024, Andy Beshear participated in the World Economic Forum in Davos.

2024: Beshear Bans Conversion Therapy for Minors via Executive Order

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.

2024: Created Political Action Committee

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

April 2025: Beshear Launches Podcast

In April 2025, Andy Beshear launched a podcast covering a wide variety of topics.

July 10, 2025: Played the Doctor in "42nd Street"

On July 10, 2025, Andy Beshear performed as the Doctor in the Lexington Opera House's production of "42nd Street".

July 2025: Beshear comments on Trump's decision to strike Iran

In July 2025, when asked about President Trump's decision to strike Iran, Andy Beshear said history would be the judge, adding: "We cannot have a nuclear Iran. But was it effective? If you're going to commit this act, it better work."

August 2025: Beshear Expresses Support for Unions at BlueOval SK Battery Park

In August 2025, Andy Beshear expressed his support for unions in response to an election at BlueOval SK Battery Park.

August 2025: Beshear Comments on Israel's Defense

In August 2025, Andy Beshear said he believed that "we always need an Israel that is able to defend itself, both for its and the United States' national security, and also people shouldn't be starving in Gaza".

October 2025: Beshear Spokesperson Responds to Ad Criticizing Gaza Stance

In October 2025, in response to an ad criticizing his stance on the Gaza war during his visit to New Hampshire, Andy Beshear's spokesperson said: "President Trump can and should provide aid to address starvation and suffering in Gaza, and he should do so in a way that does not compromise the safety of the Israeli people."

December 2025: Beshear Comments on Kentucky's EV Battery Industry

In December 2025, Andy Beshear said Kentucky would "remain the EV battery capital of the U.S." even after layoffs of the Hardin County plant's entire workforce.