Gov. Andy Beshear's speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention probably seemed familiar to viewers in the Bluegrass State.
There was his rejection of "anger politics," a message he's said was the key to his reelection win last November.
He took a moment to reflect on the Western Kentucky tornadoes of 2021 and Eastern Kentucky floods of 2022, thanking President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for asking what the state needed — "and folks, they delivered."
And there was Hadley Duvall, the Kentucky activist who's drawn attention from across the nation since she spoke up to support Beshear last fall, drawing a straight line between her painful childhood and the fall of Roe v. Wade after the Supreme Court shifted under President Donald Trump.
An Owensboro native, Duvall took her story national Monday night in Chicago. But she's been well known in Kentucky since she told it in a campaign ad for Beshear 11 months ago.
Now in her mid-20s, Duvall was raped by her stepfather when she was 12 years old. She became pregnant and miscarried, while her stepfather was convicted of rape and sent to prison. She told that story in a commercial for Beshear last September, arguing his Republican opponent and those who oppose exceptions to Kentucky's abortion ban "could never understand what it’s like to stand in my shoes.”
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It was a critical moment leading up to an election Beshear would go on to win by about five points, vaulting his name nationally as a Democrat who could win in a deep-red state. Duvall, who spoke before Beshear on the first night of the convention, now hopes it can help sway a bigger audience.
"There are other survivors out there who have no options, and I want you to know that we see you. We hear you," she said, before telling the crowd Harris would sign a law "to restore the right to an abortion."
Duvall and Beshear shared a similar message. The governor, set to remain in office in Frankfort through 2027 after his name was thrown around this summer to run as Harris' vice presidential candidate, spent most of his time on stage hammering Republicans over abortion bans in place in more than a dozen states, including Kentucky.
Beshear, who called Duvall "one of the bravest people I've ever met," said her story shows "why we must tear away any chance (Trump) can ever be president ever again."
He spoke for about five minutes, ripping Trump and JD Vance, a frequent foil since he was named Trump's running mate, over their more hardline stances on abortion access. He called on unity that "transcends party lines," and thanked Biden and Harris for supporting Kentucky in the aftermath of natural disasters in his first terms — the 2021 tornadoes killed more than 80 people, while the floods the next summer claimed more than 40 lives.
Beshear's high-profile speech Monday night was his latest foray into the national spotlight. He's been a mainstay on the campaign trail since Biden dropped out of the presidential race last month.
Beshear was one of several candidates considered to run alongside Harris on the Democratic ticket. She ended up choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, but Beshear was in the running for weeks leading up to her decision and has appeared on national TV several times since then to tout the duo and the rest of the party.
He appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" Sunday morning, where he promoted Harris' economic agenda and the state's economy (also revealing workers at the Ford BlueOval SK electric vehicle battery plant won't be unionized). Later that evening he spoke on CNN's "The Source," where he defended Harris' controversial proposed ban on "price gouging" and criticized Vance for comments he'd made about Harris' inflation policy.
The Democratic National Convention has traditionally been a chance for members of the party to emerge on a national stage — former President Barack Obama, in office from 2009 through 2016, emerged as a rising star for Democrats when he gave the keynote address at the 2004 convention.
While Beshear was not shy about seeking a spot on Harris' ticket earlier this summer, he told reporters last week he has no plans to seek a cabinet position or any other job in Washington, D.C. until his term ends.
Other speakers Monday night included U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who said Harris is "the kind of prosecutor we longed for in cases like Breonna Taylor." The event is set to continue through the week before ending Thursday.
Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.
