Republican gubernatorial nominee Kelly Craft raised over $7.2 million for her election campaign, with $7 million coming from personal loans, and Gov. Andy Beshear reported raising $6.6 million.
Gubernatorial candidates filed their 30-day pre-primary reports on Tuesday, with Craft and Beshear showing their financial advantages over other candidates in the race.
Governor Andy Beshear raised $1.4 million so far in 2023, totaling $6.6 million. He has $5.9 million in cash on hand.
“While GOP candidates attack one another in an increasingly nasty primary, Democrats, independents, and many Republicans are coming together to support the governor’s reelection bid so he can keep working to improve the lives of all Kentuckians,” said Beshear’s campaign manager Eric Hyers.
A Morning Consult poll released Wednesday showed Beshear as the fifth most popular governor in the country, with a 63% approval rating.
Craft’s personal loan makes her the top fundraiser in the Republican field. Her billionaire coal magnate husband gave $1.5 million to the Commonwealth PAC that is spending to attack Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Craft has also spent more than $5.3 million on advertising, campaign expenses, and consulting services through or with Axiom Strategies and its media buying division AxMedia.
Cameron reported raising $403,520, with the total fundraising coming to $1.37 million and has over $593,000 on hand.
Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles reported raising just under $273,000 for the first part of the year and roughly $1.2 million overall. Quarles’s campaign has spent significantly less than the other campaigns, and he has just over $903,000 on hand.
Former Northern Kentucky attorney Eric Deters reported raising just under $600,000 for the first quarter and roughly $669,000 overall. Deters gave his campaign a personal loan of $568,000 this quarter. He has just over $9,000 on hand.
Somerset Mayor Alan Keck raised just under $107,000 for the quarter and has raised slightly under $312,000 during his campaign. He has $54,000 on hand.
State Auditor Mike Harmon raised just under $16,000 for the quarter and roughly $84,500 for his campaign. He has $14,500 on hand.