<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, won a second four-year term in the election on Tuesday in the red state.
With 87% of votes counted, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-kentucky-governor.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data showed</a> Beshear with 654,537 votes and 52.5% support, beating out Republican candidate Daniel Cameron, who had 592,884 votes and 47.5% support.
The numbers were sufficient enough for the Associated Press and others to call the contest in Beshear&#8217;s favor and for Cameron to concede the race.
Cameron, the state&#8217;s attorney general, said in his concession speech that he called the governor to congratulate him and encouraged supporters to pray for the winner.
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“I ask that you pray for Gov. Beshear … What ultimately matters is that we know that Christ is on the throne.”
— Republican Daniel Cameron in his concession speech to Andy Beshear (D) in the Kentucky governor&#39;s race <a href="https://t.co/e3JhuPq6E8">pic.twitter.com/e3JhuPq6E8</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1722080193395716452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I know from his perspective and from all of our perspectives that we all want the same thing for our future generations: a better commonwealth, one in which it can ultimately be a shining city on a hill — a model and example for the rest of the nation to follow,&#8221; Cameron said.
Beshear ran a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-kentucky-gov-focuses-on-abortion-as-2023-race-heats-up-gop-opponent-calls-strategy-desperate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">staunchly pro-abortion campaign</a> in a state where voters last year <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/11/09/1134835022/kentucky-abortion-amendment-midterms-results" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a constitutional amendment to enshrine Kentucky&#8217;s near-total ban after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade while Cameron set his focus on issues related to crime and radical gender theory.
Race <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/epitome-of-racism-tim-scott-blasts-despicable-racist-attack-on-kentuckys-daniel-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shook up the contest</a> with ads from a liberal Super PAC funded by billionaire George Soros suggesting that Cameron, who is black, is an &#8220;Uncle Tom.&#8221;
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Former President Donald Trump, who won Kentucky by double-digits in the 2020 election, endorsed Cameron, but polling <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article281207713.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that Beshear was popular even among Trump voters.
&#8220;Tonight, our Commonwealth rejected anger politics and proved there is more that unites us than can ever divide us,&#8221; Beshear <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyBeshearKY/status/1722087227428118744" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X on Tuesday celebrating his victory.
But in his victory speech, Beshear took political shots, including at Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who <a href="https://www.lex18.com/news/kentucky-votes/cameron-rounds-out-campaign-with-arkansas-gov-sarah-huckabee-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> with Cameron on the campaign trail in the final stretch.
“Tonight, Kentucky made a choice &#8230; of Jack Harlow over Sarah Huckabee Sanders,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1722079952432934920" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, referring to the Louisville native rapper who appeared <a href="https://twitter.com/WLKYMark/status/1720096053637386494" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with Beshear</a> at a rally last week. Beshear also <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1722079952432934920" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bragged</a> of his success against other GOP officials and conservative groups who opposed him.
President Joe Biden, who may face Trump next year in a 2020 rematch, spoke with Beshear to congratulate him on winning re-election, according to the White House.
Republicans fared better in other state-wide contests, with the GOP candidate handily winning in the Kentucky <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-kentucky-attorney-general.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attorney general race</a> and in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/11/07/us/elections/results-kentucky-secretary-of-state.html#:~:text=Michael%20Adams%2C%20Republican%2C%20wins%20the,of%20state%20race%20in%20Kentucky." target="_blank" rel="noopener">secretary of state</a> race.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear

Democrat Wins Second Term In Kentucky Governor’s Race

Democrat Wins Second Term In Kentucky Governor's Race

Andy Beshear

Democratic Party

Elections

Kentucky

Politics

Voters across the country head to the polls on Tuesday to decide key elections, including a bid by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> Republicans to flip the governor’s office and a referendum in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ohio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a> on whether to establish abortion as a constitutional right. 
In Kentucky, Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a> is facing a challenge from Republican Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/daniel-cameron" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daniel Cameron</a>, with recent polls showing a <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/elections/2023/11/03/andy-beshear-daniel-cameron-tied-kentucky-governors-race-emerson-poll/71435638007/">tight race</a>. One survey released on Friday from Emerson College Polling showed Beshear and Cameron tied, with both taking 47%. 
Cameron had been behind by 16 points in the previous Emerson poll before appearing to close the gap in recent weeks. Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said the gap seemed to narrow because Cameron &#8220;appears to have gained ground by consolidating Republican voters who supported former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.”
During his campaign, Cameron highlighted former President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Trump won Kentucky by 26 points in 2020, and Republicans have a supermajority in the legislature, overturning Beshear’s vetoes on a number of occasions. 
Last year, Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/historic-republicans-gain-voter-registration-advantage-in-another-state-for-the-first-time-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gained an edge</a> in voter registration in the commonwealth for the first time, as it has trended red in recent years. 
In Ohio, voters will decide whether to place a right to an abortion in the state constitution. Pro-life advocates say that the initiative would allow abortions at all stages of pregnancy.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a Republican, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-attorney-general-proposed-constitutional-amendment-would-legalize-all-abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that, if passed, Issue 1 would effectively legalize all abortion in the state.
“[T]he Amendment would give greater protection to abortion to be free from regulation than at any time in Ohio’s history,” analysis from Yost said. “That new test includes definitions and other terms that likewise make it harder for any law covering ‘reproductive decisions’ to survive.”
Since August 9, more than $18 million has been spent in favor of the pro-abortion initiative, with just $7 million being spent in opposition, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/ohio-abortion-backers-victory-unbroken-winning-streak-issue-1-rcna122831" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to NBC News. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, seven states have put abortion rights on the ballot, and pro-life advocates <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/abortion-rights-won-every-election-roe-v-wade-overturned-rcna99031">have lost every time</a>. 
Ohioans will also vote on the legalization of recreational marijuana for adults.
In Virginia, political control of the state legislature is up for grabs with Republicans looking to hold on to the House of Delegates and take a majority in the state Senate. Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/full-panic-mode-biden-asks-dnc-to-help-out-virginia-dems-amid-record-fundraising-from-youngkin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broken fundraising records</a>, prompting President Joe Biden to ask the Democratic National Committee to donate to Virginia Democrats. A win for Republicans would give Youngkin the opportunity to get some conservative legislation passed before his term expires. 
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Mississippi Republican Governor Tate Reeves is also on the ballot on Tuesday, facing a challenge from Democrat Brandon Presley, who has accused Reeves of corruption. Reeves won his first race in 2019 by five points, and the state consistently voted Republican in presidential elections, with <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mississippi-governors-race-election-2023-28ed92be2af47c1f3573eb364846c2d4#:~:text=The%20last%20time%20a%20Democrat,compared%20with%20Reeves%27%20%246.3%20million." target="_blank" rel="noopener">the last</a> Democrat to win the state being Jimmy Carter.
Voters in Pennsylvania will also vote to <a href="https://www.wgal.com/article/pennsylvania-voters-to-decide-who-fills-vacant-seat-on-state-supreme-court/45758517#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fill a vacant</a> state Supreme Court seat, which could either increase or narrow the Democrat&#8217;s 4-2 advantage on the court. Republican Carolyn Carluccio is facing off against Democrat Dan McCaffery.

Republican Candidate For Governor Of Kentucky Daniel Cameron Holds An Primary Election Night Event

Election Day: Ohio Votes On Abortion, Kentucky Republicans Look To Flip Governorship

Abortion

Daniel Cameron

Mississippi

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Tate Reeves

Republican senator and presidential candidate Tim Scott says the racist ads attacking Kentucky Republican Daniel Cameron as an &#8220;Uncle Tom&#8221; are the &#8220;epitome of racism,&#8221; and says the silence of his Democrat opponent Andy Beshear is &#8220;despicable.&#8221;
The ads from a liberal Super PAC funded by billionaire George Soros call into question whether Cameron, the first black attorney general in Kentucky history, is truly a friend of the black community. The ad from Black Voters Matters PAC refers to Cameron as “Uncle Daniel Cameron,” and uses the saying, “Skinfolk ain’t kinfolk” — a refrain used by black liberals to suggest that anyone who disagrees with them politically is a race traitor.
Scott, who in 2014 became the first black senator elected in the south since reconstruction, said Beshear, Kentucky&#8217;s sitting governor, has a duty to stand up to the overt racism in his state.
&#8220;Why in the world would the governor of a state with the type of diversity he has, with the mantle the people have given him,  remain silent?&#8221; Scott said in an interview with The Daily Wire. &#8220;For one reason: Power. Unless it&#8217;s that he just authentically believes it all.&#8221;
&#8220;The simplest way to state what these yoyos are doing is race-baiting, and feeding the fire for the purpose of power,&#8221; he explained. &#8220;They feel like they can do whatever it takes to divide the state of Kentucky, to fan the flames of racism, to be small and to be so addicted to power that you will call that man, Uncle Tom.&#8221;
Beshear has declined to comment on the ad, telling the Lexington Herald-Leader that because the ad came from &#8220;an African American-led PAC,&#8221; the governor has opted to &#8220;let them comment for themselves.&#8221;
The PAC has doubled-down on the attack, putting up a new ad using the same &#8220;Skinfolk ain&#8217;t Kinfolk&#8221; refrain along with an image of Cameron as the fictional black character played by Samuel L. Jackson in film Django Unchained — the character was vicious to his fellow slaves, and was described by Jackson as the film&#8217;s &#8220;hateful negro.&#8221;
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Scott says Beshear&#8217;s failure to condemn the ad sends the wrong message to black youth.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a signal to every little kid growing up in Kentucky who happens to be brown, that if you stick your head up at all and espouse conservative virtues, you might be next. To think of the signal and the message that they&#8217;re sending, it&#8217;s just despicable,&#8221; Scott said, adding that those who are silent about it are &#8220;complicit.&#8221;
Cliff Albright, the co-founder of Black Voters Matter Action PAC, told radio host Roland Martin that he had no regrets about the ad, and that Cameron is a white supremacist.
&#8220;He has shown himself to be just as much of a threat to the black community as the staunchest white supremacists,&#8221; Albright said. &#8220;You don&#8217;t have to be white to pursue and reinforce white supremacist policies. As we said in the ad, all skinfolk ain&#8217;t kinfolk.&#8221;
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NEW: Soros-Funded PAC Labels Black Republican An Uncle Tom In Campaign Ad: ‘Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk’
Listen to the ad here: <a href="https://t.co/1EtuQwz9IX">pic.twitter.com/1EtuQwz9IX</a>
&mdash; Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1717917816945365267?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Albright also said that calling Cameron an Uncle Tom, a slur derived from Harriet Beecher Stowe&#8217;s Uncle Tom&#8217;s Cabin novel, would be an insult to Uncle Tom.
&#8220;Technically, we didn&#8217;t call him Uncle Tom right? To do so actually would probably be more of an insult to the actual Uncle Tom,&#8221; Albright said.
Cameron has condemned the ad as &#8220;racist and hateful.&#8221;
“I never faced racism or discrimination while growing up or working in Kentucky until I decided to stand up to the national Democrat establishment.” Cameron told The Daily Wire, which was first to report on the ad. “I don’t support their policies, so the Left attacks me for my skin color.”
Beshear has not responded to requests for comment.

Screenshot 2023-10-31 at 3.47.16 PM

‘Epitome Of Racism’: Tim Scott Blasts ‘Despicable’ Racist Attack On Kentucky’s Daniel Cameron

Racism

Tim Scott

Nearly 70% of all inmates released by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) through commutations during the coronavirus pandemic went on to re-offend, with some committing violent felonies like assault and homicide, according to a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/10/FILE_5795.pdf">report</a> ordered by Kentucky&#8217;s state legislature.
The report, produced by Kentucky&#8217;s Department of Information and Technology Services, found that of the 1,702 individuals whose sentences were commuted by Beshear in 2020, a majority of them, 882, went on to commit felonies. An additional 252 committed misdemeanors, leaving just over 500 who committed no crimes.
Beshear commuted criminal sentences through <a href="https://governor.ky.gov/attachments/20200402_Executive-Order_2020-267_Conditional-Commutation-of-Sentence.pdf">two</a> distinct <a href="https://governor.ky.gov/attachments/20200825_Executive-Order_2020-699_Commutations.pdf">executive orders</a>, both of which were examined in the report. of those from the April 3, 2020, release cohort “68% of individuals … have had at least one criminal case including at least a misdemeanor charge filed against them since release.” The reoffending rate was nearly identical for those released on August 24, 2020, with the report finding that “69% of individuals …have had at least one criminal case including at least a misdemeanor charge filed against them.”
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The report was due to the legislature in July, but was not produced until October 6, just about a month before Beshear is up for reelection. Beshear will face Kentucky&#8217;s Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who has worked to make the commutations a theme of the election battle.
The pair <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umvCrA_zLzo">sparred</a> over the issue of crime in a recent gubernatorial debate ahead of the November 7 election, with Cameron stating the findings of the report on the debate stage. Cameron said the commutations made &#8220;communities less safe, and our law enforcement&#8217;s job more difficult.&#8221;
Meanwhile, Beshear has touted an <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article277611833.html">inaccurate crime report</a> as evidence that crime has plummeted over the last year. He says the commutation statistics are irrelevant, because many of the inmates were set to be released that year anyway.
Beshear did not respond to a request for comment. Polling in the state has been sparse ahead of the gubernatorial election, but an October poll found Beshear to have a comfortable lead over Cameron.

Gov. Beshear

Majority Of Kentucky Inmates Released By Governor’s COVID Commutations Committed Felonies

Crime

Democratic Kentucky Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a> is highlighting the abortion issue and criticizing his Republican opponent’s strong pro-life stance as the 2023 gubernatorial race heads into its final two months.
The Beshear campaign released an attack ad last week hitting Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Beshear’s challenger, for his support for a measure that bans all abortions with the exception of saving the mother from death or a disabling injury. Beshear’s ad pressing the abortion issue is airing in rural, urban, and suburban areas of Kentucky, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-governor-campaign-abortion-4e57bc358ab4466b98b4e2de63076f03" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press. 
“When a woman or girl becomes pregnant from rape, the trauma is unimaginable,” Jefferson County Prosecutor Erin White says in the ad. “Daniel Cameron thinks a 9-year-old rape survivor should be forced to give birth. Nobody — no child — should ever have to go through that.”
Beshear shared the ad on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, “In this new ad, Prosecutor Erin White says that Daniel Cameron’s view that survivors of rape or incest—sometimes girls as young as nine—should be forced to give birth, is ‘extreme, and it’s dangerous.’ She’s right.”
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In this new ad, Prosecutor Erin White says that Daniel Cameron’s view that survivors of rape or incest—sometimes girls as young as nine—should be forced to give birth, is “extreme, and it’s dangerous.” 
She’s right. <a href="https://t.co/tR11m9ii1P">pic.twitter.com/tR11m9ii1P</a>
&mdash; Andy Beshear (@AndyBeshearKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyBeshearKY/status/1697610688531714513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Cameron’s campaign responded to the ad in a statement to The Daily Wire, pointing to Beshear’s track record of standing with the “extreme wing of the Democrat Party on abortion.”
“This desperate attack from Andy Beshear proves he’s losing ground and panicked. When it comes to the rights of criminals versus victims, Andy Beshear released 1,700 criminals from jail, many of whom went on to commit felonies. Andy Beshear stands with Joe Biden and the most extreme wing of the Democrat Party on abortion,” the Cameron campaign said.
The attorney general celebrated major legal victories that defended the unborn following the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. After the decision, Cameron <a href="https://www.ag.ky.gov/Priorities/Protecting-Life/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended</a> Kentucky’s trigger law that went into effect banning abortion, leading to the closure of the state’s two abortion facilities.
Democrats across the country have celebrated victories on abortion, including a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-behind-5m-bid-to-block-kentucky-pro-life-law-includes-staffer-who-posted-satanic-temple-message-another-marched-with-radical-socialists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ballot measure</a> that failed in Kentucky which would have clarified that abortion is not a right protected by the state constitution. Other red states, such as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-life-amendment-in-kansas-was-first-abortion-test-since-roe-v-wade-overturned-heres-how-it-fared" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kansas</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-voters-reject-proposal-seeking-to-make-it-harder-to-add-abortion-rights-to-state-constitution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ohio</a>, also rejected initiatives to further protect the unborn, and Democrats have signaled they will continue to run on the issue while painting conservatives as extreme.
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Some Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-advised-tudor-dixon-to-talk-differently-about-abortion-during-her-failed-campaign-for-michigan-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> conservatives to be cautious on the campaign trail when discussing abortion. Trump advised Michigan Republican candidate Tudor Dixon to “talk differently about abortion” during her failed 2022 campaign for governor, and Dixon told Trump during an interview last week that he was “absolutely right” to give her the advice.
Cameron, who has been endorsed by Trump, has focused much of his campaign on the economy, <a href="https://www.wave3.com/2022/04/21/louisville-homicides-return-record-pace-landing-city-unflattering-list/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising crime rates</a>, and stopping radical gender theory, including sex-change procedures, from being pushed on children. The attorney general has highlighted his stark contrast from Beshear on transgenderism. Beshear has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-gov-backs-transgender-procedures-linked-to-negative-health-outcomes-for-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">maintained</a> that he doesn’t support sex change surgeries on minors, but that he does support access to other so-called “gender-affirming” treatments, procedures that have been linked to negative health outcomes for children.
Earlier this year, the Democrat governor vetoed a bill banning all transgender procedures, including surgeries, on children, arguing it would “cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky’s youth.” Beshear’s veto was quickly overridden.
“Andy Beshear supports making it easier for minor children to get an abortion without their parents&#8217; knowledge and vetoed a bill that would require doctors to provide life-saving care to an infant born alive after a failed abortion,” the Cameron campaign told The Daily Wire. “Daniel Cameron is the pro-life candidate in this race and will work as Governor to build a culture of life.”
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.

Andy Beshear/Daniel Cameron

Dem Kentucky Gov Focuses On Abortion As 2023 Race Heats Up; GOP Opponent Calls Strategy ‘Desperate’

Republican Daniel Cameron Blasts Gov. Beshear's Abortion Ad As Kentucky Race Heats Up

Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) has so far not committed to replacing Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) with another Republican, should the Senate Minority Leader&#8217;s health become a persistent problem.
Beshear <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/03/andy-beshear-noncommittal-about-replacing-mitch-mcconnell-with-goper/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evaded the question</a> about a possible Senate vacancy — pointing out the fact that McConnell has given no indication he intends to retire before the end of his current term — during a Thursday press conference.
&#8220;There is no Senate vacancy. Senator McConnell has said he’s going to serve out his term, and I believe him, so I’m not going to speculate about something that hasn’t happened and isn’t going to happen,&#8221; Beshear said.
The governor&#8217;s comments come amid speculation about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-senator-provides-update-on-mcconnell-after-second-freeze-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McConnell&#8217;s health</a> and calls for his resignation after he froze up on camera on at least two instances. But McConnell, who recently suffered a concussion as the result of a fall, has said that he has simply experienced a few brief moments of light-headedness.
&#8220;He was in good shape,&#8221; Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.C.) said. &#8220;He was direct. He said he fell. He said, &#8216;I had that concussion.&#8217; And he said, &#8216;They warned me that I would be lightheaded in the future and that I have got to be aware of it.&#8217; He said, ‘It happened twice.’ He said, ‘It just so happens I’m doing it in front of reporters.&#8217; But he felt good yesterday. He said he’s got to watch his hydration levels.&#8221;
But should McConnell choose to vacate his seat, Beshear is bound by a <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/21RS/sb228/bill.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 law</a> to replace him with a member of his own party — a law that was passed over Beshear&#8217;s protests and his veto.
Beshear&#8217;s complaint was that the law, which also lays out the procedure for special elections, was unconstitutional.
&#8220;The bill therefore upends a century of precedent by delegating the power to select the representative of all Kentuckians to an unelected, unaccountable committee of an organization that represents only a fraction of Kentuckians,&#8221; he said.

President Biden Welcomes Governors From Across The Nation To The White House

Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Won’t Commit To Replacing McConnell With A Republican

Kentucky's Democrat Governor Won't Commit To Replacing McConnell With A Republican

Democrat

Mitch McConnell

Republican

U.S. Senate

Kentucky Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a> has maintained that he doesn’t support sex change surgeries on minors, but that he does support access to other so-called “gender-affirming” treatments, procedures that have been linked to negative health outcomes for children.
The issue has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-governor-says-he-doesnt-support-sex-change-operations-on-kids-he-vetoed-a-bill-banning-them" target="_blank" rel="noopener">come to the forefront</a> of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thats-not-standing-your-ground-matt-walsh-slams-conservatives-praising-ne-yos-reversal-on-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> gubernatorial race with Beshear saying in recent weeks that he doesn&#8217;t support transgender surgeries on kids, and that they don&#8217;t happen in the commonwealth. He has openly voiced support for non-surgical procedures. In his <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23rs/sb150/veto.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">veto message</a> of a bill banning all transgender procedures, including surgeries, on children, Beshear said that the bill would “cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky’s youth.”
This message is disputed by “detransitioners” and medical associations who say that transgender treatments on minors do not actually help mental health or reduce suicide rates, as well as medical groups that have warned of potential health risks from non-surgical gender procedures.
“There is not a single long term study to demonstrate the safety or efficacy of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for transgender-believing youth. This means that youth transition is experimental, and therefore, parents cannot provide informed consent, nor can minors assent to these interventions. Moreover, the best long-term evidence we have among adults shows that medical intervention fails to reduce suicide,” the American College of Pediatricians <a href="https://acpeds.org/topics/sexuality-issues-of-youth/gender-confusion-and-transgender-identity/deconstructing-transgender-pediatrics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a>.
The American College of Pediatricians is a medical association group founded in 2002 that is <a href="https://acpeds.org/about/faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">composed</a> of over 600 physicians and other health care workers across the U.S. “who are dedicated to the well-being of children.” 
The group also points out that giving children cross-sex hormones, such as giving young girls testosterone, can be associated with an “increased risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, blood clots and cancers across their lifespan.”
Dr. <a href="https://twitter.com/Miriam_Grossman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miriam Grossman</a>, psychiatrist who treats children, adolescents, and adults and the author of the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1510777741?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_DQ1S2DZXAQN35KAAVVHP" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new book</a> “Lost in Trans Nation: A Child Psychiatrist&#8217;s Guide Out of the Madness,” spoke with The Daily Wire about the problems of giving young children with gender dysphoria puberty blockers.
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“Puberty is not a disorder, puberty is not a disease. It’s a necessary stage of development, and it&#8217;s the most important stage of development since the womb,” she said, pointing out how puberty is a necessary part of becoming an adult. “Puberty is not something that needs to be blocked.”
She added that if allowed to go through puberty, the “vast majority” of children will grow to be comfortable with their bodies and that preventing puberty may actually end up “cementing in the dysphoria” instead of allowing the child to grow out of it.
Beshear has accused Kentucky Republicans of lying about his record on the issue and said that cross-sex surgeries are not performed on children in Kentucky. However, a hospital affiliated with the University of Kentucky has done “a small number of non-genital gender reassignment surgeries on minors, such as mastectomies,” according to a letter <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/kentucky-clinic-refutes-andy-beshears-claim-that-youth-gender-reassignment-surgeries-dont-happen-in-state/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first reported</a> on by The Washington Free Beacon.
“Andy Beshear can’t stop lying about gender reassignment surgery for minors,” Kentucky Attorney General and Republican nominee for governor Daniel Cameron said in a statement. “We know for a fact that gender reassignment surgery for kids was taking place in Kentucky. Andy Beshear sided with his far-left allies and vetoed a bill to ban these procedures. Andy is lying in the middle of an election to mislead voters. Kentuckians are smart enough to see through his shameful lies.”
Beshear’s office did not reply to a request for comment.

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Kentucky Gov. Backs Transgender Procedures Linked To Negative Health Outcomes For Children

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In a new re-election campaign ad, Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a> says that he does not support sex change surgeries on children, despite the fact that he vetoed a bill banning the surgeries earlier this year. 
Beshear, who is up for election in November, said that he does not support <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/transgender-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">transgender surgeries</a> for kids, but the Democrat has voiced support for other life-altering transgender procedures like puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones. 
“I’ve never supported gender-reassignment surgery for kids and those procedures don’t happen here in Kentucky. When I took office, I vowed to support parents because as parents we know what’s best for our kids, not politicians in Frankfort or Washington,” Beshear <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioAndersonTV/status/1683463814715432961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in the new ad, which was released this week. 
In March, Beshear vetoed a bill that banned puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex change surgeries like performing double mastectomies on girls who say they are boys. The bill also allowed teachers to not be compelled to use students’ so-called preferred pronouns and prohibits the teaching of gender ideology at schools.
The bill <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftist-protesters-arrested-as-kentucky-republicans-override-governors-veto-to-ban-child-sex-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">later became law</a> after Republicans in the House voted 76-23 and 29-8 in the Senate to override the veto. A federal judge has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-judge-blocks-kentucky-ban-on-transgender-hormones-for-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">since blocked</a> the implementation of the bill’s prohibition of cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers, procedures that can be linked with osteoporosis and fertility issues. 
&#8220;Andy Beshear has always been clear that he does not support gender reassignment surgery for minors – which doesn’t happen in Kentucky,&#8221; Beshear campaign manager Eric Hyers <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/popular-democrat-governor-breaks-party-speaks-against-sex-changes-minors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Daniel Cameron and his allies are pushing a blatantly false attack because they know they can’t win talking about Cameron’s record, which includes supporting cuts to teacher pensions and backing schemes to divert money out of our public schools.&#8221; 
Daniel Cameron, Kentucky’s attorney general, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kentucky-ag-daniel-cameron-wins-gop-governor-primary-race" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is challenging Beshear</a> in the gubernatorial race this November. In 2020, former President Donald Trump won Kentucky by over 25 percentage points. 
&#8220;Andy Beshear supports sex-change surgeries for kids because he vetoed the bill banning them in March,&#8221; Sean Southard, the communications director for the Republican Party of Kentucky, said in a statement. &#8220;Now, in the heat of a campaign, Andy Beshear is misleading voters about his true beliefs. It’s a shame, and Kentuckians are smart enough to see through Andy Beshear’s lies.&#8221;
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In his veto message, Beshear explicitly said that kids in Kentucky would die if the legislature banned transgender hormonal procedures. 
“Improving access to gender affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population. Senate Bill 150 will cause an increase in suicide among Kentucky’s youth,” he <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23rs/sb150/veto.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a>. 
Many “detransitioners” have said that undergoing transgender procedures did not help their mental health. On Thursday, Chloe Cole <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barbaric-pseudoscience-chloe-cole-calls-for-lawmakers-to-protect-children-from-transgender-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified before</a> the House Judiciary Committee that she only became suicidal after doctors began to “transition” her through puberty blockers, testosterone, and removing her breasts.

Democrat Governor Says He Doesn’t Support Sex-Change Operations On Kids. He Vetoed A Bill Banning Them.

Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center have <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article276582776.html">requested</a> a judge to dismiss their own year-long challenge to Kentucky’s abortion ban.
The motion supporting a dismissal came after the two abortion organizations were unable to produce a pregnant woman who wanted to and was prevented from getting an abortion because of the ban by the deadline set by the court, which was Tuesday.
“We are gratified that the abortion providers recognized their case should be dismissed,” Kentucky’s Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a <a href="https://www.kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=AttorneyGeneral&amp;prId=1405">statement</a>. “As a result of our efforts, I am proud to say that the elective abortion industry is out of business in Kentucky, and their inhumane practice remains illegal in our Commonwealth.”
The two last abortion providers in the Bluegrass State challenged the two abortion restrictions in June 2022 after they went into effect immediately after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The two challenged laws include a trigger law that bans abortion except to save the life of the mother and a six-week ban.
EMW and Planned Parenthood argued the laws violated the rights to privacy and bodily autonomy as guaranteed by the Kentucky Constitution and were able to secure a temporary block of the laws. Cameron challenged the decision, which was eventually overturned by the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
The plaintiffs then appealed to the state’s Supreme Court, which ruled in Cameron’s favor. The Court <a href="http://opinions.kycourts.net/sc/2022-SC-0329-tg.pdf">ruled</a> that the two organizations did not have standing to challenge the laws on behalf of their patients. The court also ruled that the temporary injunction was an abuse of the circuit court’s discretionary power. 
“We moved to dismiss this case because earlier this year, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an extraordinary ruling that took away health care providers’ ability to defend the rights of their patients, upending decades of precedent,” the two abortion providers said in a statement. “Bringing cases on behalf of patients has been standard practice in Kentucky and across the country for good reason — numerous obstacles stand in the way of patients coming forward to participate in litigation.”
Because Planned Parenthood and EMW could not produce a patient to challenge the law by the June 20 deadline, they filed their motion to dismiss, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
Planned Parenthood and EMW’s challenge was not the only challenge to Kentucky’s abortion laws. Three Jewish women are <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article266756996.html">challenging</a> the ban on religious liberty grounds, saying the law is based on the Christian belief that life begins at conception, a belief they argue is absent from Judaism. Because of this, they claim, the law gives preference to Christians.
Cameron is the Republican <a href="https://www.wkyt.com/2023/05/16/cameron-beshear-face-off-kentuckys-governor-race/">nominee</a> to challenge Democratic Governor Andy Beshear later this year. The black Republican is making his conservative record as Attorney General a central component of his campaign, contrasting himself with Beshear and tying the incumbent to the unpopular President Joe Biden.

Planned Parenthood Offices Nationwide Navigate States’ Legal Changes In Wake Of Supreme Court Decision To Overturn Roe v. Wade

Planned Parenthood Requests Dismissal Of Its Own Challenge To Kentucky Abortion Ban

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The Republican-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> legislature voted Wednesday to override Democrat Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a>’s veto of a bill banning child sex changes as nearly 20 Left-wing protesters were arrested at the statehouse on criminal trespassing charges.
As lawmakers were meeting, Kentucky State Police were asked to restore order as protesters shouted and chanted, disrupting the ongoing legislative meeting. The bill passed the House 76-23 and in the Senate 29-8, surpassing the requirements to override Beshear’s veto. 
The bill <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/kentucky-republicans-override-governors-veto-of-bill-banning-transition-surgery-puberty-blockers-for-minors/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">will ban</a> life-altering procedures such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex change surgeries like performing double mastectomies on girls who say they are boys. Additionally, it will allow teachers to not be compelled to use students&#8217; so-called preferred pronouns and prohibits the teaching of gender ideology at schools. 
“We cannot allow people to continue down the path of fantasy, to where they’re going to end up 10, 20, 30 years down the road and find themselves miserable from decisions that they made when they were young,” <a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-care-bill-kentucky-legislature-e7c0bfb0e6cdfb1144451efe677108d6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Republican Rep. Shane Baker said at an event supporting the bill before the vote. 
The vote came as protesters shouted and chanted at lawmakers, eventually leading to the arrest of 19 people after police were asked to restore order. 
&#8220;The Sergeant of Arms requested that KSP assist in restoring order today in the House gallery chambers. KSP gave each individual the option to leave without any enforcement action or be placed under arrest,&#8221; police spokesman Captain Paul Blanton <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pro-trans-kentucky-protesters-arrested-swarming-state-capitol-house-vote-override-beshears-veto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News. &#8220;KSP arrested 19 individuals. They have been cited for criminal trespassing 3rd degree.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In the Kentucky state Capitol rotunda after supporters for SB150 spoke. <a href="https://t.co/Y6gLEOzj3W">pic.twitter.com/Y6gLEOzj3W</a>
&mdash; Matt Stone (@mattstonephotog) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattstonephotog/status/1641109734060179456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Many Republicans said the legislation was needed to protect children from harmful procedures.
According to Republican state Sen. Robby Mills, “puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, when administered to youth under 18 for the purpose of altering their appearance, is dangerous for the health of that child.”
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Left-wing legal groups are promising to challenge the bill in courts, a move that has succeeded in deep-red Alabama and Arkansas for the time being. “While we lost the battle in the legislature, our defeat is temporary. We will not lose in court,” said Chris Hartman, the executive director of an LGBTQ group called the Fairness campaign. 
Conservative family groups in the Bluegrass State supported the legislation, with The Family Foundation’s David Walls saying that it enacted a “policy in alignment with the truth that every child is created as a male or female and deserves to be loved, treated with dignity and accepted for who they really are.”
Kentucky joins states like Tennessee, Mississippi, Iowa, and Utah in banning the sex change procedures on minors while blue states like Minnesota have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/minnesota-house-votes-to-make-state-refuge-for-child-sex-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> themselves a “refuge” for such procedures.

Opponents And Supporters Of Senate Transgender Bill Rally At Capitol

Leftist Protesters Arrested As Kentucky Republicans Override Governor’s Veto To Ban Child Sex Changes

U.S.

<a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kentucky</a> Gov. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Beshear</a> is the latest prominent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democrat</a> to turn against his own party and the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG</a>, amid a run for reelection in a heavily <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/republican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican</a> state.
Critics of the ESG movement largely align with conservatives and assert that the philosophy intermixes political and social causes in a manner that compromises or distracts from profitability. Beshear signed a <a href="https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/23rs/hb236.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> last week to require fiduciaries of the state’s retirement funds to only consider factors which have a “direct and material connection to the financial risk or financial return of an investment” rather than any “environmental, social, political, or ideological interest” without a connection to the financial realities of an asset.
Beshear, who won an upset victory four years ago in the predominantly Republican state, is presently campaigning for a second term; the general election will occur at the end of the year.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), both of whom will be on their respective ballots in primarily Republican states next year, recently voted against fellow Democrats to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/absolutely-infuriating-manchin-blasts-biden-for-vetoing-rebuke-of-esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pass</a> a resolution scrapping a White House rule that allows retirement fiduciaries to invest in accordance with the ESG movement. President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-uses-first-veto-of-his-presidency-to-kill-rebuke-of-federal-esg-push" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vetoed</a> the resolution last week.
American investors are broadly skeptical of the ESG movement and desire that their funds are allocated in a politically neutral manner. An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive poll</a> from The Daily Wire showed last year that 64% of respondents believe “individual investors whose savings are being invested” should decide whether funds are appropriated according to ESG standards, while a mere 20% believe that “Wall Street asset managers” should make such decisions.
Republican West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice signed <a href="http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_history.cfm?INPUT=2862&amp;year=2023&amp;sessiontype=RS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> this week similar to the law enacted in Kentucky. Justice, a former Democrat who became a Republican six years ago, has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gop-has-formidable-2024-opponent-for-joe-manchin-in-mind" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pushed</a> as a possible contender for the Senate seat currently held by Manchin.
Republican officials in both Kentucky and West Virginia lauded the endorsement of the bills.
&#8220;Kentucky now has the strongest anti-ESG legislation in the nation,” Kentucky State Treasurer Allison Ball said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “For many years, pension investments were about maximizing returns. Recently, however, there has been a destructive shift in investment methodology to use the savings of Americans as financial muscle to push ideological causes through the ESG movement. Kentucky has said no to this shift.”
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“West Virginia is once again leading the way to protect pensioner and taxpayer dollars from woke Wall Street activists who prioritize their own political and social agendas over the best financial interests of our people,” West Virginia State Treasurer Riley Moore said in another statement provided to The Daily Wire. “Each year, public employees in West Virginia retire from their jobs after decades of service to our state and rely on their hard-earned state pensions to support them and their families through retirement.”
The ESG movement could emerge as a core issue in the 2024 election cycle, particularly among declared and potential Republican primary candidates. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who currently lead early polls as Republican voters’ preferred nominees, have each spoken against the totalizing investment approach, while former Strive Asset Management Executive Chairman Vivek Ramaswamy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vivek-ramaswamy-top-private-sector-voice-against-esg-teases-possible-presidential-run" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> the contest and placed the issue at the center of his platform.

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A high school athlete mysteriously fell ill and died last week while aiding in relief efforts after catastrophic flooding in Eastern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> ravaged several communities, swept away homes, and killed nearly 40 residents.
Aaron &#8220;Mick&#8221; Crawford, 18, became the 38th person to die last month due to flash flooding in the state&#8217;s Appalachian region.
Crawford&#8217;s family told media outlets that after Mick helped flood victims clean up debris and mud, he came home exhausted and complained that his arms felt heavy.
Ronda Crawford, his mother, told <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article264284031.html">Kentucky.com</a> earlier this week that her son went into cardiac arrest after feeling sick for about three days.
Mick was rushed to Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, where staff admitted him into intensive care before pumping air in and out of his lungs on a ventilator for about four days until he later died on August 5.
&#8220;We do not know the reason and have no explanation for what happened,” Crawford said.
Crawford described her son to the Herald-Leader as the &#8220;kindest sweetest kid.”
&#8220;I know everyone thinks their kid is the best, but he was special,” she said. &#8220;He wanted to help people even before the rain had stopped.&#8221;
Mick&#8217;s desire to serve stemmed from his deep-rooted faith in Jesus Christ.
His mother said he would pray for anyone he met and would not hesitate to ask if they knew about Jesus.
&#8220;If Mick could give us his final wish, it would be that everyone come to know Jesus because that&#8217;s the most important thing in this world to him,&#8221; she said.
Pastor and friend Perry County Sherrif Joe Engle echoed Crawford&#8217;s sentiments, and said that the teen&#8217;s death was a crushing loss for the community.
&#8220;He was just a joy to be around,&#8221; Engle told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-mick-crawford-teen-mysteriously-death-kentucky-flooding/">CBS News</a>.
Engle last heard from Mick when the teen asked the sheriff where he could assist victims while torrential rains flooded and swallowed up multiple counties across the region, causing residents to search for high ground until rescue teams could arrive.
&#8220;As soon as we understood we had a major disaster going on here, he messaged me,&#8221; the sheriff said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure it had even quit raining yet by the time he sent me a message on Facebook.&#8221;
&#8220;Wanting to know where to go. Wanting to know where to help,&#8221; Mick&#8217;s message reportedly said.
Engle said he believes Mick&#8217;s entire life was about making those around him better.
&#8220;That&#8217;s how he lived, and when he died, he made others — even strangers — lives better,&#8221; said Engle.
&#8220;I love him and will miss my friend,&#8221; Engle said.
Mick had also involved himself in high school sports, where he led the football and wrestling teams, showing up to practice every day ready to work, while displaying maturity beyond his years.
&#8220;He was just the type of kid, you know, he never came to practice in a bad mood,&#8221; Knott County Central athletic director Justin Amburgey told <a href="https://www.wymt.com/2022/08/08/knott-county-central-athletics-remember-aaron-mick-crawford/">WYMT</a>. &#8220;He was always very positive.&#8221;
Knott County Central wrestling coach Jonathan Aldana said, &#8220;Everything that he did, and everything that he was, he always wanted to make sure he was doing everything the right way.”
&#8220;When I heard the news about Mick, my heart just sank because you know that&#8217;s a person you want in your community,&#8221; Aldana said.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called Mick a &#8220;heroic&#8221; student on <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1556692416320651265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> early this week.
“Britainy and I are praying for the family of Aaron Crawford, a heroic high school student in Knott County who was bravely helping in the recovery efforts following the flooding,&#8221; Beshear said. “This is another tragic loss for Eastern Kentucky.&#8221; 
&#8220;Let us mourn together and honor Aaron, his compassion and kindness for his neighbors,&#8221; Beshear added.
Beshear established a relief fund for flood victims that will also help pay for the funeral expense for Crawford&#8217;s family.
Mick Crawford was the youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters. <a href="https://www.englebowlingfuneralhome.com/obituary/aaron-crawford">Funeral services</a> for Mick were held on Thursday.
State officials announced the death toll increased to 39 victims on Thursday.

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Kentucky High School Student Dies Unexpectedly After Helping Victims In Historic Flash Floods

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