The general election next week is a big one for Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, even though he’s not on the ballot.
Beshear’s super PAC In This Together, along with his dark money group Heckbent, have spent more than $2 million to help Democratic candidates on the ballot this fall. While his PAC’s largest spending is in Kentucky to flip a congressional seat to Democrats for the first time in 14 years, most of its funds have gone outside the state to help candidates around the country.
As chair of the Democratic Governors Association — which spent $73 million on governor races as of last week — much of Beshear’s focus has been on directing funds to several states with competitive races for that office. In This Together PAC contributed at least $733,000 to help Democratic candidates for governor, with most of that going to super PACs in Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico and Georgia.
The contributions of Beshear’s PAC are also heavily in states that will be voting early in the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries, as he clearly shows an interest in running for the office. More than half a million dollars in spending has gone to states that are among the first five to vote in early 2028, with nearly $300,000 of that directed to Nevada, the second state to have a Democratic primary.
Eric Hyers, the chief political strategist for Beshear, said the governor has been traveling the country helping candidates and state parties raise “to help Democrats take back the House and Senate and win as many governor's races as possible.”
“He's put his money where his mouth is and has supported dozens of candidates around the country because he knows how critical it is that Democrats have a big night on Tuesday and start to serve as a check on this reckless president,” Hyers said in an emailed statement.
Here’s a breakdown of where and for whom Beshear’s PAC is spending to influence races this fall, as he tries to help Democrats take over more governorships — and make some friends along the way, going into the 2028 election cycle.
Beshear PAC funds push for Democratic majority of governorships
Republicans currently hold a slight 26-24 majority of state governorships, but Beshear and the DGA are hopeful that polling showing Democratic momentum nationwide is not a mirage and will carry them into the majority after November.
According to the election prognosticators at Cook Political Report, Democrats are favored to control the governor’s office in at least 25, while three races in Nevada, Georgia and Wisconsin are considered toss ups.
Due to its importance to a Democratic majority — and perhaps its early schedule in the 2028 primary — Nevada is where In This Together is spending the most among the races for governor.
Beshear’s PAC directed $250,000 in September for Forward Nevada PAC, which coordinates with the DGA to buy ads for Democratic governor nominee Aaron Ford, who hopes to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Days earlier, In This Together also contributed $25,000 to We Vote We Win, a union-affiliated PAC that is working to mobilize voters for Ford.
Receiving $125,000 from Beshear’s PAC since last year is Copper State Values, the super PAC airing ads in support of reelecting Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, who is slightly favored in a close race with GOP Congressman Andy Biggs.
In This Together also contributed $100,000 to Project Battleground Georgia, the PAC supporting Atlanta mayor and Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. She is in a tight race against Republican nominee Rick Barnes for the gubernatorial seat, which has not been in Democratic hands for 24 years.
In August and September, Beshear’s PAC also contributed $25,000 each to the campaigns or allied PACs of Democratic governor nominees Jocelyn Benson in Michigan, Gina Hinojosa in Texas, Debra Haaland in New Mexico and David Crowley in Wisconsin.
In addition to a $100,000 contribution to the DGA two weeks ago, Beshear’s PAC has also contributed to the Democratic candidates running for governor next month in Maryland, Oregon, Maine, Colorado and New Hampshire.
These moves greatly expand the influence of Beshear’s PAC compared to last year, when there were only two races for governor. Last year, In This Together pitched in $40,000 for the successful campaign of Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and $25,000 to the New Jersey Democratic Party, which helped elect Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
Beshear PAC spending focused on early 2028 primary states
The spending by Beshear’s PAC closely follows the chronological path of the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries, as he eyes launching a potential run for president next year. In addition to heavy spending for candidates in those states this fall, Beshear’s PAC has also paid for at least $300,000 of his frequent travel to those states for speaking engagements and fundraisers.
In addition to the $275,000 directed to help Ford win the governor’s race in Nevada, In This Together has contributed to three Democratic congressional candidates in the state, which will vote second in 2028.
Beshear has also visited Nevada state multiple times, making pupusas with Ford in a Salvadoran and Mexican restaurant this summer, speaking at a forum of potential presidential candidates last week and is scheduled to visit again before the election on an eight-state DGA tour.
The first state where Democrats will vote in 2028 is South Carolina, and despite the lack of a competitive race for governor this fall, Beshear has put significant money and time there.
In This Together has contributed $60,000 to the South Carolina Democratic Party, in addition to $5,000 each for House candidate Nancy Lacore and Senate candidate Annie Andrews, who are both underdogs but expected to be competitive. Beshear has also visited South Carolina as much as any other state outside the bluegrass, including a stop on his book tour earlier this month with Congressman James Clyburn.
Voting third in 2028 is New Hampshire, where Beshear’s PAC — including a state-level Beshear-branded PAC — has spent just shy of $100,000. This includes $50,000 to two PACs that support Democrats in state legislative elections — far surpassing the $5,500 Beshear’s PAC has directed so far to candidates running for the Kentucky General Assembly.
In This Together has also contributed $30,000 to the New Hampshire Democratic Party and $5,000 each to the Democratic nominees running for House, Senate and governor.
Voting fourth and fifth in 2028 are New Mexico and Michigan, where Beshear’s PAC cut $25,000 checks this summer. Virginia, where Beshear directed $60,000 to statewide candidates in last year’s election, is the last state where Democrats will vote before the multi-state Super Tuesday primaries.
Beshear PAC looks to flip Kentucky seat, congressional majority
While Beshear is spending heavily outside Kentucky, candidates in his home state — just two candidates, in particular — are receiving the most support.
Democrat Zach Dembo is seeking to flip Kentucky’s Sixth Congressional District for the first time since 2012 in a race Cook rates as a “toss up,” despite President Donald Trump having won the district by 15 percentage points just two years ago. In This Together has reported spending $600,000 on ads supporting Dembo, most of which have taken the form of going negative against his Republican opponent, Ralph Alvarado.
The other candidate backed by Beshear is Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Will Moynahan. In addition to the $5,700 given directly by his PAC to his campaign, he is the only candidate this cycle who has been supported by Heckbent, which is Beshear’s dark money PAC that does not have to disclose its donors. Heckbent reported contributing $250,000 to Kentuckians For Good Judges, a PAC that is buying ads in support of Moynahan.
Beshear’s PAC has also directed smaller contributions to state legislative candidates Sarah Cole McIntosh and Rep. Erika Hancock, as well as $5,000 to the U.S. Senate campaign of Democratic nominee Charles Booker.
One of the candidates receiving the most financial support from Beshear’s PAC is just across the Ohio River in Indiana, as Democratic secretary of state candidate Beau Bayh has received $130,000 from In This Together.
Altogether, the campaigns of 37 candidates running for federal office have received a maximum $5,000 contribution from In This Together, including House and Senate candidates in 20 different states. A majority of the candidates are either running for the office for the first time or seeking a second term, and tend to be relatively moderate Democrats.
Mysterious Pennsylvania investor still tops Beshear PAC donors
In This Together and Heckbent have raised more than $10 million since forming in early 2024, though only the former is required to disclose its donors.
As of mid-October, the top donor to Beshear’s PAC is Ashish Patel, a self-described investor and business owner from Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Despite having little online footprint and not disclosing what type of business he is in, Patel has now contributed $1.1 million to In This Together, with another $250,000 delivered in August and October.
Other top donors include real estate developer Andrew Schwartzberg ($575,000), shopping mall developer heir Deborah Simon ($504,000), attorneys from national firm Morgan & Morgan ($273,920) and national and regional labor unions of electrical workers ($206,000).
Other top companies and people with Kentucky connections contributing to the PAC include:
- Nachiketa Bhatt, Louisville nursing home owner - $155,000
- The Red Mile, horse racing and gambling company - $125,000
- ECL Entertainment, horse racing and gambling company - $115,000
- Beam Suntory - $110,460.00
- William T. Young Jr. and family, real estate - $100,000
- Lisa Lourie - horse farm owner - $100,000
- Maegan Ford Nicholson, horse farm owner - $100,000
- Chester Thomas, owner of coal mining company - $75,000
- William Butler, Corporex CEO - $70,000
- Jim Gray, founder of Gray Construction - $67,466
- Eleanor Bingham Miller, Bingham media heir - $65,000
- Christopher Dischinger, CEO of LDG Development - $60,000
- Jonathan Rabinowitz, Lexington attorney - $57,500
- Swartz Enterprises, road contractor - $50,000
- Pat Madden, Lexington developer - $50,000
- Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 502 - $50,000
- TPOF Manager LLC, Kentucky real estate developer - $50,000
- Jonathan Blue, Louisville investor - $45,000
- Misdee Wrigley Miller, media company owner - $40,000
- Scott Hagan, Louisville developer - $40,000
- Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer, Kentucky law firm - $35,000
