Democrat Rocky Adkins appears to be positioning himself to run for Kentucky governor in 2027.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Monday with his senior advisor's last day with the administration was Friday, July 10.
"Every day, Rocky shows up ready to serve the people of our commonwealth, and I know his commitment to public service will continue to drive him in this next chapter," Beshear said in a statement.
The former Morehead State University basketball player is presumably taking another shot at the governor's mansion. One media report said Adkins is planning public announcements on July 21 in Lexington and July 22 in Louisville to officially launch his campaign.
"Rocky has always answered the call to serve Kentucky," Adkins' spokesperson Emily Ferguson told Kentucky Public Radio. "He'll have more to share about the work ahead in the coming days."
Adkins lost to Beshear by just six points in the 2019 Democratic gubernatorial primary. In a podcast last month, Adkins said he's giving the governor's race next year "very, very serious consideration."
"I'm getting tremendous encouragement from across Kentucky, from rural areas to urban areas, to look at the governor's race. And because of that, I definitely have not ruled it out," Adkins said. "I want to make sure that that when I make that decision, that we're ready to hit the ground running and we're ready to carry on the legacy of Andy Beshear that he's built."
If Adkins runs for governor, he'll compete against a familiar face in the Democratic primary: Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announced a run for the state's highest office in April.
Adkins was appointed to the role of senior advisor in 2019 by then-Governor-elect Beshear who credited Adkins for his role in securing economic investment while helping the state weather multiple natural disasters and the pandemic.
"I've committed my career to public service," Adkins said in a news release from the governor's office. "From working at different levels in the legislature to now the executive branch, these experiences have helped me support families across our commonwealth, and I couldn't be more proud of what we've accomplished."
Prior to joining the Beshear administration, Adkins served in the Kentucky House from 1987 to 2019 and held various roles, including House Majority Leader.
In announcing Adkins' departure, Beshear named Ray Perry as his new senior advisor. Perry has served as deputy secretary of Gov. Beshear's executive cabinet since April. Prior to that, he was Secretary of the Public Protection Cabinet.
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