Kentucky GOP governor candidates spar over ‘woke’ schools, gun control in KSR debate

In what’s proven to be one of the most closely-watched debates in Kentucky politics, four top candidates for the GOP gubernatorial nomination made their cases live on Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) Wednesday.

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft, Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, Auditor Mike Harmon and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck all participated in a discussion on guns, transgender issues, Gov. Andy Beshear’s tenure, schools and more.

According to a recent independent poll, Attorney General Daniel Cameron is leading the pack among “very likely” Republican voters with 30% support. Craft logged 24%, Quarles 15% and Harmon and Keck polled around 2% and 1%, respectively. Fourth place finisher in the poll, Northern Kentucky retired attorney Eric Deters at 6%, was not invited to KSR’s debate.

Candidates had an opportunity to trade barbs with each other as well as respond to grilling from KSR host Matt Jones in Louisville, with some criticizing Cameron for not attending.

Cameron did not appear for the debate, with campaign and official events scheduled for the same time in Eastern Kentucky. An empty chair and name tag was left at the center of the debate table highlighting his absence, a subject that drew the ire of Jones.

“When you’re running for governor I think you need to show up and be asked questions. I think it’s important that we have public dialogue,” Quarles said.

Craft also drew attention to the “empty chair” next to her, repeating a theme from her television ads.

Jones thanked the Republican participants in the debate for showing up to a debate hosted by four Democrats, including himself. Jones once considered challenging U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell prior to the 2020 elections.

The debate came on a morning bearing good news for Beshear, the presumed incumbent Democratic nominee. He was named the most popular Democrat governor in the U.S. by a Morning Consult poll.

The Issues

The candidates differed somewhat on the issue of “wokeness” — an amorphous term used by conservatives to deride the culture of those on the left — in Kentucky’s public schools.

When asked why Beshear shouldn’t be re-elected, Craft leaned on a topic central to a recent ad her campaign has aired: allegedly “woke” topics in Kentucky public schools.

Craft said the most important thing she’d do if she could get just one thing done in Kentucky is “removing the ‘woke’-ism in our schools.” She brought a book to the debate that she said is available in audio form in Woodford County Schools that she believes is representative of the problem. The book was “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” which has become controversial for its LGBTQ theme and reference to masturbation and oral sex.

Keck said the issue of “wokeness” was also a concern for him, but he was wary of focusing on it too much.

“Are there teachers in Kentucky that are woke? Sure, by the definition of what most of us accept… I think as a party, if we consistently demonize public education, then we’re going to struggle to win a general election. We saw what happened in the last election,” he said.

None of the candidates supported any significant gun control legislation or policies, which became a central topic of discussion in the wake of the recent mass shooting in downtown Louisville.

“No, I don’t think we need gun legislation,” Keck said. “The left will say ‘take guns,’ the Republicans will say ‘mental health’ and nothing happens.”

When asked whom they would support in the 2024 Republican presidential between former President Donald Trump — who has endorsed Cameron in the race — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and a third candidate of their choice, Harmon and Craft said they’d back Trump. Keck and Quarles said they would support DeSantis.

Craft cited her past experience working in the Trump administration as ambassador among her reasons.

“Ron DeSantis is ready for prime time… If I’m forced to choose, I think I’d give Ron DeSantis a chance,” Quarles said.

Keck also said he’d vote for DeSantis, arguing that DeSantis would be a “much more viable” candidate than Trump against Democratic President Joe Biden.

All candidates signaled general support for the tenure of former GOP governor Matt Bevin, a controversial figure in Kentucky politics due to his brash nature. Bevin lost by a narrow margin to Beshear in 2019 while other Republicans running for statewide office easily won.

Harmon said Bevin was “great” but “he said things that got him in trouble.”

When asked what their top priorities were, Craft repeated her concern with “wokeness” in schools, Keck said he’d make changes to the state benefit system, Quarles focused on public safety and Harmon mentioned school choice.

All candidates signaled support for a ban on public drag performances, which was advanced in a bill by a Republican this past legislative session but did not ultimately pass both chambers.

Getting grilled

Jones gave himself four minutes with each candidate to challenge their viewpoints on various topics.

With Craft, he asked her to define Critical Race Theory and to explain why she is targeting it in her campaign messaging.

Craft said she knew some school staff members were “having (students) compete with one another because of color” but did not provide a specific example.

She did, however, bring “All Boys Aren’t Blue” and a sheet full of details about other books centered on LGBTQ stories that include references to sex as examples of objectionable material that shouldn’t be taught in public schools.

Quarles, who took some jabs at Jones as a “liberal” hosting the debate, was asked about his support for Kentucky’s trigger ban on abortion, which includes no exceptions for rape or incest. Jones asked Quarles specifically if he would support forcing a minor who became pregnant from rape to give birth and Quarles said he was open to having “a conversation” after the Kentucky Supreme Court rules on the law, though he has signaled support for the current law that would not allow someone to have an abortion in that case.

“I’ve met somebody who was conceived through rape and I value that person’s life just as much as anyone else,” Quarles said before stating that Kentucky needs to beef up its adoption and foster care system to better handle unwanted pregnancies.

Harmon stood out as the most conservative on social issues in an exchange with Jones, expressing support for Kentucky’s trigger ban on abortion as well as opposition to legalizing sports betting — legislation to do that just passed the GOP-led legislature.

Keck defended his stance that Kentucky needs to do more to kick citizens who are receiving benefits from the government but not working and not disabled off of those benefits.

“We need to take care of the people that are already working and still really struggling. The single mom making $15 an hour who’s barely getting back, I would much rather her get a piece of that benefit instead of somebody who’s not working at all,” Keck said.

Jones also pressed Keck on support for McConnell in the face of Trump’s dissatisfaction with the GOP leader. Keck said that he would support McConnell remaining Senate Minority Leader.

In response to a question from KSR crew member Shannon The Dude, no GOP candidate signaled support for legalizing recreational marijuana. Deters has signaled support for this policy.

This story may be updated.