# Democrat Rocky Adkins officially enters Kentucky governor race **Published:** 2026-07-21T13:23:51.000Z **Source:** [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/21/democrat-rocky-adkins-officially-enters-kentucky-governor-race/) **Republished from:** [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/21/democrat-rocky-adkins-officially-enters-kentucky-governor-race/) (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) **Canonical:** https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/21/democrat-rocky-adkins-officially-enters-kentucky-governor-race/ By McKenna Horsley, [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com) · July 21, 2026 Rocky Adkins, a former Democratic leader in the Kentucky House and senior advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear from Eastern Kentucky, is officially running for governor. His campaign issued a press release Tuesday morning and [released a video](https://x.com/RockyForKy/status/2079527401269203180?s=20) on social media. It opens with boxers fighting in a ring and then moves to Adkins speaking over shots of Kentuckians waking up to go to work and take care of their families. “We’ve always been fighters,” Adkins says in the video before vowing to be a fighter for the commonwealth. Beshear, who was elected in 2019 and 2023, is term-limited from running for governor again. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, also a Democrat, announced [her run for governor](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/04/20/democrat-jacqueline-coleman-announces-2027-run-for-kentucky-governor/) in April. Her [campaign recently reported](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/13/adkins-senior-adviser-to-beshear-leaving-kentucky-governors-administration/) it raised $303,000. “The governor of Kentucky is the last line of defense for the people of this commonwealth,” Adkins said in a press release. “That protection is only as strong as the person behind the desk. Right now, Kentucky needs a governor with the experience, backbone and record to take on these fights and win.” Adkins, 66, an Elliott County native, represented the 99th House District, in Eastern Kentucky from 1987 to 2019. Beshear appointed Adkins[as his senior adviser](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/21/us/elections/results-kentucky-governor-primary-election.html) in 2019 after they had faced off in the primary earlier that year. Adkins has been in the headlines recently after [leaving Beshear’s administration](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/13/adkins-senior-adviser-to-beshear-leaving-kentucky-governors-administration/)and because the governor appointed him to the [Kentucky State Fair Board](https://kentuckylantern.com/briefs/beshear-appoints-adkins-to-kentucky-state-fair-board/) last week, which recently switched the president and CEO after the governor [gained control of the board](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/02/after-supreme-court-decision-beshears-kentucky-state-fair-board-removes-ceo/)following a recent Kentucky Supreme Court opinion. Adkins will have [an event Tuesday afternoon](https://www.facebook.com/events/1534843804571429) at The Burl in Lexington to share “my vision for our future and what’s next.” The primary election will be held in May 2027. Rumored Republican candidates include [U.S. Rep. James Comer](https://kentuckylantern.com/2025/08/04/coleman-vs-comer-2-candidates-fuel-speculation-for-2027-governors-race-in-west-kentucky/)and [Secretary of State Michael Adams](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/01/06/can-a-nice-guy-finish-first-republican-michael-adams-ponders-a-run-for-kentucky-governor/). ## Sources - [Kentucky Lantern](https://kentuckylantern.com/2026/07/21/democrat-rocky-adkins-officially-enters-kentucky-governor-race/)