Old friends of the former Kentucky governor are seeing their phones light up and hearing Matt Bevin’s voice on the other end.
Former Gov. Matt Bevin has been busy of late – he’s been reconnecting with old contacts around the state in person and by phone, and he’s made at least one public appearance in recent weeks all in an effort of trying to line up a return to Frankfort, sources say.
Bevin lost by an incredibly slim margin in 2019, a feat he orchestrated. Now, the Anchorage, Kentucky, Republican, is feeling out support from his old network and openly talking about a potential return run for governor.
“He’s crazy enough to do it,” a Republican source told me recently, adding that Bevin has been seen holding multiple conversations around the Louisville area.
Bevin spoke briefly late last month at a public event, accepting the 2021 Humanitarian Award of the Year from Kentucky Right to Life at an in-person event held in Louisville. The event also featured speeches from Attorney General Daniel Cameron and a video from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, who was in Washington D.C. at the time of the event. Term-limited Auditor Mike Harmon and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles both attended the event but did not speak. Both are also courting GOP voters for potential gubernatorial runs of their own.
Bevin has also been active on social media of late. Many of his Twitter posts are about family, but he is also reviving some of the “friendly campaign-Bevin,” with posts about being blessed to live in Kentucky.
Many who spoke to Kentucky Fried Politics told us that Bevin is waiting to see who gets into the race and then will make a decision about running. When Bevin first ran for governor in 2015 he filed on the day of the filing deadline.
What Does the Constitution Say About Term Limits?
The Kentucky Constitution does limit the number of terms a sitting governor is allowed to serve to two consecutive four-year terms. Since Bevin lost his 2019 re-election bid it essentially resets the clock on his ability to serve. If Bevin was re-elected in 2023 he could serve a four-year term and then seek a consecutive four-year term.
Bevin lost in his re-election race in 2019 by a mere 5,000 votes, less than half a percent.
