(The Center Square) – Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican nominee for governor in this year’s election, introduced state Sen. Robby Mills on Wednesday to serve as his running mate on the November ballot.
In a social media video announcing the move, Cameron said he was looking for a “true conservative with a strong track record of getting things done” to select for his lieutenant governor nominee.
“Together, a Cameron-Mills administration will start winning for Kentucky on day one,” said Cameron, who is seeking to become Kentucky’s first Black governor.
Mills, a Republican from Henderson, is a small business owner, according to his General Assembly bio. He served as a city commissioner in the western Kentucky city for 18 years before serving in the state House from 2017-18. In 2018, he beat Democratic incumbent Sen. Dorsey Ridley by 484 votes out of 37,630 ballots cast. Last year, he won reelection, beating Democrat Bruce Pritchett by a ratio of 2-to-1.
Among the bills Mills sponsored this past General Assembly session was “Lofton’s Law,” in honor of Thomas “Lofton” Hazelwood, an 18-year-old University of Kentucky student who died in 2021 as the result of fraternity hazing.
“No parent should ever get the type of phone call that Tracy and Kirk Hazelwood received, but because of Lofton’s and the Hazelwoods’ sacrifice, Kentucky is going to be a better place in the future,” Mills said in a statement after Gov. Andy Beshear signed Senate Bill 9 into law in March.
SB9, which passed with broad bipartisan support, makes it a Class D felony if a hazing incident leads to injury or death, and hazing that doesn’t lead to injury is a Class A misdemeanor.
Mills in recent weeks has taken to social media to make comments on the Republican’s fiscal agenda being the reason for Kentucky’s economic turnaround. He’s also criticized attempts to move away fossil fuels and promoted social conservative causes.
Western Kentucky is typically considered a safe Republican region. However, Beshear’s family is from nearby Dawson Springs, and four years ago, Beshear won Mills’ Henderson County by 560 votes. It was a key county as Beshear defeated then-incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin by 5,086 votes out of 1.4 million cast statewide.
While Beshear is considered one of the more popular Democratic governors in the country, Republicans have made it a priority to defeat him. Kentucky is one of three states to hold a gubernatorial election this year. Many expect it to be a close race once again.
Cameron, who previously served on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s staff, won the Republican gubernatorial nomination two months ago, beating out 11 other candidates in what was a hard-fought campaign against former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft and current state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles. A key part of Cameron’s successful campaign was former President Trump’s early endorsement.
State law required Cameron to pick his running mate by Aug. 8.
Beshear’s running mate will once again be Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who was an educator and coach before being tabbed by Beshear four years ago. Coleman officially filed for reelection on Tuesday.
