Kentucky Lt. Gov. on running for McConnell's seat: 'Lord, no'
Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman (D) said Sunday that she isn’t running for Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) seat.
“We're going to hear a lot more from Democrats nationally trying to get you or the governor to get into the race for Mitch McConnell’s seat. … You said ‘no,’ he said ‘no.’ Any chance that that changes? Any chance … you guys are leaving a crack in the door?” NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt asked on “The Hill Sunday.”
“I can't speak for the governor, but for me, I will say, ‘Lord, no.’ I have a 5-year-old — I have a 5-year-old at home and I — that’s plenty for me to worry about,” Coleman responded. “And I'd rather — I'd rather deal with that 5-year-old than some … some of the folks in D.C. who act like they're 5 years old.”
McConnell previously said that he does not plan to retire prior to the end of his term in early 2027. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) now occupies McConnell’s old position, in which he frequently drew the ire of Democrats.
Andy Beshear, the Democratic governor of Kentucky, has recently built up a national profile as a Democrat capable of securing a deep-red state victory. His name was also among those talked about as possible running mates for former Vice President Kamala Harris during her recent presidential campaign.
Coleman also said Sunday that she was concerned about the Department of Education’s disassembly in the wake of an order from President Trump looking to facilitate its elimination.
“When I hear folks from Washington, they sound really out of touch with what’s going on in the state and certainly in our classrooms,” Coleman told Stirewalt. “And I can say that because I went from being a high school teacher, a basketball coach and an assistant principal to being Kentucky’s lieutenant governor.”
“And what concerns me is the message that we’re sending at a macro level here, and that message is that the United States of America would rather dismantle the U.S. Department of Education than invest in the kids and the families that need it the most,” she added.
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