Kentucky Democrats kicked off their annual state convention with the Forward Together Dinner at the Owensboro Convention Center Friday night, marking what organizers said was the largest turnout for the event since 2012.
Daviess County Democratic Party Chair Larry Miller said hosting the convention in Owensboro was a milestone for the city and a chance to prove its ability to handle major political gatherings typically held in Lexington, Louisville, or Frankfort.
“I’m always proud of any group that comes to Owensboro, but especially proud that the Kentucky Democratic Party decided to come,” Miller said. “It really says a lot about Owensboro, and that now we have the ability to host something like this. It’s just good for me to be among like-minded Democrats — and to have the governor here and Ken Martin, too. He’s a super guy.”
Martin, who chairs the Democratic National Committee’s Association of State Democratic Committees, joined Gov. Andy Beshear for the sold-out dinner. Organizers said they sold 475 tickets, the most since 2012.
Miller said the local party feels optimistic heading into the upcoming elections, with four or five candidates preparing to run for local and state offices. He credited Beshear’s popularity as a key factor driving that energy.
“Andy Beshear, I think, is one of the most popular governors in the country right now,” Miller said. “If you just look at what he’s focusing on — the safety net, Social Security, workers’ rights, economic development — it just seems like the focus of the other party right now is what they can take away. The priorities couldn’t be clearer between the Democratic and Republican parties.”
Speaking to media members before the dinner, Beshear said the event in Owensboro highlighted how Democrats can and should compete statewide.
“Democratic governors are in their communities every single day. We’re close with the people we serve,” Beshear said. “More than just about any other set of elected officials, we are the common-ground, common-sense, get-things-done type of leaders that the Democratic Party needs.”
He said Martin’s visit signaled stronger ties between the national and state parties.
“The Democratic Party needs to compete everywhere,” Beshear said. “But I think that all parties should be able to compete everywhere. The idea that some elections could be decided by five states or one, two, or three counties — that’s not the democratic America that we need.”
Beshear said he remains focused on economic growth and supporting families across Kentucky.
“You see me as governor everywhere, and I’m excited about that,” he said. “Today, we had a jobs announcement in Muhlenberg County — 250 new jobs. So I’m absolutely thrilled about that.”
He also praised Kentuckians’ resilience after a string of disasters, but said federal disaster response needs improvement.
“We have been through so much — 15 federally declared disasters just since I became governor, worst tornadoes, worst flooding; this last round of tornadoes was the third- or fourth-deadliest we’ve seen in at least the last 10 years,” Beshear said. “We always see Kentuckians show up for each other. FEMA needs to change. FEMA needs fewer regulations from Congress, but it’s so important to have them to augment the emergency response.”
Both Miller and Beshear said the event’s high turnout proves Western Kentucky’s importance on the state’s political map and the party’s push to expand its reach.
“We’re sold out in Owensboro,” Beshear said. “And that says something.”
