Supporters listen in to Rocky Adkins speak at his campaign launch event at The Burl bar and music venue in Lexington, Kentucky on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Peyton Tindall/The Watchdog

Rocky Adkins, former senior advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear, held his first event announcing his run for Kentucky Governor in the 2027 election.

Adkins announced he would be running for governor of Kentucky as a Democratic nominee in a social media post on Thursday, July 2, and held an event later that afternoon at The Burl in Lexington.

Adkins served as a state representative for 32 years, first holding the office in 1987.

He later joined Beshear’s administration in 2019 as a senior advisor until officially leaving on July 10, 2026, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

Adkins gave a speech during the event, in which he thanked Beshear for allowing him to serve at the state capital and for the accomplishments his administration has achieved.

“I’ve stood on the front lines with the most popular governor in America, fighting for Kentucky against the worst that comes out of Washington, no matter which party,” Adkins said. “Kentucky is better for his leadership and it has been an honor for me to be there.”

During Adkins’ speech, he advocated for providing better support to teachers and public schools in Kentucky, as well as rural hospitals, saying he believed they receive insufficient funding.

Rocky Adkins announces his candidacy for governor of Kentucky at The Burl bar and music venue in Lexington, Kentucky on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Peyton Tindall/The Watchdog

Teaching is a main policy issue for Adkins, as his father was a teacher for 39 years, and later became a bus driver trainer and homebound teacher for more than a decade, according to an obituary and Adkins’ speech.

Adkins became a teacher himself before joining the Kentucky General Assembly, according to the Courier-Journal.

“I’ll fight to fully fund every public school, every teacher, every child,” Adkins said, “because Kentucky’s future is built in those classrooms.”

Throughout his time as Kentucky Senate majority floor leader, Adkins said teachers did not have to protest at the capital steps in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Adkins noted the protest from teachers in 2018 to advocate for pension reform and education bills, which led to the closure of schools across the state, according to the Associated Press.

Beshear, with the help of Adkins, reversed the punishment teachers received in December 2019, and put in place new policies that were friendlier to teachers, throughout his governorship, according to the governor’s office.

Former Lexington Mayor and current Secretary of Transportation Jim Gray endorsed Adkins for governor, discussing issues across Kentucky they worked on together during Gray’s time as mayor and in the governor’s office.

“I worked with him as he stood right beside Governor Beshear every step of the way, from the floods in Eastern Kentucky to the tornadoes in Western Kentucky,” Gray said. “Rocky was there, he had ideas and he implemented those ideas.”

Supporters attend a rally for Rocky Adkins where he announced his candidacy for governor of Kentucky at The Burl bar and music venue in Lexington, Kentucky on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Peyton Tindall/The Watchdog

Sherry Whitt, a business owner from Eastern Kentucky, said she came to hear Adkins announce his candidacy and hear about his standpoints on issues.

According to Whitt, she is supporting Adkins because she believes he is on the right path to progressing Kentucky.

“He waited his turn for many years,” Whitt said. “It’s finally his time, and my family is here with him.”

Adkins ended the event with a commitment to the state of Kentucky, saying he would push back against any bills that raise the cost of living or hurt union workers.

“I believe the people of this Commonwealth deserve a whole lot better,” Adkins said. “It won’t be easy, but here in Kentucky, we have never done what’s easy– we do what’s necessary.”