'You bet I'm running again.' Gov. Matt Bevin seeks re-election in 2019

Show Caption Hide Caption Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin : 'You bet I'm running again' 'Not a chance I'd walk away' says Bevin. 'There's not one (Democrat candidate) even remotely worthy of carrying the torch for the people of Kentucky.'

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Gov. Matt Bevin surprised a gathering of Kentucky Republicans on Saturday night and announced he will be seeking re-election as governor in 2019.

At the very end of his remarks as the final speaker at the GOP's Lincoln Day Dinner, Bevin said there was one matter he wanted to clear up.

“You bet I’m running again, you bet I'm running again, seriously," Bevin said.

The declaration was met with a standing ovation from the approximately 500 Republicans who packed the Hilton hotel in downtown Lexington for the dinner.

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Bevin ended months of speculation about his political future, which included rumors that he was running for U.S. Senate or seeking a federal position.

The governor's third year in office has been marked by fractures with the Republican-controlled legislature, which overrode a veto of the tax reform plan. It has also seen Bevin face the ire of Kentucky teachers, who have slammed his push for pension reform to overhaul one of the worst-funded retirement plans in the country.

But Bevin stiff-armed those controversies, saying Saturday that the state's momentum under his leadership and the GOP-controlled legislature isn't something he can walk away from.

"The work that is being done right now in our House and the work that is being done in our Senate is just getting warmed up. Buckle up because the next five years are going to be something to watch," he said.

Most GOP leaders had expected Bevin would run for re-election next year. But in recent months he has shrugged off that question from reporters, saying he had until the filing deadline next January to make his announcement.

After the dinner, Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said he had long expected Bevin would seek re-election. "The surprise is that he announced it tonight. I was not expecting that," Stivers said.

Stivers said he expects Bevin will have no opposition in the Republican primary for governor next May

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Bevin told reporters there is a lot of work left to do and that not running again would be a mistake for the state. He declined to address whether he will run with Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton but did indicate he would not begin any fundraising until at least after the fall election.

The only other candidate to announce so far is Attorney General Andy Beshear, a Democrat who is running with educator Jacqueline Coleman.

Other rumored Democrats who may run next year include Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, House Minority Leader Rocky Adkins of Sandy Hook, former state Auditor Adam Edelen and state Rep. Attica Scott of Louisville.

"I'd take any one of them, there's not one of them that is even remotely worthy of carrying the torch for the people of Kentucky and that's a fact," Bevin said.

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Reporter Phillip M. Bailey can be reached at 502-582-4475 or pbailey@courierjournal.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/philb. Tom Loftus: tloftus@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @TomLoftus_CJ. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/toml.

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