HENDERSON, Ky. — In a rousing boom, Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear worked a crowd of teachers in Henderson asking them if they were "ready."

"Are you ready to end the war on public education? Are you ready to fully fund every single classroom? Are you ready to beat Matt Bevin?" the democratic candidate asked. "Good, because we have to."

Beshear stopped at Rookie's Sports Bar and Grill on Tuesday to meet with a group of active and retired teachers. He will face Republican incumbent Bevin in the gubernatorial election on Nov. 5.

There, he talked about his priorities: jobs, healthcare, pensions and, of course, public education. He drew on his record as current attorney general and set himself in contrast to Governor Bevin.

"You realize this race is pretty simply about right versus wrong," Beshear said. "We're in the right, and Matt Bevin is in the wrong."

He listed Bevin's "wrongdoings" in "tearing away" retirement benefits from civil servants, healthcare and the public education system.

"The way we stop Matt Bevin from doing any more wrong is to make sure he's not governor for one more day," Beshear said.

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Bevin defeated Democrat Jack Conway in 2015, succeeding Steve Beshear, Andy Beshear's father. Steve Beshear was ineligible for reelection due to term limits. Bevin won the election with 52.5 percent of the vote. In Henderson County, though, Conway won with 49.92 percent of the vote, by 280 votes.

Beshear focused heavily on Bevin's "attacks" on teachers and public education, sharing their frustrations.

"When Matt Bevin calls our teachers names, when he tries to tear down our system of public education and when he puts together a Board of Education who cares more about a for-profit charter school company than our kids, that's wrong," Beshear said.

When thousands of educators protested Bevin's proposed changes to their pensions, Bevin said they didn't "understand what they're protesting for," Beshear said. It is illegal in Kentucky for state employees such as teachers to strike, so the teachers used their sick days to protest. Bevin said they had a "thug mentality" and called others "selfish" and "ignorant."

In contrast, Beshear boasted his record as attorney general to fight against Bevin's actions. Beshear sued Bevin for attempting to cut retirement for government workers and to cut budgets of state universities and community colleges.

"I hope you feel like a part of this administration," Beshear told the educators at Rookie's Tuesday. "I need your help. Because who's in a better position than teachers?"

Beshear's focus on public education is not isolated to this campaign stop, but it is a consistent center of his bid for governor.

On his campaign website, "strengthening public education" is the first item listed. He's also the only candidate with an active educator on the ticket, with Jacqueline Coleman as his running mate.

"I'm with you," he told the teachers on Tuesday. "And I look forward to electing a teacher as lieutenant governor."

After his stump speech, Beshear sat down at tables with the teachers to hear their concerns and hear how politics "impacts people's lives."

"The biggest issue for us right now is proper education funding," said Mike Haile, a retired teacher from Henderson. "I love teaching. Teachers have the most important job in the world. But we need to be paid like it's the most important job. We have teachers working summers to make ends meet."

Haile is a big supporter of Beshear as an answer to the problems facing teachers.

"He's in our corner," Haile said. "He always has been. We elected him four years ago to attorney general, and he has stood up for teachers and educators in the entire state the entire time. He's gone to bat for us."

Beshear also visited Henderson during the primary season, when he met with area members of the retired teachers' association, The Gleaner previously reported.

He won the Democratic primary on May 21 with 37.9 percent of the vote, defeating Rep. Rocky Adkins, Adam Edelen and Geoff Young. In Henderson County, Beshear won with 37.88 percent of the vote.