It was standing room only as several hundred people jostled for space to hear Rocky Adkins lay out his campaign for Governor. The audience spanned all ages and demographics; Adkins name-checked them in his speech—parents, nurses, teachers, farmers, union workers—and they responded with loud applause.
Adkins acknowledged his wife and family who were in attendance, and then the gloves came off. His speech was full of fighting talk, mirroring the campaign video he released earlier in the day that was set in a boxing ring.
"To every Kentuckian who's been fighting alone for a better job, better schools, better health-care, a better shot at life that you were promised, you keep fighting, and I'll always keep fighting for you," Adkins said.
Adkins referenced his years of service and vowed never to give up working to improve the lives of Kentuckians. He talked about his experience working with Governor Andy Beshear as his Senior Advisor, and his time as Democratic leader of the House.
"When the floods came in the east, when the tornadoes hit in the west, when a county needed a road or a community needed help," Adkins said, "the Governor sent me."
Affordability, Adkins predicted, would be ‘a huge issue’ in the election, and he also addressed the thorny issue of data centers. Adkins ran for Governor in 2019 but was beaten by Andy Beshear in the primary; this campaign, he vowed, will be different.
"I think I've built the kind of reputation, the kind of relationships that it takes to win a statewide race. So, we're gonna work hard, we're gonna run a good, clean campaign, and we're gonna talk about our vision for Kentucky and how to build a better Kentucky," said Adkins.
Adkins will face Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman in the primary election in May.
