In an interview with CBS Sunday, Beshear was asked whether mainstream Democrats should be listening to the specific concerns raised by self-described Democratic Socialists, who hope to move the party to the left in the coming years.
Beshear, who does not identify as a Democratic Socialist, said the party shouldn't dismiss what those candidates are saying.
"If Democrats want to win or we want to govern well, we should be listening to everyone. And I think one of the reasons that Democratic Socialists are having some success is they speak so passionately to the challenges that Americans are feeling right now," he said. "While I don't think a number of the policy positions being put forward would work, I respect anyone who is out there trying to make life better for people."
While Beshear characterized the differences inside the Democratic Party as "very small" compared to the split between the two major parties, some Democrats have sought to firmly distance themselves from Democratic Socialists.
Centrist Democrats launched a "Promise to America" pledge, declaring they are capitalists and, quote "not socialists."
The pledge has at least 25 prominent signatures, including two sitting congressional Democrats who flipped Republican districts in 2024, along with Democrats at the federal and state level from around the country, according to ABC.