‘If you feel that Washington is broken, then do something about it:’ Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to NKU students

Jakob Staley, Editor-In-Chief

September 18, 2026

Gov. Beshear speaking to The Northerner staff, Jakob Staley and Erin Senn after the groundbreaking ceremony.

On a partly cloudy mid-September afternoon, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear spoke at the ground breaking for a new Medical Examiner’s office and Crime Lab, located on Northern Kentucky University’s campus.

After the ceremony, he spoke with the Editor-in-Chief Jakob Staley and Managing Editor Erin Senn about Senator Mitch McConnell’s return to office, midterm elections, and advice he’d give to NKU students about politics.

Jakob Staley: How do you feel about Mitch McConnell’s reappearance in politics?

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“Well, Mitch McConnell was gone from work for three months and did not provide the transparency that any employee would have to provide to their employer. His employer are the people of Kentucky. They are owed an explanation. I’m glad that he is back and obviously alive. So, to social media, he is alive. But we have yet to see the full capacity that’s necessary as a U.S. senator. That doesn’t mean that it’s not there, but I hope he will be more transparent and more open about where his health is. Remember, a lot of people had criticisms of the last president and his health, but he was showing up every day and doing the work. So it’s not a lot to ask Mitch McConnell to do more here.”

— Andy Beshear

Jakob Staley: The midterms are around the corner. Do you think our historically red state can turn blue?

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“I think we are going to see Democrats win in places that people aren’t expecting. I think Amy Acton is going to be the next governor of Ohio and flip Ohio blue. I think Rob Sand is going to be the next governor of Iowa and flip that blue. I think the sixth congressional seat in and around Lexington is going to flip, and Zach Denbo is going to go to Congress to represent the people of Kentucky. So I believe that there is change coming, and that change is because we have a current administration that’s making life so much harder. Tariff policies have raised costs by about $3,500 on a Kentucky family, and this is the president deciding it. And it alone, this war in Iran, which nobody wants, is making people pay more than $500 more in gas every single year. When you start adding four grand in costs to families, they just can’t make it, so they’re going to vote for somebody who’s going to help them instead of hurt them.”

— Andy Beshear

Jakob Staley: In this district, we have Trump-backed Republican Ed Gallrein and Democrat Melissa Strange. How do you think your fellow Democrat can win this district? And do you have any words for her?

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“I think she needs to run and run hard. Admittedly, it’s a tough district. The one most likely to flip is the sixth congressional district, but anybody who puts their name on the ballot, I truly respect. And she’s out there trying to win over voters. I do think that this district will flip and flip over time, especially when the big ugly bill starts closing rural hospitals. When people see how many people have lost food assistance, now you have more kids and more seniors going hungry. The administration we have in D.C. is cruel. It doesn’t see people as people, and it causes suffering. And so, when people are elected that support that type of cruelty, people start noticing that, and hopefully changing their minds.”

— Andy Beshear

Jakob Staley: What do you say to young Kentuckians, like those who go to NKU, who feel disenchanted with politics, but are going to be responsible for taking over Washington at some point?

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“If you feel that Washington is broken, then do something about it. The very first thing you got to do is vote. Yes, the government, this federal government, is as corrupt as I’ve ever seen. Congress isn’t doing its job. The Supreme Court doesn’t seem to be willing to uphold the rule of law, but that’s when people need to speak up and out the most. And the number one thing is voting. Yes, posts that generate 1000s of likes are great, but if it doesn’t get people to the polls, it’s not enough. So I would encourage people to get involved. You can volunteer on campaigns, run, and at least my solution is it’s time for a fix the darn country constitutional amendment. We need to outlaw partisan gerrymandering and put parts of the Voting Rights Act directly into the Constitution. We need to overturn Citizens United and get dark money out of politics. We need to ban stock trading by Congress and by the courts. We need to have direct election of the president and vice president, so we’ll see people in Kentucky. Those are just some of the steps that we need to take. And the last one, we call it the McConnell Amendment. We need term limits on Congress and on the Supreme Court.”

— Andy Beshear

Jakob Staley: Kids, college students, and young adults, do you have advice for them to get their voices heard in this political climate?

Erin Senn: What do you wish students, specifically college students, would know about absentee voting and mail-in voting?

Beshear also spoke about his new book “Go and Do Likewise: How We Heal a Broken Country,” which will be released in late September. He said he believes Northern Kentucky college students will enjoy it and that it helps to find light in this darkness; the book also talks about how the U.S. can get past being such a divided country.

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