FANCY FARM, Ky. — The "Comer for Congress" signs were hard to miss along KY-80. Dozens of them lined the eight-mile stretch between Mayfield and Fancy Farm over the weekend ahead of West Kentucky's famed political rally.
The region is home territory for U.S. Rep. James Comer, a Tompkinsville native and powerful Republican congressional representative who's running for reelection next year. But even after his opponent spoke on stage at the Aug. 2 Fancy Farm rally, most speakers looked past next year's race when Comer's name entered the conversation.
"My friends, aren't we ready to send a Republican back to the governor's mansion?" Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell asked the crowd. "Speaking of, I thank God every day for James Comer. But doesn't Governor Comer sound even better?"
The Comer contingent in the crowd roared in approval. And the representative was open with reporters afterward. He has a 2026 race to consider, and he'd be walking away from a high-profile role as chair of the House Oversight Committee. But a run to replace term-limited incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in 2027 is something he's "very interested" in exploring.
"I'm getting a lot of encouragement from people all over Kentucky, so it's something that we're looking very seriously at," he said, noting he has another run for Congress to tackle first. "... Just about every state legislator that's here today, even the ones as far east as Bell County, have said, 'We want you to run. We're all in for you.'"
Beshear has repeatedly shut down speculation he'll enter the race for retiring U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's seat in 2026, saying he isn't going anywhere while his second term is underway (with an exception for speaking engagements in other states, as he weighs a potential presidential run in 2028).
Meanwhile, the Democrats' bench to replace him appears thin. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman has not said what she plans to do when Beshear's second term ends, and Beshear special advisor Rocky Adkins' name is also frequently brought up as a potential contender.
Coleman had never held political office before joining Beshear's ticket and was trounced by longtime incumbent Republican state Rep. Kim King in her lone run for state office before then — a campaign for Central Kentucky's House District 55 in 2014.
Adkins, a former state representative, ran against Beshear in the 2019 primary, finishing second in the race with about 32% of the vote. He has remained close to the governor in the years since he took office, often appearing with him in the aftermath of natural disasters that have hit Kentucky.
Comer expressed skepticism that Adkins would be the nominee, citing previous stances — in 2019 he voted in favor of a bill to outlaw abortions immediately if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned, for instance — that may not be in line with Democrats in party strongholds such as Louisville and Lexington.
"Unless something happens, Jackie Coleman's the overwhelming favorite to be the Democratic nominee," Comer predicted.
Through a spokesperson, Coleman declined to comment on his remarks.
Coleman described herself as a "pro-life compassionate Democrat" during her 2014 campaign, though a representative in 2019 said she "does not believe politicians should impose their views on others" and believes in protecting reproductive rights. She called for the state to reopen abortion access in an op-ed last year.
At a Democrat dinner the night before Fancy Farm, Coleman touched on her absence at the political rally, saying she would not be at the event “partly because there are so many obvious jokes, but not much worth laughing about at this moment.”
“… Although I do hear of some races, like in 2027, that might bring me back to the Fancy Farm stage,” she said.
With Democrats a rare sight over the weekend at Fancy Farm — Comer's opponent, John "Drew" Williams, was the only one to take the stage — Comer was the talk of the small West Kentucky town.
U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell praised his work in the nation's capital, where he's served in the House of Representatives since late 2016 after four years as Kentucky's agriculture commissioner, calling him a "great congressman."
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, one of three Republicans running for McConnell's seat who spoke at the event, said the region will "have no better friend this side of Jamie Comer when it comes to supporting West Kentucky in the United States Senate," if Barr is elected to the chamber next year.
As chair of the House Oversight Committee, Comer has led probes into former President Joe Biden and his family members, though critics have argued he's spent more time building his own profile than helping constituents in Kentucky and has chased conspiracy theories over legitimate investigations. He jokingly gave Williams an "endorsement from Joe Biden, signed by the autopen" during his Fancy Farm speech, a nod to the committee's ongoing inquiry into the former president's mental state during his time in office.
Comer acknowledged that role has given him a leg up in name recognition, which would help in a year when the presidential race isn't on the ballot.
"The governor's race is in an odd election year, and what happens is Louisville and Lexington and that triangle area, they have a big turnout, and the rural areas don't turn out because they don't have a connection to that candidate," Comer told reporters. "I believe I'm pretty well-known in rural America.
"Rural America's conservative. Rural Kentucky's conservative. They watch a lot of conservative media outlets. I'm on Fox News and Newsmax a lot. ... There's a craving in this state for a conservative Republican governor, and that's why I think people are reaching out to me."
State Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, said his fellow Western Kentucky native is the "odds-on favorite" to win the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2027, "even though he hasn't announced yet."
"I'm going to 100% support Jamie Comer in whatever he decides to do, but especially in the governor's race," Meredith told The Courier Journal. "I don't think there is anybody that's more qualified for the position, and I don't think there's anybody who can have more electoral success at it on our side of the aisle. ... He loves Kentucky, he loves Western Kentucky, and we would love to have a governor like him."
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman said Comer is "getting it done in Washington, D.C." But will he trade that seat for a chance to call the governor's mansion home?
"It's going to be another year before that decision," Comer said. "... But I am humbled that we're getting so much support from people all over the state."
More: On stage with Senate candidates, McConnell — and his legacy — looms large at Fancy Farm
Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: James Comer weighs leaving powerful House seat to run for KY governor
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