By McKenna Horsley | Politics reporter
We already have 2027 on our minds.
Rocky Adkins, now former senior adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear, left the position last week. The move comes as rumors indicate Adkins could be planning a run for governor next year.
But before that, politicos will travel to West Kentucky next month for the annual Fancy Farm Picnic. Organizers have released a list of those planning to speak so far.
Plus, Democratic governors are objecting to changes to the federal grantmaking process.
Rocky Adkins speaks with Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams before the State of the Commonwealth address at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Arden Barnes for the Kentucky Lantern)
By McKenna Horsley and Tom Loftus
Rocky Adkins, a former Kentucky Democratic House floor leader, has left his role as Gov. Andy Beshear’s senior adviser. The move comes as he is a rumored candidate for governor next year. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman’s campaign has raised $303,000 since her April launch.
A sign next the the grounds for the annual Fancy Farm Picnic thanks visitors for coming to the West Kentucky town. (Photo by McKenna Horsley/Kentucky Lantern)
By McKenna Horsley
A few Kentucky politicians — mostly Republicans — have confirmed they will be speaking at this year’s Fancy Farm Picnic next month. The annual barbecue church picnic has become a longstanding Kentucky tradition for elected officials and campaigning hopefuls.
White House budget director Russell Vought speaks with reporters inside the U.S. Capitol in 2025. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget, under Vought, has proposed a new rule that would overhaul the federal grantmaking process, worrying Democratic governors. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris
A coalition of 23 state governors and the governor of Guam, all Democrats, submitted a joint comment to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget objecting to a proposed rule that would drastically change the federal grantmaking process, saying it threatens programs related to maternal health and reproductive care.
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