Republican and former UN ambassador Kelly Craft enters crowded Kentucky governor’s race

Former United Nations ambassador under the Trump administration, Kelly Craft, announced this week that she will be joining the race as a Republican candidate for Kentucky governor.

Craft served as UN ambassador in 2019 after Nikki Haley resigned from the position in 2018. Prior to that she had served as US ambassador to Canada under Trump, the first woman to serve in the role. Since leaving the UN role, she has continued to serve on the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council.

This week, she announced her intention to run for governor and unseat incumbent Democrat Governor Andy Beshear. 

Craft made her announcement on Wednesday, Tweeting, “I’m Kelly Craft and I am running for Governor of Kentucky because I know our best days are ahead of us.”

She added a video touting her Kentucky upbringing and crediting her home state for her success, and says her faith and her values are a central part of her work as a politician. 

Craft joins the field as the fifth Republican candidate looking to oust Beshear. She will compete with State Auditor Mike Harmon, state Rep. Savannah Maddox, state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, and state Attorney General Daniel Cameron for the 2023 nomination.

While she has not yet officially landed the former president’s endorsement, it remains likely that Trump will back her campaign to unseat Beshear, whose gubernatorial victory in 2019 was a source of consternation for Trump after he had strongly backed Beshear’s opponent, Matt Bevin.

Craft has already secured the endorsement of Kentucky congressman Rep. James Comer, who told the Associated Press after her announcement, “I’m all in for her,” he said. “She has a work ethic that’s second to none. … And I’m pretty confident that within 30 days she’ll be at the top of the polling. And I feel like she’s got what it takes to close the deal and not just win the primary but become our next governor.”