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Comer says he’s planning on running for governor

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by Sarah Davis - 05/15/26 5:03 PM ET

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by Sarah Davis - 05/15/26 5:03 PM ET

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Kentucky Rep. James Comer (R) signaled this week that he intends to run for governor in the Bluegrass State next year.

“I plan on running for governor in 2027,” he told local outlet The Daily Independent on Thursday.

“It’s not official yet; it will probably be official somewhere around December,” he continued.

The GOP lawmaker was first elected to Congress in 2016, and he has chaired the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee since 2023.

As Oversight chair, he has overseen the committee’s probe into the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, subpoenaing powerful political and business figures to testify about their connection to the convicted sex offender.

Previously, he was Kentucky’s agricultural commissioner and served in the state’s House of Representatives. Comer also ran for governor in 2015, coming up short in the state’s Republican primary by less than 100 votes.

“The governor’s race is in 2027 and I’m very interested in that race. … Any day I’m not in Washington or my district, I’m stirring around the state,” he told the Independent on Thursday. “The response has been positive. I’m meeting new people and building an organization for 2027.”

The state’s term-limited Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear is barred from running again in 2027, leaving the door open for a new field of candidates on each side of the aisle.

Beshear has expressed openness to a presidential run, telling MS NOW earlier this month that he is “comfortable” being named among potential 2028 contenders.

If elected, Comer told the local outlet that he would work to improve the relationship between the GOP-led state Legislature and the governor’s office.

“I don’t feel like Andy Beshear has a good working relationship with very many Republicans who are local elected officials and with no Republicans who are in the General Assembly in this part of the state,” he said.

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