Former United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft is officially running for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s job in 2023.
She joined an already crowded Republican primary when she launched her campaign in early September. Here’s what to know about Craft, as she takes her shot at getting elected to this powerful position in her home state’s government.
She worked as an ambassador for former President Donald Trump
Craft served in Trump’s four-year administration, first as the U.S. ambassador to Canada and then to the U.N. Before that, she joined America’s U.N. delegation as an alternate delegate when former President George W. Bush was in office.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell recommended her for the U.N. ambassadorship, and she served in that role from mid-2019 until Trump left office in January 2021.
When she was the ambassador to Canada, Craft was involved in negotiations for a major new trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
She faced some scrutiny for spending a significant amount of time in the U.S. instead of Canada during her nearly two-year stint as a liaison to America’s northern neighbor.
She also got some criticism in 2017 when a Canadian TV network asked her if she believed in climate change, and she responded by saying: “I believe there are scientists on both sides that are accurate.”
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is real, is fueled by human activity and is intensely impacting environments in Kentucky and across the world.
More:Who’s in, who’s a maybe, who’s out: Our way-too-early look at 2023 Kentucky governor candidates
She’s a wealthy Republican donor
Craft has been involved in GOP fundraising for many years, long before she married coal-industry billionaire Joe Craft. For example, she co-chaired the Republican National Finance Committee and was involved in Bush’s reelection campaign in 2004.
She and her husband are major donors who’ve given a ton of money to conservative candidates and organizations within and outside Kentucky and who backed Trump’s bid for president in 2016. After Trump won, the duo was part of the incoming president’s inaugural committee.
More:How Trump’s pick for UN ambassador has deep ties to Kentucky Republican politics
She has never held elected office
If Kentucky voters choose her as their next governor, it would be Craft’s first time serving as an elected official. She was appointed, not elected, to both ambassadorships.
Craft’s opponents in the 2023 Republican primary for governor include several elected officials, including Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, State Auditor Mike Harmon, state Rep. Savannah Maddox and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.
She was raised in Kentucky
Craft grew up in the Barren County town of Glasgow, where her late father, Bobby Guilfoil, once served as chairman of the county’s Democratic Party.
She emphasized her upbringing in Kentucky and the lessons she learned from her dad in her first campaign video, saying she learned “his life was built on a promise.”
“From giving up our seat at the family table during supper to a tired farmer that came home with my dad because his animal needed veterinary care, to working on our homework late at night,” she said. “A promise that if you lived by your faith, worked hard, did right by your neighbor, here in Kentucky anything is possible.”
Morgan Watkins is The Courier Journal’s chief political reporter. Contact her at mwatkins@courierjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter: @morganwatkins26.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What to know about Kelly Craft, a candidate for Kentucky governor
