Conway spoke first and said Bevin can't be trusted.
“He said he always paid his taxes on time but that was a lie,” Conway said. “He said he never attended a cock-fighting rally but that was a lie. He said he wasn't hiding his finances but that was a lie.”
“When someone like Matt Bevin lies to us about the big things and the small things, we can't trust Matt Bevin to look out for us,” Conway continued. “Those lies may work for an east coast con man but they are not going to work here in Kentucky because what Kentucky families want and need is someone we can trust.”
Meanwhile, Bevin never mentioned Conway by name in his speech and spent most of his time trying to convince those in attendance that he's “just like you.”
“Like some of you, I'm a husband,” Bevin said. “Like some of you, I'm a father, in my case, of nine children. “Like some of you, I'm a military veteran. I am a neighbor. I am a friend, a mentor and a coach. I'm a sinner saved by the grace of God.”
“Like some of you, I'm the son of aging parents,” Bevin said. “Like some of you, I'm a brother and an uncle. And like all of you, I've chosen to make Kentucky my home, not by genetic happenstance, but as an intentional decision.”
According to the latest Bluegrass Poll, Conway leads Bevin 45 percent to 42 percent, with 13 percent of voters undecided.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Bevin and tried to link Conway with President Barack Obama, who's very unpopular in Kentucky. McConnell said there “isn't a dime's worth of difference” between Obama and Conway.
“Folks, if you loved two terms of Barack Obama, then you're going to love Jack Conway.” McConnell said. “But if you think we ought to put Kentucky on a different course, then Matt Bevin is the next governor of Kentucky.”
Governor Steve Beshear attacked Bevin for not releasing his tax returns.
“Ever since I ran in 2007, I've released my tax returns every single year because the public has a right to know whether you have a conflict of interest,” Beshear said. “Jack Conway has done the same thing. Matt Bevin has refused to release his tax returns and says it's none of your business.”
“Well, I have something to tell you, Matt,” Beshear said. “If you won't trust the public with your tax returns, the public won't trust you with the governorship.”
The Fancy Farm picnic started back in 1880 and is now the state's premier political event. It has come to represent the traditional starting point of the fall campaign season in Kentucky.
On the Net:
2015 Fancy Farm Speeches
