Quarles pitches his vision for Kentucky if elected governor

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles spoke with West Kentucky Star on Monday to discuss why he's running for governor and what he hopes to accomplish if elected.

Quarles said he decided to run for the position to become a leader that unites Kentuckians. 

Spotlighting his two terms as agriculture commissioner, Quarles said he has worked with urban and rural Kentuckians to solve hunger, establish farmer's markets, and economic development.

He believes Kentucky is missing out on many opportunities because of leadership focused on taking credit for everything rather than sharing credit. Additionally, he claims that many issues are ignored under Governor Andy Beshear's leadership, such as expanding broadband internet access, access to health care in rural areas, and law enforcement.

Quarles said the pandemic magnified what many have known about Beshear for a long time.

"When he served as Attorney General, all he did was sue people." Quarles continued, "During COVID, he shut down Main Street, Kentucky, but the big box stores got to stay open. He even sent troopers to harass Christians on Easter Sunday. These are blatant violations of the Constitution."

Quarles pondered what the state might be able to accomplish if the governor and legislative leadership could meet before the start of a session and work together without constantly ending up in court.

He said the last governor to lead in such a way was Paul Patton.

"What we've seen over the past two decades is a governor and the legislature just not getting along. I think that's something I can assuredly do. People who know me know I can work with them. That's the way I was raised. That's the sort of leadership style that I have," Quarles said. "It's okay to disagree, it's okay to have a difference on policy, but let's just work together."

You can hear the complete interview with Quarles by clicking here.