LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Monday morning “there’s no question” that, if elected governor, he would sign a law adding exceptions for rape and incest to Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion.

The Republican nominee’s statement, made on the Tony & Dwight show on NewsRadio 840 WHAS, is a significant departure from his past position, which is to support the commonwealth’s ban as-is.

Following the reversal of Roe v. Wade last year, Kentucky’s trigger ban took effect, criminalizing abortion except when a pregnant person’s life is threatened. Concurrently, a fetal heartbeat law, or six-week ban, also became enforceable. That law outlaws abortion after fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.

The combination of both laws has led to a virtual elimination of abortion in Kentucky.

“If our legislature was to bring legislation before me that provided exceptions for rape and incest, I would sign that legislation,” Cameron said on the show. “There’s no question about that.”

The Herald-Leader asked the Cameron campaign about why and when the nominee changed his position, or if he’d proactively encourage the legislature to pass a bill with exceptions. The campaign issued a statement that did not specifically address many of those questions, but rehashed Cameron’s words while reaffirming support for the current law as well as the openness to supporting a change to its exceptions.

“Daniel Cameron is the pro-life candidate for governor and supports the Human Life Protection Act. But if the situation in Kentucky were to change and the legislature brought him a bill to add exceptions for rape and incest, he would, of course, sign it,” spokesperson Courtney Norris said in a statement.

Norris also contrasted Cameron’s position with Beshear, whom she called an “extremist” on the issue.

The radio show’s hosts asked Cameron about a recent ad from Gov. Andy Beshear’s re-election campaign, which slammed Cameron’s support for those bans.

In the ad, Erin White, a prosecutor in Louisville who most recently worked at the Jefferson County Attorney’s office, highlights her experience going after serious criminals before calling Cameron’s position on abortion unconscionable.

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