Judicial campaign watchdog group flags Kentucky governor, appeals judge for endorsement

Taylor Six, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jun 29, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — A judicial election watchdog group continues to raise concerns about partisanship creeping into Kentucky judicial elections.

The most recent example includes fundraising efforts by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear for current Court of Appeals Judge Will Moynahan, the group said in a June 27 news release.

The Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee, a nonpartisan Kentucky group, says Beshear helped raise money for Moynahan’s campaign, in direct violation of the state constitution.

Beshear in April 2025 appointed Moynahan to fill a Central Kentucky vacancy on the Court of Appeals created by Pamela Goodwine’s election to the state Supreme Court. Moynahan filed to run for a full term in December 2025. Fayette Circuit Judge Lucy Ferguson VanMeter is also running for the seat.

“Partisan politicians shouldn’t raise money for Kentucky judicial candidates, and judicial candidates should not use endorsements by partisan politicians, implied or explicit,” said Committee Chair Charles Boteler.

In a Sunday statement to the Herald-Leader, Boteler said Moynahan confirmed to the JCCC that Beshear was at his Feb. 25 fundraiser in Frankfort.

The group also said a picture of Beshear and Moynahan together displayed on the judge’s campaign website amounts to an implied endorsement.

The Kentucky Constitution requires that judicial races be non-partisan so that judges can remain impartial to issues they may be required to rule on.

Moynahan and Beshear did not immediately respond to the Herald-Leader’s request for comment Sunday.

However, Moynahan told the Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee that he welcomed support from all parties.

“I was honored when Gov. Andy Beshear appointed me to the bench last year, and I am proud to have his support in this campaign along with many others from across the political spectrum,” Moynahan told the Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee. “In my campaign, I am reaching out to Republicans, Democrats, and independents throughout Central Kentucky, emphasizing my record of fair, impartial, and combat-tested judgment.”

In June 2024, the watchdog group also flagged Beshear’s endorsement of Goodwine.

“The Executive Branch often appears before the Kentucky Supreme Court,” the committee said in its June 2024 letter to Goodwine. “This could present an appearance of conflict, if not actual conflict, for any justice who was supported by the sitting governor. While a justice may recuse from a case, the governor appoints the temporary replacement justice. So, we think members of the Executive Branch, especially the governor, should not be involved in judicial elections.”

The Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee has members from both political parties, and was created more than 20 years ago to safeguard the integrity of the judiciary in Kentucky elections.

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