Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY), the new chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, is hoping to take a page out of Kentucky‘s playbook and flip red gubernatorial seats blue in 2026.

In an interview with the National Journal, Beshear said he hopes to invest the DGA’s resources in unexpected states where there are “really good candidates” from a primary contest, as well as in states typically seen as red, such as Georgia, Nevada, and Iowa.

“I think you’re going to see us certainly competing in Georgia and in Nevada, but I also think you’re going to see us competing in places like Iowa. So I think that we have a number of places that people may think of as red states, but we’re going to be there,” Beshear said.

In Georgia, about a dozen candidates from the two parties have already declared their candidacy. Each of the primaries is expected to be a battle as the fields continue to grow. On the Democratic side, there are seven declared candidates, including former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Reps. Derrick Jackson and Ruwa Romman, and former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.

In Nevada, Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford appears poised to take on incumbent Gov. Joe Lombardo (R-NV) in what polls have shown to be a tight race. In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) has left the 2026 gubernatorial race wide open for new candidates to emerge.

Thirty-six states will hold gubernatorial elections in 2026. Beshear said Democrats will have success if they focus on everyday matters to help restore the American dream, giving a nod to Gov.-elects Abigail Spanberger’s and Mikie Sherrill’s affordability wins in Virginia and New Jersey, respectively.

“Tariffs are raising the cost of everything from the hardwood floor to the cabinets to the upholstery, raising prices of groceries, making life that much harder,” Beshear said. “And then the big ugly bill is going to magnify that 10- to 20-fold, with rural hospitals closing all over America and devastating rural economies. So Democrats have the lane, and Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill drove right down it, of being there for the American people right now, restoring that American dream of making life just a little bit easier, a little bit better.”

BESHEAR PITCHES VISION FOR DEMOCRATS AS RESISTANCE TOUR FUELS 2028 SPECULATION

Beshear, a Democratic governor in a state that went over 30 points for President Donald Trump in 2024, has been floated as a possible contender for a 2028 presidential run. Beshear said he thinks the next president should be a Democratic governor, explaining that governors focus on achieving legislative results.

“Rebuilding it is going to have to take someone who has run a large operation, a leader that can bring other leaders along with them,” Beshear said. “I think a lot of Cabinet secretaries will need to be governors, too. Why? Because they can bring leaders from the state level to help replace some of the agency heads that have been lost, with all the experience.”