Author

McKenna Horsley

McKenna Horsley

McKenna Horsley covers state politics for the Kentucky Lantern. She previously worked for newspapers in Huntington, West Virginia, and Frankfort, Kentucky. She is from northeastern Kentucky.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

What you need to know to vote in Kentucky today

By: - November 7, 2023

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, as Kentuckians decide their constitutional officers, including who will be governor, for the next four years. Voters must present a photo ID. (There are provisions in the law for registered voters who lack a photo ID, including presenting other forms of identification and […]

Beshear and Cameron rally voters, make their final pitches across Kentucky

By: and - November 6, 2023

With hours left to make their cases to voters, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron spent Monday crisscrossing Kentucky and rallying their supporters to get out and vote.? Tuesday polls will open at 6 a.m. and voters will decide which candidate will lead the commonwealth for the next four years.? […]

More Kentuckians cast early votes as they decide between Beshear and Cameron

By: - November 6, 2023

More Kentucky voters took advantage of early voting this year ahead of Tuesday’s general election — which includes what will likely be a narrow governor’s race.? On Election Day, polls will open in Kentucky from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time. During last week’s early voting period, from Thursday to Saturday, more than 260,000 […]

Beshear and Cameron launch star-studded bus tours to make final pitch to voters

By: - November 2, 2023

With mere days left before Kentucky’s general election and as early voting begins, both Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Daniel Cameron are making final-hour pleas to voters across the commonwealth.? As they embarked on their respective bus tours, both candidates were joined by special guests to drum up support. […]

Student absenteeism up as Kentucky schools recover from some hard years

By: - October 31, 2023

Kentucky’s new School Report Card shows the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic on student learning. Interim Education Commissioner Robin Fields Kinney told reporters Tuesday that “a multi-year recovery period” will likely be needed “before school performance really gets back” to pre-pandemic levels. Kinney and other state education officials briefed reporters on newly released assessment […]

Coleman and Mills defend their running mates’ positions in KET debate

By: - October 30, 2023

LEXINGTON — Democratic Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and Republican state Sen. Robby Mills, who are the running mates of Kentucky’s gubernatorial candidates, faced each other Monday night in a debate on KET.? The debate is the only joint appearance between Coleman and Mills in which they can speak for their tickets ahead of the Nov. […]

Court: Texts about public business on officials’ personal cell phones can be public record

By: - October 27, 2023

The Kentucky Court of Appeals issued an opinion Friday morning that says messages on personal cell phones are public records when they are created or used by government officials for government business.? The decision comes in a lawsuit filed by the non-profit Kentucky Open Government Coalition against the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources […]

Education, environment, economy and more: Here’s where Beshear and Cameron stand on the issues

By: - October 27, 2023

For months, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and his challenger, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, have made their cases to voters about why they are better suited to lead Kentucky over the next four years.? Both candidates have held campaign stops across the commonwealth, spoken to organizations and met for five gubernatorial debates this October.? With […]

After five debates, Beshear and Cameron call on each other to answer questions directly

By: - October 24, 2023

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron pressured each other to clarify their views in their fifth and final debate ahead of the November election.? Tuesday’s debate, hosted by WKYT of Lexington and moderated by Bill Byrant, covered a range of issues between the candidates, including school vouchers, abortion, the government’s […]

Kentucky early voting starts this week. Tuesday last day to request a mail-in absentee ballot.

By: - October 23, 2023

Some of Kentucky’s voters will go to their local polling locations this week.? Excused in-person early voting begins Wednesday, Oct. 25, and will be held Oct. 25-27, and next week Oct. 30-Nov. 1.? Voters can find information, such as address and hours, for their local in-person early voting location on the State Board of Elections’ […]

‘Will you look at the camera?’ Beshear and Cameron clash in third debate

By: - October 21, 2023

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron clashed on abortion, education and the coronavirus in their third debate, continuing themes from their previous meetings. In his opening statement, Cameron again said that the governor’s race is about “crazy versus normal” and tied Beshear to national Democratic figures like President Joe […]

Who’s more qualified to succeed Cameron? Meet the candidates for attorney general

By: - October 17, 2023

Voters in Kentucky’s race for attorney general will choose between a former FBI agent who served as a federal prosecutor and a retired Air Force colonel and military lawyer who won a seat in the legislature.? The winner will succeed Republican Daniel Cameron who is running for governor. Russell Coleman, the Republican nominee who was […]