(LEX 18) — When it comes to Kentucky's 2023 race for governor, votes won't be counted for a while. But fundraising reports will begin painting a picture of how the race is unfolding.
"We only get to count the votes one time in May and one time in November, but these fundraising reports come out periodically and that gives you a relative idea of who's getting the kind of support that it takes to win, where that support is, how much it is," explains LEX 18 Political Analyst Bob Babbage.
So what do the latest reports show?
For the GOP, they show Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles with an early fundraising lead. He raised more than $574,000 in just two months.
Behind Quarles is Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who raised more than $300,000 in a little more than a month. In third is state Rep. Savannah Maddox, who raised more than $110,000 in less than a month.
Other candidates are running for governor as well, while others are still considering a run too. State Auditor Mike Harmon, a Republican, was the first to jump into the governor's race. He announced he was running a year ago tomorrow (July 12). Over the 12 months, he's raised nearly $43,000.
"If this were a football game, we're not halfway through the first quarter," said Babbage.
Governor Andy Beshear's campaign reported its third straight quarter of raising more than $1 million. In total, the governor has raised $3.48 million since last summer.
