March 11, 2023 - Gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft took aim at Attorney General Daniel Cameron for “doing nothing to stop” President Joe Biden’s “radical environmental agenda” in a new pro-coal TV ad released Friday morning.

Her ad pushes the importance of Kentucky’s energy industry as one of her focuses, with her saying Biden is to blame for closing coal-fired power plants and “career politicians” like Gov. Andy Beshear and Cameron “have done nothing to stop it.” 

“Kentucky’s energy industry is one of our strategic advantages as we fight for the jobs of the future. Low-cost electricity generation employs thousands of people, powers millions of homes and generates billions in economic activity. It’s despicable that when Governor Beshear and Daniel Cameron had the opportunity in 2021 to prevent the early closure of the Mitchell power plant that serves Eastern Kentucky, they failed to do so,” Craft told ABC 36 in a statement.

Cameron, also in a statement to ABC 36, bashed Craft’s ad, saying in part that utility rates would go up under her plan:

“Is Kelly Craft running for Governor of West Virginia? The coal plant she’s referring to in her flailing attack is a West Virginia plant. It provides no economic value to the Commonwealth, it appears none of the plant’s workers live in Kentucky, and it contributes no tax revenue to Kentucky communities”, said Cameron Strategist Brandon Moody. “Moreover, utility rates would go up under Craft’s plan to have Kentuckians pay for the plant’s improvements. Kelly is free to hop on her fancy private jet (paid for by coal mining profits) and run for Governor of Oklahoma or West Virginia if she wishes. But if you’re going to advocate for Kentucky you might want to, oh I don’t know, advocate for Kentucky jobs and Kentucky ratepayers over those in West Virginia.

We expect more of these lies to come since Kelly’s $2 million and counting from her and her attack PAC has produced zero results for her campaign. She’s only going to grow more desperate.”

Craft launched her campaign for governor in September 2022; Cameron launched his in May 2022.