Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles will be running for governor in 2023 and hopes to earn the GOP nomination in order to challenge Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
There have been several names of top Kentucky officials touted as potential Republican candidates, and State Auditor Mike Harmon announced last year he’s running for the position. Quarles said he wanted to make sure his supporters knew he would be on the ballot.
“With the growing anticipation surrounding who will run for Governor in 2023, I wanted to leave my supporters with no doubt about my intentions,” he said in a Monday statement. “After a period of unprecedented political division in Frankfort, I want to unite Kentucky. I look forward to bringing my message of a shared vision of economic growth, investment in infrastructure and education, and less government intrusion in our lives, jobs, and schools to voters across the state over the coming months.”
He said for the next 16 days, he encourages Kentuckians to focus on supporting their chosen candidates in May’s primary.
“That said, I would like to invite everyone interested in a brighter future for our Commonwealth to the formal launch of my campaign on June 1 in Georgetown,” Quarles said. “Together, we will defeat Andy Beshear and move our state forward.”
Quarles was first elected to his current position in 2015 and he was re-elected in 2019. Under his leadership, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) started several new programs, including initiatives to combat hunger and connect Kentucky farmers to new markets.
He has served as President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), as President of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA), and as Chairman of the Republican Agriculture Commissioners Committee (RACC).
Quarles graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2006 with three undergraduate majors and two graduate degrees. In 2008, he graduated with a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University. He received his law degree from the University of Kentucky and a doctorate in higher education from Vanderbilt University in 2018.
From 2010 to 2014, Quarles served as a member of the House of Representatives. A native of Scott County, he grew up on his family’s farm in central Kentucky, an area where they have lived and farmed for more than 200 years.
