In wake of floods, typical barbs at Kentucky political event

FANCY FARM, Ky. — While Kentucky Gov. GOP candidates speaking at the Fancy Farm picnic in western Kentucky bashed the Democratic governor’s record earlier in this term, especially his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Today I’m at our state parks, spending time with our eastern Kentucky families who have been displaced from the catastrophic flooding,” Beshear posted on social media. GOP gubernatorial hopeful Ryan Quarles referred to Beshear as the “shutdown governor.” “He shut down our economy,” said Quarles, the state’s agriculture commissioner. Elridge praised Beshear’s efforts in leading recovery efforts in tornado-ravaged western Kentucky and said he’ll do the same for flood victims in the state’s Appalachian region.