Kentucky Republican legislator backs Democratic challenger over GOP governor who 'failed miserably'

Kentucky GOP Gov. Matt Bevin

On Monday, veteran GOP state Sen. Dan Seum crossed party lines and endorsed Kentucky Democrat Andy Beshear over Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. Seum, who represents part of Louisville and suburban Bullitt County, was originally elected to the legislature as a Democrat in the 1980s, but he’s hardly been a moderate during his time in office. Seum and another senator gave Team Red control of the upper chamberfor the first time ever in 1999 by switching parties, and he was a member of the GOP’s Senate leadership until this year.

Seum has also largely supported Bevin’s agenda, and he continued to support his pension bills as recently as this month. However, the senator made it clear Monday how little he liked his fellow Republican, declaring, “Today, we have a governor who has failed miserably in the pension issue and has spent the last year running around the state insulting everyone, including the four teachers in my family.”

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