Until 2023, Mike Harmon has a tough line to toe.
On one side, he’s the state’s auditor — tasked over these last two terms to maintain transparency of taxpayer dollars while working toward ethical, efficient and effective ways to maintain the Commonwealth’s fiscal accountability.
On the other, he was one of the first Republicans to throw his hat in the ring for the governor primary in 2023, in what could be a tenuous race against incumbent Andy Beshear.
During Tuesday’s visit with the Cadiz Rotary Club, Harmon harbored the role of auditor under the Beshear administration — discussing the painful issues of unemployment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost-saving measures recently implemented for county audits, and the recent focus for improved specialized testing in specific state jobs.
In a discussion with the club, Harmon noted the job of state auditor, while aspiring for the governor’s seat, must be kept separate at all times — and particularly after a critical session with the Kentucky General Assembly and a biennium budget from Beshear’s office.
Following the meeting, however, Harmon was able to relate on some of the finer details in running for governor.
Having already visited numerous parts of the state along the campaign trail, Harmon said he’s heard several questions and concerns from the state’s citizens — widely varying from Beshear’s COVID-19 policies, the parental involvement in the at-home education process, all the way to Kentucky’s continued momentum toward the removal of a state income tax.
With Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles recently entering the governor’s primary and others like Kelly Craft and Attorney General Daniel Cameron hinting at doing so, Harmon added that the possibility for division within the state’s Republican party needs to be limited if there’s going to be success against Beshear and the Democratic party.
He also noted that despite Beshear’s recent approval ratings — highest in the country among Democratic governors at 58% — the underdog can certainly win.
Not everything was serious from Harmon, though. He said he plans, once again, to attended the Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County — when it once again returns to the grounds of St. Jerome Catholic Church later this summer.
And a mathematics, statistics and theater graduate from Eastern Kentucky University, he opened with a joke touching all three subjects.
For more information about Harmon and his candidacy, visit mikeharmon.com.
