Ad spending ramps up in Kentucky governor's race

Ad spending is ramping up in the Kentucky governor's race, with two GOP outside groups launching new ad buys as Democrats outspend them on the airwaves.

The November election is one of this year's top contests, with Republicans targeting Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in the GOP-leaning state. Beshear will face state Attorney General Daniel Cameron in November.

Kentucky Values, a group tied to the Republican Governors Association, reserved $409,000 on the airwaves, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact. Bluegrass Freedom Action, which bolstered Cameron in the GOP primary, is hitting the airwaves on Monday for the first time since that contest, spending $380,000 on a new ad buy.

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Kentucky Values' new spot ties Beshear to President Joe Biden, touching on issues of abortion and accommodations for transgender children.

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"The radical left has declared war on parents and Andy Beshear is with 'em," a narrator says in the ad, which later closes by accusing the governor of "putting liberal politics over parents."

The new buys come as Democrats have outspent Republicans on the airwaves by a three-to-one margin since the May 16 primary.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and an aligned super PAC have spent nearly $6.8 million since the May 16 primary. Cameron's campaign has spent virtually nothing on ads since he won the GOP nomination, while Republican outside groups have spent a combined $2.1 million.

Beshear's campaign also made a new $230,000 ad buy that is slated to start on Monday, per AdImpact. One of his recent spots touts Beshear's work on the economy, with a narrator saying, "Under Governor Beshear, Kentucky is a national leader in economic growth."