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President Donald Trump and then-candidate for attorney general Daniel Cameron in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 4, 2019.
President Donald Trump and then-candidate for attorney general Daniel Cameron in Lexington, Ky., on Nov. 4, 2019.Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

Cameron reiterates Trump endorsement as Kentucky governor primary approaches

Kentucky Republicans are two weeks away from picking their nominee to run against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is doubling down on his endorsement from former President Donald Trump as the Republican looks ahead to this month's gubernatorial primary.

On Monday morning Cameron tweeted a video from Trump where the former president touted his past political victories in Kentucky, saying, "What I do and what I say is very, very special."

"Daniel Cameron is a person who is going to be a great governor," Trump said.

"He's a good man, he's a friend, he's loyal and he loves the Commonwealth of Kentucky. ... I just want to let you know that at such an important place, it's very important to get it right and you're getting it right with Daniel Cameron," Trump added.

Trump endorsed Cameron almost one year ago, and his decision to reiterate his "complete and total endorsement" comes as Cameron's top rival in the primary contest, former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft, has sought to highlight her own ties to Trump.

Craft and her allies have regularly touted her service in the Trump administration on the campaign trail and on the airwaves, with Craft dropping a new Trump-focused ad Monday calling him "so effective."

"He was a businessman, not a politician. A man of action who got things done," Craft says of Trump, before saying that Kentucky needs an "outsider" who "isn't owned by the establishment."

The ad ends with a split screen with Craft on one side and Trump on the other.

Cameron and Craft appear to be the top candidates in the mix ahead of the May 16 primary where GOP voters will choose who they want to face off against Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.

Craft's campaign has blanketed the airwaves with more than $5 million in ad spending, 10-times more than Cameron (outside groups supporting each candidate have spent at about an even $1.5 million), according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact.

A new poll from the pro-Cameron Bluegrass Freedom Action released Monday shows Cameron leading Craft 41% to 22% among likely GOP primary voters, with Cameron sporting significantly higher name recognition than the rest of the field. The only other candidate in double digits is Ryan Quarles, the state agriculture commissioner (Bluegrass Freedom Action polled 545 likely primary voters last week by phone and has a margin-of-error of 4.6%).

But two weeks ago, a survey sponsored by a local media organization found the race far closer, with Cameron's lead over Craft just outside the margin of error.