Beshear says he has raised nearly $700,000 for governor

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Democratic candidate for governor in Kentucky says he has raised nearly $700,000 since starting his campaign.

Attorney General Andy Beshear is seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2019. He announced his candidacy on July 9. Friday, Beshear said his campaign has raised $691,760 since then. That includes a $20,000 loan from Beshear. The campaign says it has $578,964 in cash available to spend.

Beshear hopes to challenge Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, who announced in August he will seek a second term in office.

Beshear could face several primary opponents, who have criticized him for starting his campaign too early and distracting voters from the midterm elections. Beshear says he and his running mate Jacqueline Coleman have supported Democratic candidates and local parties in 28 counties.