Former Kentucky House leader and senior advisor to Gov. Andy Beshear, Rocky Adkins announced Tuesday that he is running for governor in 2027.

Adkins, 66, is a Sandy Hook native who represented Eastern Kentucky in the state House for more than three decades, serving as House Majority Leader from 2004 to 2017 before becoming Minority Leader through 2019. That year, he ran for governor himself, finishing second to Beshear in the Democratic primary. Following his loss, Adkins joined the Beshear administration as a senior advisor — a role he held until stepping down on July 10.

“Life is too hard for too many Kentuckians, and it does not have to be that way,” Adkins said in a campaign ad also released Tuesday. “People are working hard and doing their part. They deserve a government that does its part, too. For the past six years, we have worked to build a government that serves the people. I am running to make sure that work continues.”

Related: Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman announces run for governor

A Morehead State University graduate and former college basketball player, Adkins has spent much of his public life focused on Eastern Kentucky — pushing for education funding, Medicaid expansion, and pension reform.

Adkins is also a cancer survivor who has raised more than $2.3 million for cancer research through his annual charity golf tournament.

He enters a Democratic primary field that already includes Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman. No Republicans have announced their run for governor yet.

Queer Kentucky will continue to monitor the race as the 2027 field takes shape.