steven lynn steve beshear born september 21 1944 is an american attorney and politician who has been the 61st governor of kentucky since 2007 beshear previously served in the kentucky house of representatives from 1974 to 1979 was the states attorney general from 1980 to 1983 and was the 49th lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1987 he is a member of the democratic party beshear is not eligible to run for reelection again in 2015 due to term limits established by the kentucky constitutionafter graduating from the university of kentucky college of law in 1968 beshear briefly practiced law in new york before returning to kentucky and being elected to the state legislature where he gained a reputation as a consumer advocate he parlayed that reputation into a term as attorney general serving under governor john y brown jr as attorney general beshear issued an opinion that copies of the ten commandments would have to be removed from the walls of the states classrooms in the wake of the us supreme courts decision in stone v graham he also clashed with first lady phyllis george brown when he opposed the practice of charging an admission fee for visitors to view the renovated governors mansion in 1983 beshear was elected lieutenant governor in the administration of governor martha layne collins his most significant action in this capacity was the formation of the kentucky tomorrow commission a panel charged with making recommendations for the future of the statebeshears initial rise to political prominence was interrupted in 1987 when he finished third in a fivecandidate democratic gubernatorial primary election the beshear campaigns sparring with that of former governor brown the secondplace finisher in the primary opened the door for political novice wallace wilkinsons wellfinanced campaign to achieve a comefrombehind upset in the race for the next 20 years beshear practiced law at a lexington law firm his only foray into politics during this period was an unsuccessful challenge to senator mitch mcconnell in 1996 in 2007 however beshear was drawn back into politics by the vulnerability of incumbent republican governor ernie fletcher whose administration was under extended investigation by thenattorney general greg stumbo over violations of the states merit system in the 2007 gubernatorial election beshear emerged from a sixcandidate democratic primary largely on the strength of his pledge to expand casino gambling to further fund social programs like education and defeated fletcher in the general election beshear won reelection in 2011 defeating republican david l williams and independent gatewood galbraith