Ashley Judd—the actress and potential Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate—will meet soon to with Gov. Steve Beshear to discuss the 2014 election, the governor said.Judd has been meeting with potential donors and supporters in the past several weeks, including some in Louisville,the Hill reports.For months, the Kentucky native has flirted with running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.Beshear and Judd previously spoke at the Bluegrass Ball during the presidential inauguration, the governor said.
"She's been trying to arrange and will be arranging more conversations here in the next month or so," Beshear said on Thursday.Despite that potential meeting, Beshear said he's not yet endorsing anyone in the 2014 U.S. Senate race, but did say he thought Judd would be a strong candidate."Well there are a number of people that are still talking about running for the U.S. Senate. And I think she would be a very serious candidate and I think there are others that would be also. But you know I'm going to encourage as many as possible to take a look at it and hopefully we can come up with the best candidate," Beshear said.Other potential candidates on the Democratic side include Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes. Owensboro carpenter Ed Marksberry has already filed to run as a Democrat in the race. Other Democratic Kentucky officeholders,including House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Auditor Adam Edelen, have been lukewarm to a Judd candidacy. There are also Tea Party groups who are recruiting candidates against McConnell in 2014.
