Sebastian Kitchen, who played an important behind-the-scenes role in Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's reelection victory, is stepping down from his state party job to assume a new role in the governor's administration, party leaders said Friday.
Morgan Eaves, another veteran of the Beshear administration, will succeed Kitchen as executive director of the state Democratic Party, the party said in a news release.
Kitchen has been hired as deputy secretary for the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, said cabinet Secretary Lindy Casebier.
Kitchen presided over the state party's operations during Beshear's successful reelection campaign last year.
He played a key role in building a statewide grassroots network, recruiting scores of volunteers who knocked on 1.4 million doors last year.
Beshear won a decisive victory over his Republican opponent, then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron, in one of the nation's most closely watched elections in 2023.
Kitchen took the helm of the state party in October 2021 as Beshear was formally launching his reelection campaign. Kitchen spent almost two years before that as Beshear's deputy communications director.
The governor on Friday thanked Kitchen for his “steady hand” at the state party and said he looked forward to working with Eaves again.
