Chris McDaniel tours Kentucky to build support for constitutional amendment limiting governors’ pardon power

State Sen. Chris McDaniel is traveling across Kentucky this week to urge voters to support a constitutional amendment that would narrow governors’ pardon authority, particularly in the period surrounding elections, according to Kentucky Lantern. McDaniel, a Republican from Ryland Heights, said the effort is aimed at curbing what he characterizes as politically sensitive clemency decisions issued near voting dates.

The senator has repeatedly proposed the amendment in the Kentucky General Assembly for roughly seven years, Kentucky Lantern reported. His push comes after a recent wave of controversial pardons issued during the tenure of a former Republican governor, the outlet said, setting the dispute over how and when clemency should be exercised.

McDaniel’s campaign tour is intended to translate the long-running legislative effort into public support ahead of the ballot process, the outlet said. While the article describes his goal of building momentum with voters in multiple communities, it does not specify the exact timeline for the measure’s appearance on the ballot or the specific ballot language.

In his framing, the amendment is designed to limit the circumstances in which a governor can grant pardons so that clemency decisions are less likely to coincide with election seasons. The goal, as presented by McDaniel through his outreach, is to strengthen accountability and reduce the perception that pardons can be used to influence elections, particularly when public attention is already focused on political leadership.

The clemency power at the center of the debate is a constitutional and institutional issue rather than an administrative one. A change would require Kentucky voters to approve an amendment, which would then guide how governors use pardon authority under the state’s governing framework, Kentucky Lantern said. Supporters of limits typically argue the approach is aimed at maintaining order in the electoral process, while opponents could argue that governors need broad discretion to address individual cases.

Kentucky’s broader discussion of pardons and clemency has often centered on transparency and consistency, including how decisions are explained and how the timing of actions affects public confidence. McDaniel’s initiative adds an additional procedural focus on election-adjacent periods, seeking to put guardrails in the state constitution rather than relying solely on gubernatorial policy choices.

If voters approve a constitutional amendment, Kentucky would be required to apply the new constraints when governors consider clemency around election cycles. The practical effect would depend on the amendment’s final text, including any definitions, deadlines, or exceptions. Kentucky Lantern’s report describes the current push to secure that support, but it does not provide the amendment’s full provisions or the final procedural steps.

McDaniel’s trip underscores how a legislative proposal that has been circulating for years is moving into the public arena. With the vote still subject to the state’s required amendment process, his campaign this week is positioned as an effort to persuade voters that the state constitution should place limits on how and when governors can pardon in the run-up to elections.