Former Kentucky Governor Julian Carroll dies at 92

The 54th governor of the state of Kentucky, Julian Carroll, died Sunday at the age of 92. The Democrat led the state from 1974 to 1979 before becoming a state senator from 2004 to 2021.

Carroll went down in Kentucky history for his reforms of the judicial and legal system during the 1970s. Following his term in office, the Kentucky Democratic Party was the subject of a corruption investigation, which threatened to impeach the then former governor.

It was his family and his closest associates who broke the news of his death on Sunday. Through a statement picked up by Stars and Stripes, his loved ones said, "As a family, it is with the heaviest of hearts that we grieve the loss of our beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His steadfast faith and positive outlook on life, his untenable and constant love for his family, and his giving heart and warm embrace will forever be missed."

Democrat and current Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear also mourned Carroll's passing, praising Carroll's professional and political career. Politicians on the other side of the aisle also saluted Carroll's lifelong career. Among them were Kentucky state House Speaker David Osborne and state Senate President Robert Stivers.