Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday there’s nothing wrong with his appearing with a state Senate candidate while distributing state and federal grants for local projects.

Last Thursday, Democratic candidate Robin Webb, who is running in a special election for the 18th Senate District, appeared with Beshear while he handed out grants in Greenup, Lewis and Mason counties, all in the 18th District.

Webb, currently a member of the House, represents Carter and Lewis counties, and it’s not unusual for state representatives of either party to come along when the governor comes to down bearing gifts.

But Republicans have criticized Beshear for using state resources to boost Webb’s candidacy against Republican Dr. Jack Ditty of Bellefonte in Greenup County and Independent Guy E. Gibbons Jr. of Argillite in Greenup County. On Monday, First Lady Jane Beshear announced a $1.3 million for horse camping sites at Carter County Caves State Resort Park, appearing with Webb at the state park.

“That’s part of a push on adventure tourism that’s been planned for some time and Carter Caves is one of the areas that can really benefit from that,” Gov. Beshear said Monday. The First Lady has been a proponent of adventure tourism to boost Kentucky’s economy, especially in eastern Kentucky.

Beshear said he did nothing differently last week in the 18th District than he or other governors routinely do across the state.

“These kinds of projects and grants have been ongoing since I became governor,” Beshear said. “On Wednesday we were in western Kentucky in several places with water and sewer project announcements and other types of announcements. We were in eastern Kentucky the next day. This is an ongoing effort by my administration to improve the quality of life for our people.”

Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson was less sanguine.

“We all know what it is,” Robertson said of Beshear’s appearances with Webb. “This governor is looking for ways to use taxpayer dollars to create earned media for a candidate.”

Roberson said Beshear should make public a detailed account of his and the First Lady’s travel on behalf of Webb and Webb’s campaign should reimburse the state.

The race in the six northeastern Kentucky counties could affect the balance of power in the state Senate which is now controlled by Republicans 20-16-1 and might get Beshear closer to passage of a key legislative wish – expanded gambling at horse tracks in the form of video lottery terminals.

Two days before Beshear’s visit, the Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate – Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell – toured parts of the district with Ditty. It’s not a routine thing for the country’s highest elected Republican to campaign in a state Senate district.

Beshear has been criticized in the past for using state trips to boost Senate campaigns of Democratic candidates in a special election in the 30th District and a regular election in the 9th District last year. Republicans won both races. And his predecessor, Gov. Ernie Fletcher, was criticized for arranging state travel to coincide with scheduled fundraising events.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.