Staff Report
Republican Matt Bevin pulled off an impressive victory over Democrat Jack Conway, the state’s attorney general, to become the next Governor of Kentucky — and provided coattails that nearly derailed the whole democratic ticket. Only incumbent Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes and an upstart with a famous political name, Attorney General candidate Andy Beshear, narrowly survived.
A surprising Democrat loss was Auditor Adam Edelen who was widely expected to take on GOP Sen. Ran Paul next year.
Bevin and running mate Jenean Hampton brought in over 52% of the vote to Conway/Sannie Overly’s nearly 44%. He becomes the first Republican to take the Governor’s office since Ernie Fletcher who left office in 2007 after one term. Before Fletcher the last Republican governor was Louie Nunn who left office in 1971
The independent candidates Drew Curtis and Heather Curtis drew only 3.6%, not enough to be called “spoilers.”
Voter turnout was low — 30.68%, or 982,259 voters of 3.2 million registered.
“This is not the result we were hoping for, but it is a result we respect,” Conway said in his concession speech.
In Boone County, which is traditionally a Republican stronghold, Bevin garnered more than 65 percent of the vote.
Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore said Bevin enjoyed strong support in the county and throughout the region.
“Every elected Republican helped him in Northern Kentucky, putting up signs and making phone calls and our margin tonight was a result of our hard work,” Moore said.
Moore said, Boone County, which is traditionally a donor county in Kentucky should be positioned to receive a more equitable portion of state funds in a Matt Bevin administration.
“I am very hopeful that we will begin to see our share of the revenues that we contribute so much of,” Moore said.
Boone County Clerk Kenny Brown, a strong supporter of Bevin in the Republican primary, said Kentucky values were on the ballot in the governor’s race.
“Traditional marriage was supported overwhelmingly in Kentucky in 2004,” Brown said. “When Judge (David L.) Bunning put Kim Davis in jail, I tweeted out that with zero percent of precincts reporting, Matt Bevin has just won the governor’s race. The coal issue and Matt’s support for Kentucky values is what defined this race.”
Bunning jailed Davis, the Rowan County Clerk, for four days in September for refusing to issue marriage licenses following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in support of gay marriage.
Brown also credits U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Vanceburg for spending the last few weeks on the ground in Kentucky getting out the vote for Bevin.
Brown said Bevin’s election is also a good sign for those opposed to tolls as a way to help fund the Brent Spence Bridge replacement.
“I think everybody can rest assured that that has been put to the grave for four years,” Brown said. “Bevin has committed not to toll the bridge over the Ohio River and will look for other ways to help alleviate the traffic problems between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.”
Campbell County was 54% for Bevin and nearly 42% for Conway; Kenton made it a clean sweep of Northern Kentucky with 57% for Bevin to 39% for Conway.
To see county-by-county results click here.
From the Secretary of State, unofficial results are:
Governor: Matt Bevin
Secretary of State: Alison Lundergan Grimes
Attorney General: Andy Beshear
Auditor of Public Accounts: Mike Harmon
State Treasurer: Allison Ball
Commissioner of Agriculture: Ryan F. Quarles
