Who won the election for Governor in Kentucky?
Kentucky has held a gubernatorial election, with incumbent Democrat governor Andy Beshear defeating Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Kentucky voters have trooped to the polls to vote for their governor, and they have chosen to re-elect the incumbent Democrat Andy Beshear. (Race called by the Associated Press.)
With more than 95% of the votes tallied, Governor Beshear continued to hold the lead over Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. This margin is considerably bigger than the one he had against his opponent in the last election.
| Andy Beshear (Incumbent) | Daniel Cameron |
|---|---|
| Democrat | Republican |
| 52.5% | 47.5% |
| 693,581 votes | 627,440 votes |
Beshear became Kentucky governor in 2019 with a very narrow lead of only 5,000 votes, giving Democrats control of the historically Republican state.
The Democrat incumbent
Beshear is one of a handful of Democrats to be voted into leading a state that chose Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The incumbent governor’s political affiliation did not prevent him from enjoying high approval ratings. His constituents are satisfied with his performance as a leader during the covid-19 pandemic and several natural disasters in the state, while also focusing on the state’s economic growth.
The Republican challenger
Beshear’s bid for re-election was challenged by Republican Attorney General Cameron, who has defended Kentucky’s ban on abortion. He was supported by former president Donald Trump when he ran for the party nomination. Had he won, he would have been the state’s first black governor.
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The five most recent Kentucky gubernatorial elections before this year’s race have seemingly been bellwethers for the presidential election the following year.
— The Hill (@thehill) November 8, 2023
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Abortion was a key issue
One topic that took center stage during the campaign was that of abortion. Beshear bore down on the anti-abortion views of his opponent in debates and TV ads. The governor campaigned on protecting abortion rights, although he has no power to overturn the state’s near-total ban.