Democratic governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear has been reelected.
The Associated Press reports that Democratic Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky has been reelected by voters.
Republican state attorney general Daniel Cameron was defeated by Beshear.
The race had been widely watched as Beshear battled Cameron for the governorship in the deeply Republican state. Topics related to the culture war, access to abortion, and economic conditions dominated the discussion.
Cameron attempted to cross the finish line with the help of former President Donald Trump's backing and the strong disdain of President Biden among Kentuckians.
Cameron would have been the first Black governor of Kentucky and the first Black Republican governor of the United States since Reconstruction if he had been elected.
Beshear's unique political brand
Beshear's standing in a highly red state government hasn't affected his popularity one bit. According to a new Morning Consult survey, 43% of Kentucky Republicans support Beshear.
Beshear, 45, has succeeded in building a distinctive brand for himself. Many Kentuckians were aware of his family name even before to his initial candidacy in 2015. From 2007 to 2015, his father, Steve Beshear, held the office of governor of the state of Washington. He entered state politics in 1974.
Voters paid notice to and praised Andy Beshear for his leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, record flooding, ice storms, and terrible tornadoes.
In an unexpected move for a Democrat in the socially conservative state, Beshear, who emerged victorious in the 2019 governor's election, made expanding access to abortion a centerpiece of his campaign.
However, people in Kentucky have already demonstrated a readiness to oppose legislation that restricts abortion rights. Kentuckians voted down last year to include wording in the state constitution that would make it more difficult to challenge restrictions on abortion.
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the US Supreme Court last year, abortion has proven to be a popular subject for Democrats. Beshear concentrated on changing Kentucky's statute to include exceptions for rape and incest. As it stands, the law only permits abortions in cases when the mother is in immediate danger of dying or suffering irreparable harm.
The battle for governor this year has also been among the most costly in the state's history. Since the primary, the two candidates and the political action committees that backed them have spent over 59 million dollars, which is twice as much as was spent in the last gubernatorial election.
Voters in Kentucky have a tendency to gauge the mood of the country. The parties that have won six consecutive governor elections in the state have also mirrored the outcomes of the presidential election held a year later.
With Beshear's victory, the embattled party, which has previously held its own unwavering hold over the state, may have hope.
