Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won a second term Tuesday evening, beating Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron for the seat, multiple outlets projected.
Beshear led Cameron 53% to 47% at the time of writing, with 84% of the votes in, according to NBC News and CNN. Cameron’s campaign sought to portray the governor as too liberal for the red state, focusing on his record during the COVID-19 pandemic, on crime and parental rights in education, while the governor has criticized the attorney general for being too “partisan” and “extreme,” particularly on the issue of abortion.
“Tonight, our Commonwealth rejected anger politics and proved there is more that unites us than can ever divide us,” Beshear wrote in a tweet following his win. (RELATED: Dem Gov Outpaces GOP Opponent In Fundraising Just Months Ahead Of Election)
Beshear significantly outraised Cameron for the general election, with the governor bringing in a total of $17 million compared to the attorney general‘s $3.9 million since the two won their respective party nominations in mid-May, according to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 6: Republican candidate for Governor of Kentucky, Attorney General Daniel Cameron speaks to the press during a campaign event. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images)
Polling for the majority of the two-man race indicated Beshear was leading Cameron anywhere from 2 to 16 points, according to FiveThirtyEight’s survey compilation. An Emerson College poll released just days ahead of the election found the two men tied at 47%, with 4% remaining undecided and 2% choosing someone else.
Cameron has also campaigned on trying to tie Beshear to President Joe Biden, who is unpopular in the state, touting his endorsement from former President Donald Trump. In 2020, Trump handily won Kentucky, beating Biden 62% to 36%.
The governor was first elected in 2019 when he ousted incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin my a slim 5,000-vote margin. Beshear, the son of former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, previously served as the attorney general prior to Cameron’s election to the seat.
Cameron beat his Democratic opponent Gregory Stumbo by roughly 16 points in 2019. The attorney general overwhelmingly secured the Republican nomination for governor, beating the Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles, former Trump administration U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft and a long list of other GOP challengers.
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