Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear reelected to second term in Kentucky, overcoming state's GOP dominance

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Source: AP

Updated 11:39 PM EST, November 7, 2023


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection to a second term Tuesday, notching another significant statewide victory in an increasingly red state that could serve as a model for other Democrats on how to thrive politically heading into next year’s defining presidential election.

“Tonight, Kentucky made a choice, a choice not to move to the right or to the left but to move forward for every single family,” Beshear told a raucous crowd of supporters in Louisville.

The governor withstood relentless attempts to connect him to Democratic President Joe Biden, especially his handling of the economy. Beshear insulated himself from the attacks by focusing on state issues, including his push for exceptions to the state’s near-total abortion ban that he said would make it less extreme. His reelection gave pro-choice advocates nationwide yet another victory since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

While Beshear kept Biden at arms-length during the campaign, he benefited politically from massive infusions of federal pandemic and infrastructure money pumped into Kentucky. Biden spoke with Beshear Tuesday evening to congratulate him on his re-election win.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-primary-governors-race-election-2023-e8df45cd3978ce5a1691ba447c84bafc

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Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has won reelection, notching a high-profile victory in a red state that could reassure his party heading into the 2024 election. Beshear defeated Republican Daniel Cameron, the state's attorney general.
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9:04 PM · Nov 7, 2023

Article updated.

Original article -

Updated 8:58 PM EST, November 7, 2023


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear won reelection to a second term Tuesday, notching another significant statewide victory in an increasingly red state that could serve as a model for other Democrats on how to thrive politically heading into next year's defining presidential election.

Beshear, 45, rode his stewardship over record economic growth and his handling of multiple disasters, from tornadoes and floods to the COVID-19 pandemic, to victory over Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a protege of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. In what could be a preview of how Democrats campaign in 2024, Beshear hammered Cameron throughout the campaign for his support of the state's sweeping abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

The outcome gives divided government another stamp of voter approval in Kentucky, as Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature and continue to dominate the state's congressional delegation, including both U.S. Senate seats.

Beshear's victory sustains a family dynasty that has repeatedly defied the Bluegrass State's tilt toward the GOP. His father, Steve Beshear, is a popular former two-term governor. By the end of Andy Beshear's second four-year term, a Beshear will have presided in the Kentucky governor's office for 16 of the last 20 years.