Elections in Kentucky |
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A general election was held in the U.S. state of Kentucky on November 3, 2015. All of Kentucky's executive officers were up for election. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015.
Kentucky, officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. Although styled as the "State of Kentucky" in the law creating it, (because in Kentucky's first constitution, the name state was used) Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth. Originally a part of Virginia, in 1792 Kentucky became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States.
A primary election is the process by which voters, either the general public or members of a political party, can indicate their preference for a candidate in an upcoming general election or by-election, thus narrowing the field of candidates.
Incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office.
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Fifty-seven men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once before becoming ineligible for four years. Throughout the state's history, four men have served two non-consecutive terms as governor, and two others have served two consecutive terms. Kentucky is one of only five U.S. states that hold gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years. The current governor is Matt Bevin, who was first elected in 2015.
Steven Lynn Beshear is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was the 49th lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1987.
In Kentucky, gubernatorial candidates pick their own running mates and they are elected on shared tickets in both the primary and general elections.
The candidates for the Democratic nomination were Attorney General of Kentucky Jack Conway and his running mate State Representative Sannie Overly; [1] and retired engineer and 2014 Congressional candidate Geoff Young and his running mate Jonathan Masters. [2] Conway and Overly easily defeated Young and Masters at the primary election for the Democratic Party nomination. [3]
The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution.. Under Kentucky law, he serves several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor, the state's chief law enforcement officer, and the state's chief law officer. As the chief prosecutor, the Attorney General is the Chairman of the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council, which supervises the prosecutors of Kentucky. As chief law officer, he writes opinions to advise government officials and agencies concerning the law.. The Attorney General holds an ex officio seat on various Kentucky state boards and agencies.
John William Conway is an American politician from Kentucky. Conway is a member of the Democratic Party and was the 49th Attorney General of Kentucky from January 7, 2008 to January 4, 2016. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was the nominee for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district in the 2002 elections, narrowly losing to Republican incumbent Anne Northup.
Sannie Louise Overly is an American lawyer, engineer, and politician from the state of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, Overly is a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing the 72nd district. She was the Democratic caucus chair from 2013 to 2017, and is the first woman to serve in a leadership role in the Kentucky House. She was the Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 2015, and was elected chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party in 2016.
For the Republicans, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Matt Bevin ran on a ticket with Tea Party activist and 2014 State House candidate Jenean Hampton; [4] Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky James Comer ran on a ticket with State Senator Christian McDaniel; [5] [6] former Louisville Metro Councilman and nominee for Mayor of Louisville in 2010 Hal Heiner ran on a ticket with former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman and nominee for Kentucky State Treasurer in 2011 K.C. Crosbie; [7] [8] and former Associate Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court Will T. Scott ran on a ticket with former Menifee County Sheriff Rodney Coffey. [9] [10] Bevin held an 83-vote lead over Comer in the primary election, with both Heiner and Scott conceding. The Associated Press, referring to the race between Bevin and Comer a "virtual tie", did not called the race in favor of either candidate. In addition, Comer refused to concede and stated that he would ask for a recanvass. [11] The request for recanvass was filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office on May 20, 2015 with Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes ordering the recanvass to occur at 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28, 2015. [12] [13] Upon completion of the recanvass, Grimes announced that Bevin remained 83 votes ahead of Comer. Grimes also stated that should Comer want a full recount, it would require a court order from the Franklin Circuit Court. [14] On May 29, Comer announced he would not request a recount and conceded the nomination to Bevin. [15]
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, which along with the United States House of Representatives—the lower chamber—comprises the legislature of the United States. The Senate chamber is located in the north wing of the Capitol, in Washington, D.C.
Matthew Griswold Bevin is an American businessman and politician serving as the 62nd Governor of Kentucky since 2015. He is the third Republican elected Governor of Kentucky since World War II, after Ernie Fletcher (2003–2007) and Louie Nunn (1967–1971).
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Matt Bevin/Jenean Hampton | 511,771 | 52.52 | |
Democratic | Jack Conway/Sannie Overly | 426,827 | 43.82 | |
Independent | Drew Curtis/Heather Curtis | 35,627 | 3.66 | |
Total votes | 974,225 | 100.0 | ||
Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office. He instead ran for Governor.
Andrew Graham Beshear is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 50th and current Attorney General of Kentucky. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His father, Steve Beshear, served as the 61st Governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He is a candidate for Governor of Kentucky in the 2019 election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Whitney Westerfield | 96,581 | 53.38 | |
Republican | Michael T. Hogan | 84,364 | 46.62 | |
Total votes | 180,945 | 100.0 | ||
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Andy Beshear (D) | Whitney Westerfield (R) | Other | Undecided |
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SurveyUSA | October 23–26, 2015 | 798 | ± 3.5% | 47% | 35% | — | 17% |
WKU | October 19–25, 2015 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 36% | — | 22% |
SurveyUSA | September 22–27, 2015 | 701 | ± 3.8% | 38% | 38% | — | 22% |
SurveyUSA | July 22–28, 2015 | 685 | ± 3.8% | 40% | 33% | — | 24% |
Public Policy Polling | June 18–21, 2015 | 1,108 | ± 2.9% | 36% | 41% | — | 23% |
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Andy Beshear | 479,929 | 50.11 | |
Republican | Whitney Westerfield | 477,735 | 49.89 | |
Total votes | 957,664 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes was eligible to run for re-election to a second term in office. She had considered running for re-election, for Governor of Kentucky or for Attorney General of Kentucky. [28] [29] [30] She decided to seek re-election.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Democratic | Alison Lundergan Grimes (incumbent) | 131,640 | 73.25 | |
Democratic | Charles Lovett | 48,083 | 26.75 | |
Total votes | 179,723 | 100.0 | ||
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Alison Lundergan Grimes (D) | Steve Knipper (R) | Other | Undecided |
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SurveyUSA | October 23–26, 2015 | 798 | ± 3.5% | 50% | 37% | — | 12% |
WKU | October 19–25, 2015 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 46% | 35% | — | 19% |
SurveyUSA | September 22–27, 2015 | 701 | ± 3.8% | 46% | 38% | — | 15% |
SurveyUSA | July 22–28, 2015 | 685 | ± 3.8% | 46% | 40% | — | 12% |
Public Policy Polling | June 18–21, 2015 | 1,108 | ± 2.9% | 42% | 47% | — | 12% |
Gravis Marketing | January 5–6, 2015 | 608 | ± 4% | 47% | 46% | — | 7% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Alison Lundergan Grimes (incumbent) | 493,598 | 51.16 | |
Republican | Steve Knipper | 471,209 | 48.84 | |
Total votes | 964,807 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold | ||||
Incumbent Democratic State Auditor Adam Edelen had considered running for Governor in 2015, even lining up a running mate, but ultimately declined to do so. He instead ran for re-election to a second term in office. [39]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Adam Edelen (D) | Mike Harmon (R) | Other | Undecided |
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SurveyUSA | October 23–26, 2015 | 798 | ± 3.5% | 42% | 34% | — | 22% |
WKU | October 19–25, 2015 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 40% | 35% | — | 25% |
SurveyUSA | September 22–27, 2015 | 701 | ± 3.8% | 35% | 33% | — | 27% |
SurveyUSA | July 22–28, 2015 | 685 | ± 3.8% | 35% | 31% | — | 30% |
Public Policy Polling | June 18–21, 2015 | 1,108 | ± 2.9% | 33% | 39% | — | 27% |
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Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Republican | Mike Harmon | 486,741 | 51.94 | |
Democratic | Adam Edelen (incumbent) | 450,316 | 48.06 | |
Total votes | 937,057 | 100.0 | ||
Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Incumbent Democratic State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office. He had said that he may run for another office in 2015, but did not specify which, and eventually declined to run for another statewide office. [33] He instead successfully ran for an open seat on the Jefferson County District Court, defeating 20 other candidates. [41]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Rick Nelson | 44,397 | 27.17 | |
Democratic | Neville Blakemore | 36,663 | 22.44 | |
Democratic | Richard Henderson | 32,914 | 20.14 | |
Democratic | Jim Glenn | 31,146 | 19.06 | |
Democratic | Daniel B. Grossberg | 18,284 | 11.19 | |
Total votes | 163,404 | 100.0 | ||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Allison Ball | 84,516 | 46.88 | |
Republican | Jon Larson | 55,712 | 30.91 | |
Republican | Kenny Imes | 40,039 | 22.21 | |
Total votes | 180,267 | 100.0 | ||
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Rick Nelson (D) | Allison Ball (R) | Other | Undecided |
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SurveyUSA | October 23–26, 2015 | 798 | ± 3.5% | 35% | 37% | — | 25% |
WKU | October 19–25, 2015 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 32% | 37% | — | 31% |
SurveyUSA | September 22–27, 2015 | 701 | ± 3.8% | 33% | 35% | — | 28% |
SurveyUSA | July 22–28, 2015 | 685 | ± 3.8% | 36% | 33% | — | 29% |
Public Policy Polling | June 18–21, 2015 | 1,108 | ± 2.9% | 32% | 41% | — | 26% |
Gravis Marketing | January 5–6, 2015 | 608 | ± 4% | 32% | 34% | — | 35% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Allison Ball | 571,455 | 60.63 | |
Democratic | Rick Nelson | 372,416 | 39.37 | |
Total votes | 943,871 | 100.0 | ||
Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
Incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner James Comer did not run for re-election to a second term in office. He instead ran for Governor, and was defeated by Matt Bevin in the Republican primary.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Ryan Quarles | 92,700 | 50.39 | |
Republican | Richard Heath | 91,273 | 49.61 | |
Total votes | 183,973 | 100.0 | ||
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Ryan Quarles (R) | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann (D) | Other | Undecided |
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SurveyUSA | October 23–26, 2015 | 798 | ± 3.5% | 40% | 33% | — | 24% |
WKU | October 19–25, 2015 | 770 | ± 3.5% | 37% | 30% | — | 33% |
SurveyUSA | September 22–27, 2015 | 701 | ± 3.8% | 34% | 31% | — | 29% |
SurveyUSA | July 22–28, 2015 | 685 | ± 3.8% | 33% | 32% | — | 30% |
Gravis Marketing | January 5–6, 2015 | 608 | ± 4% | 39% | 31% | — | 30% |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Ryan Quarles | 563,383 | 60.08 | |
Democratic | Jean-Marie Lawson Spann | 374,402 | 39.92 | |
Total votes | 937,785 | 100.0 | ||
Republican hold | ||||
A non-partisan special election was held along with the May 19, 2015 primary elections to fill the 7th district seat of the Kentucky Supreme Court. [61] The seat was vacated when Justice Will T. Scott resigned to run for Governor. [62] The winner of the election will serve the remainder of Scott's term, with the seat coming up for re-election next in 2020.
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
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Independent | Sam Wright | 40,676 | 51.85% | |
Independent | Janet Stumbo | 37,772 | 48.15% | |
Total votes | 78,448 | 100% | ||
The Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2007 was held on November 6, 2007. In this election, incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher lost to Democratic challenger Steve Beshear, who therefore began serving as Governor of Kentucky in December 2007 for a term through December 2011. A primary election to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor was held on May 22, 2007 in which Ernie Fletcher (Republican) and Steve Beshear (Democrat) won their respective primaries. Beshear's running mate, Daniel Mongiardo, was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky for that same time period.
The 2007 Kentucky elections for the statewide offices of governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor of public accounts, commissioner of agriculture, secretary of state, and state treasurer were held on November 6, 2007. All incumbents were reelected with the exception of incumbent governor Ernie Fletcher, who was defeated in his reelection bid for governor by former Lieutenant Governor Steve Beshear. In addition, Democrats held the open Attorney General and State Treasurer posts.
Eugenia Crittenden Blackburn "Crit" Luallen served as the 56th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from November 13, 2014, to December 8, 2015. Luallen previously served as Kentucky State Auditor.
The 2011 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 2011, to elect the governor of Kentucky and the lieutenant governor of Kentucky. Incumbent Democrat Steve Beshear won re-election, defeating Republican challenger David L. Williams, then the president of the state senate, and Gatewood Galbraith, an independent candidate. As of 2019, this is the most recent election in which a Democrat was elected Governor of Kentucky.
The state of Kentucky elected a Secretary of State on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Primaries for this election were held on Tuesday, May 17, 2011. In the general election, Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes defeated Republican Bill Johnson.
Alison Case Lundergan Grimes is an American lawyer and Democratic politician who is the Secretary of State of Kentucky since 2012. The youngest Secretary of State in the country and one of two statewide elected Democrats in Kentucky. Grimes was elected after defeating incumbent Elaine Walker in the 2011 primary election and Republican candidate Bill Johnson in the 2011 general election. She was the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate in 2014, unsuccessfully challenging Republican incumbent and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
The 2014 United States Senate election in Kentucky took place on November 4, 2014 to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
James Richardson Comer Jr. is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who currently represents the state's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. He previously served as the Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky from 2012 to 2016 and in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2000 to 2012.
The 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Governor of Kentucky. Incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear was not eligible to run for re-election to a third term due to term limits established by the Kentucky Constitution. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015. Despite being behind in most pre-election polls, Republican Matt Bevin won the election by approximately a nine-point margin.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in three states in 2015 as part of the 2015 United States elections. In Kentucky and Mississippi the elections were held on Tuesday, November 3, and in Louisiana, as no candidate received a majority of votes at the primary election on Saturday, October 24, 2015, a runoff election was held on Saturday, November 21. The last regular gubernatorial elections for all three states were in 2011. Democrats won the open seat of term-limited Republican Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, while Republicans reelected incumbent Phil Bryant in Mississippi and picked up the seat of term-limited Democrat Steve Beshear in Kentucky.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Delaware on November 4, 2014. Half of Delaware's executive officers were up for election as well as a United States Senate seat and Delaware's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on September 9, 2014.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Kentucky was held November 8, 2016 to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Kentucky, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primaries were held May 17.
Gerald G. Lundergan is an American businessman, politician and member of the Democratic Party from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1980 to 1985 and 1987 to 1989 and has served as Chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party on two separate occasions. He is the father of Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Secretary of State of Kentucky.
The North Carolina Council of State elections of 2016 were held on November 8, 2016 to select the ten officers of the North Carolina Council of State. This elections coincided with the presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the Senate and state elections to the General Assembly and judiciary. Primary elections were held March 15.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Kentucky were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the six U.S. Representatives from the state of Kentucky, one from each of the state's six congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on May 17.
The 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election will take place on November 5 to choose the Governor of Kentucky. Primary elections will occur on May 21, 2019. Incumbent Republican Governor Matt Bevin is eligible to run for reelection to a second term. Bevin has announced that he will run for a second term, choosing State Senator Ralph Alvarado as his running mate over incumbent Lieutenant Governor Jenean Hampton. Since the state's constitutional prohibition of governors serving consecutive terms was repealed in 1992, no Republican Governor of Kentucky has ever been elected to consecutive terms. The only Republican to run for reelection, Ernie Fletcher, was defeated by Democrat Steve Beshear in 2007.