The governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of government in Kentucky. Sixty-two 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 four others have served two consecutive terms,the most recent being current governor Andy Beshear,who was re-elected to a second term on November 7,2023. Kentucky is one of only five U.S. states that hold gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years.
Julian Morton Carroll was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Kentucky. A Democrat,he served as the 54th Governor of Kentucky from 1974 to 1979,succeeding Wendell H. Ford,who resigned to accept a seat in the U.S. Senate. He was most recently a member of the Kentucky Senate,representing Anderson,Franklin,Woodford,Gallatin,and Owen counties. He was the first Kentucky governor from the state's far-western Jackson Purchase region. Thelma Stovall,who served as lieutenant governor with him,was the first woman to be elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.
Anne Meagher Northup is an American Republican politician and educator from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007,she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives,where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee. She lost reelection to Democrat John Yarmuth in the 2006 election. She then ran for Governor of Kentucky,losing by 15 points to embattled governor Ernie Fletcher in the Republican primary election for the 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election. Prior to her election to the United States House of Representatives,Northup had served in the Kentucky House of Representatives. Northup ran again for her old congressional seat in the 2008 election,losing again to Yarmuth.
Ernest Lee Fletcher is an American physician and politician who was the 60th governor of Kentucky from 2003 to 2007. He previously served three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives before resigning after elected governor. A member of the Republican Party,Fletcher was a family practice physician and a Baptist lay minister and is the second physician to be elected Governor of Kentucky;the first was Luke P. Blackburn in 1879. He was also the first Republican governor of Kentucky since Louie Nunn left office in 1971.
Jerry Edwin Abramson is an American Democratic politician who was the 55th lieutenant governor of Kentucky. On November 6,2014,Governor Steve Beshear announced that Abramson would step down from his position as lieutenant governor to accept the job of Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Obama White House. He was replaced by former State Auditor Crit Luallen.
United States gubernatorial elections were held in October and November 2007 in three states. The final results were a net change of zero among the parties. Republicans picked up the open seat in Louisiana and reelected incumbent Haley Barbour in Mississippi,while Democrats defeated Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher in Kentucky.
The 2007 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held on November 6,2007. In this election,incumbent Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher ran for reelection to a second term,but was soundly defeated by Democratic challenger Steve Beshear. A primary election to determine the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor was held on May 22,2007,in which Fletcher and Beshear won their respective primaries. Steve Beshear's son,Andy,would also be elected to the same office 12 years later.
John William Conway is an American lawyer and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party,Conway served as 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.
Gregory D. Stumbo is an American lawyer and former speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party,he served as Kentucky attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was the Democratic candidate for the 2019 election for Attorney General.
John LaRue Helm was the 18th and 24th governor of the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky,although his service in that office totaled less than fourteen months. He also represented Hardin County in both houses of the Kentucky General Assembly and was chosen to be the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives four times. In 1838,his sole bid for federal office ended in defeat when his opponent,Willis Green,was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
James Dixon Black was an American attorney who was the 39th Governor of Kentucky,serving for seven months in 1919. He ascended to the office when Governor Augustus O. Stanley was elected to the U.S. Senate.
Steve Henry is an American politician and orthopedic surgeon who was the 52nd Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky from 1995 through 2003. He twice ran unsuccessfully in statewide elections,finishing third in Democratic primaries for the United States Senate in 1998 and for Governor of Kentucky in 2007.
William Bruce Lunsford is an American attorney,businessman,and politician from Kentucky. He has served various roles in the Kentucky Democratic Party,including party treasurer,Deputy Development Secretary,and Head of Commerce. Lunsford was the Democratic nominee for Kentucky's United States Senate seat in 2008,unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Mitch McConnell.
Irvin G. "Irv" Maze is an American lawyer who served as a judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 2012 to 2023. He is a former circuit court judge in Jefferson County,Kentucky (Louisville) and previously elected to three terms as county attorney for Jefferson County.
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.
As established and defined by the Kentucky Constitution,the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is composed of three branches:the Executive,Judicial,and Legislative.
The 2003 Kentucky gubernatorial election was held to elect the Governor of Kentucky on November 4,2003. Republican candidate Ernie Fletcher defeated Democrat Ben Chandler and became the first Republican governor of Kentucky in 32 years.
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.
The 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 3,2015. Incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits. Primary elections were held on May 19,2015.
Michael Gene Adams is an American politician who is a member of the Republican Party. He is the secretary of state of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He succeeded Alison Lundergan Grimes on January 6,2020.
