November 6, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – Kentucky’s incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin is refusing to concede last night’s election to Attorney General Andy Beshear, after the Democrat candidate came out narrowly ahead.
With 100% of precincts reporting, Beshear edged out Bevin 49.2% to 48.8%, with a difference of 5,150 votes between the two. Beshear declared victory Tuesday night, but Bevin did not give in.
“Would it be a Bevin race if it wasn’t a squeaker? I mean come on,” Bevin joked to supporters Tuesday night. “This is a close, close race. We are not conceding this race by any stretch.” He said that unspecified “irregularities” had to be examined first.
Bevin has until November 12 to formally request a recanvass of the vote totals. Assuming that doesn’t change the outcome, Beshear would be certified as the winner by November 25, at which point Bevin would have 30 days to formally contest the election results and seek a full recount.
Bevin made abortion a central issue of his campaign against Beshear, accusing him of accepting “blood money” from Louisville abortion center owner Ernest Marshall and of failing to defend pro-life laws in court. The American Principles Project also ran ads painting Beshear as a pro-transgender extremist, accusing him of supporting the so-called Equality Act, which the ad says “would destroy girls’ sports,” and of failing to support legislation that would protect parents’ right to refuse “medical” treatment such as hormone therapy for children.
While Bevin’s defeat (assuming it stands) marks a blow for pro-lifers and Republicans, the GOP’s success in the rest of the state’s races – particularly Republican Daniel Cameron’s 15-point victory to be the next Attorney General – suggest that it says little about President Donald Trump’s re-election prospects or broader national trends.
Republicans won every office on the ballot – except #kygov. Some unique candidate problems. GOP brand was fine elsewhere. https://t.co/ZEhqUrML6c
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) November 6, 2019
“President Trump’s rally helped five of six Kentucky Republicans win clear statewide victories, including Attorney General-elect Daniel Cameron, who will be the first black A.G. in Kentucky history and the first Republican to hold the office since 1948,” Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said. “The President just about dragged Gov. Matt Bevin across the finish line, helping him run stronger than expected in what turned into a very close race at the end. A final outcome remains to be seen.”