Bevin elected governor of Kentucky
Republican Matt Bevin was elected governor of Kentucky on Tuesday, beating out Democrat Jack Conway.
The Associated Press called the election for Bevin, a Tea Party darling who had previously been best known for his primary challenge of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in 2014.
{mosads}Bevin will replace outgoing Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat who was ineligible to run again due to term limits. He becomes just the second Republican governor in the Bluegrass State in four decades.
Bevin campaigned on a pledge to reduce Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion.
Bevin’s victory gives the GOP control of Kentucky’s executive branch as well as state Senate. Democrats still control the state House.
Conway, Kentucky’s attorney general, was the Democratic nominee for Senate in 2010, losing to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Conway conceded defeat at the Frankfort Convention Center on Tuesday night, telling supporters he will respect the result, and that he called Bevin to congratulate him.
“It was a cordial phone call. I told him I remain positive about moving this state forward, and if he ever needed any assistance, this Democrat was at his disposal,” Conway said, according to the AP.
– Updated at 9:29 p.m.
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