Kentucky Republicans retake state House

Kentucky Republicans have won a majority in the state House of Representatives, the last legislative chamber in the South where Democrats held control.

Democrats held a 53-47 majority going in to Tuesday’s elections. But by 8:50 p.m., five Democratic incumbents were going down to defeat, and several more trailed their Republican counterparts. No Republican incumbents trailed.

{mosads}Adding insult to injury for Democrats, state House Speaker Greg Stumbo was among those incumbents losing their seats on Tuesday. Stumbo conceded defeat to Republican Larry Brown just over an hour after polls closed.

The results represent a particular win for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who began his career as the lone Republican statewide elected official. Now, Republicans control the governor’s mansion, both U.S. Senate seats, the state Senate and all but one of the U.S. House seats in the Kentucky delegation.

“I got tired of being alone,” McConnell told The Hill of his three-decade quest to turn Kentucky red.

In October, McConnell transferred $150,000 from his leadership PAC to Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, a state-based political action committee run by his longtime political adviser Scott Jennings.

On Tuesday, McConnell claimed credit for shifting the state.

“Until tonight, Kentucky was the last state in the South with at least one legislative chamber under Democratic control. No longer,” McConnell said in a statement. “This is a historic win that will soon be felt throughout the Bluegrass State.”