In an election that saw no other Democrat come close to victory, Governor Andy Beshear drew support from across the political spectrum to win re-election to a second term.
The most popular Democratic governor in the country significantly outperformed his 2019 results, winning red county after red county. In 2019, he beat Matt Bevin by about 5,000 votes; against AG Daniel Cameron, that margin ballooned to 67,000 votes, for a 52.5% to 47.5% victory.
Beshear’s campaign focused on unifying the state, while Cameron’s focused on Beshear (and President Biden). Combined with Beshear’s leadership over the past four years, it proved to be a winning message, gaining him votes from not only his Democratic base, but also from Republicans across the state.
In contrast, Cameron’s attempts to portray Beshear as some sort of wild-eyed “woke” liberal fell flat outside of his MAGA base. His Trump endorsement, which he touted to the very end, may have actually cost him votes among independents and non-MAGA Republicans.
The proof is in the maps
In county after county, Beshear outperformed all the other Democrats, winning votes across the board. Take a look at these contrasting maps.
Here is the map of the governor’s race:
And here is the map of the race for attorney general:
Outside of Louisville and Lexington, Beshear won these counties:
Andy Beshear showed that solid leadership, a positive vision for the future, and a well-run campaign can lead to a Democratic win in a very Republican state.
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