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You are here: Home / Archives for KY-Gov

Bevin Wins Race for Kentucky Governor

November 3, 2015 at 8:09 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 150 Comments

Matt Bevin (R) soundly defeated Jack Conway (D) in the race for Kentucky governor, the AP reports.

New York Times: “In beating his Democratic opponent, Attorney General Jack Conway, Mr. Bevin surprised many in his own party, who believed that the climate in Kentucky was ripe for a Republican but feared that Mr. Bevin, a charismatic conservative with a go-it-alone style, was too far out of the mainstream and too inexperienced to win.”

Politico: “Bevin, a self-funding businessman who unsuccessfully challenged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a primary last year, overcame a funding disadvantage and Kentucky’s Democratic lean in state races to become only the second Republican to win a gubernatorial election since the early 1970s.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

The Bluegrass State Showdown

November 3, 2015 at 10:12 am EST By Taegan Goddard 18 Comments

First Read notes today’s marquee contest: Kentucky’s gubernatorial race between Jack Conway (D) and Matt Bevin (R).

“Back in the summer, we dubbed the race possibly the Last Obama War, because it largely hinges on this question: Whom do Kentucky voters dislike more — President Obama or the Tea Party? (Of course, we could also see this same dynamic play out in the Louisiana gubernatorial race on Nov. 21.) The Conway-Bevin race also has a lot at stake, too — the future of the state’s health-care exchange (Bevin says he will eliminate it), Rand Paul’s Senate seat in 2016 (if Democrats win, we bet you they’ll be emboldened to find a challenger to Paul), and Kim Davis and religious also have been issues in this race.”

Final polling places in Kentucky close at 6:00 pm ET (in the eastern part of the state) and 7:00 pm ET (in the central time zone).

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Conway Maintains Lead with Days to Go

October 29, 2015 at 8:05 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 6 Comments

A new Kentucky Bluegrass Poll finds Jack Conway (D) leading Matt Bevin in the race for Kentucky governor by five points, 45% to 40%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

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Conway Leads for Kentucky Governor

October 26, 2015 at 11:13 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

A new Big Red Poll in Kentucky finds Jack Conway (D) leading Matt Bevin (R) in the race for governor by five points, 45% to 40%.

Drew Curtis (I) trails in third place with 7%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Bevin’s Own Poll Shows Him Behind in Kentucky

October 16, 2015 at 3:42 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

An internal poll from Matt Bevin’s (R) gubernatorial campaign in Kentucky finds him trailing Jack Conway by three points, 44% to 41%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Conway Barely Ahead in Kentucky

October 9, 2015 at 10:25 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 19 Comments

A new Mason-Dixon poll in Kentucky gives Jack Conway (D) a slim lead over Matt Bevin (R) in the race for governor, 43% to 41%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Conway Has Lead for Kentucky Governor

October 1, 2015 at 3:35 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

A new Survey USA poll in Kentucky finds Jack Conway (D) leading Matt Bevin (R) in the race for governor, 42% to 37%, with Drew Curtis (I) at 7%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Is Matt Bevin Trying to Lose the Governor’s Race?

September 30, 2015 at 10:15 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 9 Comments

Sam Youngman: “The Republican candidate’s sometimes bizarre behavior, oscillations on major policy issues and lack of advertising have all combined to make Bevin one of Democrat Jack Conway’s top allies with a month to go until Election Day.”

“That might help explain Bevin’s ill-advised and jaw-dropping decision to show up at Kentucky Democratic Party headquarters on Friday to complain to the receptionist about the sign KDP has outside its building questioning Bevin’s trustworthiness. It was Bevin’s second trip to the headquarters to complain about the sign.”

“Conway has certainly not set the world on fire with his campaign, vague policy proposals or charm. And he has taken much criticism for his campaign strategy of focusing on fundraising instead of traditional campaign rallies. But Bevin seems to be working very hard to make Conway’s campaign strategists look like geniuses.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: Jack Conway, KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

Are Republicans Giving Up in Kentucky?

September 28, 2015 at 3:56 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 59 Comments

The Republican Governor’s Association has stopped running television ads for Matt Bevin (R) in Kentucky with a little more than a month to go until Election Day, the AP reports.

“The association has spent $3 million on six ads for Bevin, mostly attacking his Democratic opponent, Jack Conway, for supporting the policies of Democratic President Barack Obama… The move is a blow for Bevin, who has aired just one TV ad after spending more than $1 million of his own money to win a four-way Republican primary in May.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

Bevin Won’t Raise Money

September 14, 2015 at 12:15 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin (R), who is self-financing his campaign, “appears to be taking a pass on raising money for himself, saying in reply to the question about hiring that Kentucky hasn’t had a chance to elect ‘someone who is unencumbered by anybody and anything’ since Democrat John Y. Brown Jr. was elected in 1979,” the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

Said Bevin: “It is equally unnerving to Republicans and Democrats.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

Bevin Moves to Make Gay Marriage Key Issue of Race

September 2, 2015 at 12:46 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 91 Comments

Kentucky gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin (R) said that he fully supports County Clerk Kim Davis’ right to refuse gay couples seeking marriage licenses, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

Said Bevin: “I absolutely support her willingness to stand on her First Amendment rights. Without any question I support her.”

“The strong defense of Davis’ actions underscores how the GOP nominee hopes to make the fight over gay marriage a centerpiece of the 2015 governor’s race, which polling shows is a tight race between him and Democratic nominee Jack Conway.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign, Gay Rights Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

Bevin Declines to Endorse Paul

August 24, 2015 at 12:26 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 17 Comments

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) endorsed Matt Bevin (R) for Kentucky governor, but when asked later if he was backing Paul in his bid for the presidency, Bevin refused to say, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

Said Bevin: “At this point, I’m running for governor and that’s what my focus is on. I am delighted that Rand is running, I have made very clear that I’m a supporter of that idea. I’m running for governor, I have made no endorsement whatsoever.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin, Rand Paul

Conway Up Slightly for Kentucky Governor

July 30, 2015 at 6:11 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 34 Comments

A new SurveyUSA poll in Kentucky finds Jack Conway (D) with a small lead over Matt Bevin (R) in the race for governor, 45% to 42%, with 13% of voters still undecided.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

McConnell Will Hold Fundraiser for Former Rival

July 21, 2015 at 12:14 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 11 Comments

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Matt Bevin (R) “are trying to put last year’s ugly Senate primary behind them,” Politico reports.

“McConnell, the Senate majority leader, will hold a fundraiser for Bevin, the GOP nominee in this November’s Kentucky gubernatorial race.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin, Mitch McConnell

Bevin Holds Edge in Kentucky

June 24, 2015 at 6:31 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 10 Comments

A new Public Policy Polling survey in Kentucky finds Matt Bevin (R) leading Jack Conway (D) in the race for governor, 38% to 35%.

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Comer Finally Concedes Nomination to Bevin

May 29, 2015 at 10:00 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 4 Comments

James Comer (R) conceded the Kentucky GOP gubernatorial nomination to Matt Bevin, solidifying the Bevin-Jack Conway (D) match up to replace outgoing Gov. Steve Beshear (D), the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

Bevin Faces Divided Party in Kentucky

May 22, 2015 at 8:01 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 7 Comments

Presumptive Kentucky GOP gubernatorial nominee Matt Bevin (R) is facing a divided party as he prepares for the fall election, the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

“Bevin has clearly tried to begin winning over some of the Republican establishment… But Bevin, as he has since last November, blamed the media for creating a perception that he didn’t support U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after losing to him in the primary last year. Although Bevin repeatedly declined to publicly endorse McConnell, he argued that he did work hard for the Republican ticket last fall.”

Cook Political Report: “Democrats – and specifically state Attorney General Jack Conway – were the biggest winners on primary night. Conway faced just token opposition for Democratic nomination for this open seat. The race for the Republicans nomination was far more interesting and ultimately beneficial to Democrats.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov, Matt Bevin

GOP Primary in Kentucky Too Close to Call

May 20, 2015 at 6:59 am EDT By Taegan Goddard 22 Comments

“The race for the Republican gubernatorial election went down to the wire and then some Tuesday night,” the Lexington Herald Leader reports.

“After 214,187 votes were counted, Louisville businessman Matt Bevin held an 83-vote lead over Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer, but Comer said late Tuesday night that he owed it to his supporters to ask for a recanvass.”

Filed Under: 2015 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

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