“To all those political opportunists who are seizing on the tragedy in Las Vegas to call for more gun regulations… You can’t regulate evil.”
— Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R), on Twitter.
Matt Bevin
Bevin Says Clinton Election Might Require Shedding Blood
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) says patriots might have to shed blood to “reclaim” America if Hillary Clinton is elected:
Whose blood will be shed? It may be that of those in this room. It might be that of our children and grandchildren. I have nine children. It breaks my heart to think that it might be their blood that is needed to redeem something, to reclaim something, that we through our apathy and our indifference have given away.
Bevin Threatened Legislator Who Refused to Switch Parties
A Democratic state legislator alleges Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) left a message threatening him and his district on his voicemail in December, one day after he refused to change parties, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
“Bevin made the call to Rep. Russ Meyer (D) at a time when Republicans were furiously trying to recruit party-switchers in the House following the November election that saw the GOP make great strides. Meyer was a top target because he represents a district that votes heavily Republican.”
Bevin Not Ready to Support Trump
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) said that he will remain silent on his preference for president until Republicans select a nominee at their national convention in Cleveland, the Lexington Herald Leader reports.
Said Bevin: “At this point, weighing in on who I am going to vote for, I think, is a mistake for me or any other person. The reality is let the thing unfold. Let a nominee come forward from each respective party.”
Bevin acknowledged that Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee, but he said he has “never been big” on telling people whom he votes for.
Special Elections Set in Kentucky
Lexington Herald-Leader: “They have only eight weeks to campaign, but the outcome of their political races will greatly affect how Kentucky is governed. The field of candidates has been set for the four special state House elections that Gov. Matt Bevin (R) has scheduled for March 8.”
“Democrats have to win at least one of the elections to keep the majority they have enjoyed since 1921.”
Bevin Will Take Down Obamacare Exchange
“Following through on a campaign pledge,” Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) “has notified federal authorities he plans to dismantle kynect, Kentucky’s health insurance exchange created under the Affordable Care Act,” the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
Bevin Moves to Reshape Kentucky
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) “filed five executive orders late Tuesday to start reshaping state government along conservative ideological lines, including one that removes county clerks’ names from marriage licenses, granting the request of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, who opposes same-sex marriage,” the Lexington Herald Leader reports.
“Others reversed earlier executive orders by former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to restore voting rights to felons and for a higher minimum wage for state workers and employees of state vendors.”
Bevin Calls Out Cartoon as Racist
The Lexington Herald-Leader published an editorial cartoon that Kentucky Gov.-elect Matt Bevin (R) called “deplorably racist,” according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
The cartoon shows Bevin hiding under his desk and an aide telling him, ‘Sir, they’re not terrorists… they’re your own adopted kids!”
Four of Bevin’s children were adopted from Africa.
The GOP’s Obamacare Experiment Begins
First Read: “Perhaps the most significant consequence of Republican Matt Bevin’s victory in Kentucky’s gubernatorial race last night is that it could result in the dismantling of maybe the most extensive (and successful) effort to implement Obamacare in the entire country… And that would give national Republicans a statewide experiment to see how — or simply if — you can rollback the law.”
“And so we’re likely to see a political fight play out in Kentucky that might even be bigger than yesterday’s gubernatorial contest: Bevin and Republicans will be trying to — choose your term — reform/rollback/dismantle the state’s health-care system under the federal law, while Democrats will argue that the effort will result in taking away people’s health insurance that they liked or didn’t have before.”
“Bottom line: The aftermath of last night could answer these questions for national Republicans: If you want to repeal the health-care law, how do you do it? How big will the blowback be to changing people’s health insurance? And can repeal even be done?”
Wonk Wire: Could an upset in Kentucky herald a rollback of Obamacare?
Is Matt Bevin Trying to Lose the Governor’s Race?
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.”
Are Republicans Giving Up in Kentucky?
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.”
Bevin Won’t Raise Money
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.”
Bevin Moves to Make Gay Marriage Key Issue of Race
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.”
Bevin Declines to Endorse Paul
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.”
McConnell Will Hold Fundraiser for Former Rival
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.”