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You are here: Home / Archives for 2019 Campaign

Could Bevin Steal the Kentucky Governor’s Election?

November 7, 2019 at 12:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Rick Hasen: “Will the Kentucky Legislature assist Matt Bevin in stealing the governor’s race from Democrat Andy Beshear, who appeared to have won Tuesday’s election by about 5,000 votes? Ordinarily, I would consider the possibility preposterous. We do not live in ordinary times, though, and on Wednesday Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers raised the prospect that his institution, not the voters, could determine the outcome of the race.”

“If Stivers and Republican Kentucky legislators were to make such a hardball move without good evidence that there were major problems with the vote count, the election would likely end up in federal court, where it is anyone’s guess what would happen.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Trump Races to Avoid Election Debacle In Louisiana

November 7, 2019 at 7:07 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Donald Trump couldn’t save Matt Bevin in Kentucky. Now, the pressure is on the president to avoid a second black eye in Louisiana next week,” Politico reports.

“Trump is thrusting himself into the state’s gubernatorial contest: He rallied there on Wednesday evening for Republican candidate Eddie Rispone, who is trying to unseat Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, and will make another visit two days before the Nov. 16 election. The president is also expected to record get-out-the-vote videos and robocalls, and on Wednesday morning he called into a popular Louisiana morning radio show to talk about the race.”

“Trump also plans to attend the Louisiana State vs. Alabama college football game on Saturday. Though the game is Alabama, the marquee match-up is expected to draw wide viewership among Louisianans. The blitz underscores the importance of the race to the president.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: LA-Gov

Quote of the Day

November 6, 2019 at 3:49 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“We are always happy to split the vote in a way that causes delicious tears. Tonight there are plenty of delicious tears from Bevin supporters.”

— The Libertarian Party of Kentucky, in a statement, relishing the role of spoiler in Kentucky’s gubernatorial race.

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Bevin Requests Election Recanvass

November 6, 2019 at 2:59 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Citing “multiple reports of voting irregularities,” the campaign of Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) has formally requested an official recanvass of the results in Kentucky’s election for governor, the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

The recanvass will be conducted on November 14.

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign, Election Administration Tagged With: Matt Bevin

What Really Happened In Kentucky

November 6, 2019 at 11:06 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

David Frum: “Bevin’s personal behavior may have been extreme, but his policy priorities as governor were squarely in the GOP mainstream. Squeezing the ACA has been Trump policy, too. Nationwide, Medicaid and S-Chip enrollment has declined by 1.7 million over the past two years, a decline too big to be explained solely by improvements in the job market.”

“The central idea of the Trump candidacy and the Trump presidency has been that Trump’s abnormal behavior could win just enough votes from culturally conservative whites to overcome the unpopularity of the Republican agenda. Kentucky tested that proposition—and proved it false.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign, Health Care Tagged With: KY-Gov

Trump Frames an Election About Himself and Loses

November 6, 2019 at 10:52 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: 2019 Campaign, Members

3 Election Years Under Trump, 3 Decisive GOP Losses

November 6, 2019 at 10:02 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Aaron Blake: “When President Trump was elected, he promised the GOP that they would win so much they would get tired of it. But for a third successive election year since then, the Republican Party has walked away the loser.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Trump Allies Downplay His Failure as Closer

November 6, 2019 at 9:59 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“President Trump’s allies are downplaying his failed effort to boost Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin to a clear win Tuesday night, with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway offering evidence-free claims of voting ‘irregularities’ and other Republican leaders claiming Bevin was much further behind than polls showed,” Politico reports.

“The GOP incumbent was unable to capture a second term in the immediate aftermath of the state’s closely watched gubernatorial election, but he has refused to concede the race and referenced unspecified ‘irregularities’ in the voting process during his remarks Tuesday.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Is Kentucky a Bellwether?

November 6, 2019 at 8:58 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

First Read: “Another factoid that will make Democrats smile today: In each of the last four off-year gubernatorial elections in Kentucky, the party that won went on to win the presidential race nationwide one year later: Republican Ernie Fletcher won in 2003, Democrat Steve Beshear won in 2007 and again in 2011, and Republican Matt Bevin won in 2015.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Kentucky Lawmakers Could Decide Governor’s Race

November 6, 2019 at 8:52 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers (R) told reporters that a joint session of the Kentucky General Assembly — which is controlled by Republicans — may eventually decide the winner of last night’s close gubernatorial race, “citing a provision in the state constitution that hasn’t been used in 120 years,” the Louisville Courier Journal reports.

The state Constitution says “contested elections for governor and lieutenant governor shall be determined by both houses of the General Assembly, according to such regulations as may be established by law.”

Stivers said his staff believes that might apply in this case.

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Behind the Scenes of Matt Bevin’s Loss

November 6, 2019 at 8:32 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Jonathan Swan: “Senior officials at the White House and Republican Governors Association thought Bevin would win, but nobody who was studying the race closely felt overly confident about that outcome.”

“Bevin was telling people he would win — but throughout the campaign, sources in the Trump political orbit expressed concerns about the poor quality of Bevin’s operation and about his weaknesses in public opinion.

Said Larry Sabato: “When you’re a Republican running statewide in Kentucky, you have to try to lose. And Bevin tried for four years, and he succeeded.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: KY-Gov

Blue Wave Crashes Down on Pennsylvania Again

November 6, 2019 at 7:29 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Philadelphia Inquirer: “The political forces that shaped last year’s midterm elections showed no signs of abating Tuesday, as voters turned on Republicans and establishment Democrats alike in races from Philadelphia and Scranton to the suburbs of Delaware and Chester Counties.”

“Locally, Democrats will hold all five seats on the Delaware County Council, a Republican stronghold since the Civil War, and also assumed a majority on the legislative body in Chester County. In Bucks County, Democrats also held a late lead for control of the board of commissioners in a close race.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Democrats Sweep GOP Out In Virginia

November 6, 2019 at 7:26 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

New York Times: “For the first time since 1993, Democrats control both chambers in the legislature and the governor’s office — allowing them to redraw the state’s legislative boundaries after next year’s census.”

“Linking Republican incumbents to the unpopular president and criticizing them for opposing gun control measures in the aftermath of a mass shooting in Virginia Beach in May, Democratic challengers built their victory with strong showings in suburbs stretching from outside Washington to Richmond and Hampton Roads. In Fairfax County, the state’s largest jurisdiction, the last remaining Republican lawmaker was defeated.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Warning Signs for Republicans

November 6, 2019 at 6:36 am EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Washington Post: “The Kentucky defeat has sparked concern among the party’s donors and many longtime GOP leaders who are worried that the nonstop twists of the House impeachment inquiry and Trump’s growing fury are making it increasingly difficult for Republicans to make a clear and compelling case to voters.”

Associated Press: “It’s difficult to draw sweeping conclusions from state elections, each with their own unique quirks and personalities. But there’s little doubt Tuesday’s outcome is a warning to Republicans across the nation a year out from the 2020 election and a year after the 2018 midterms: The suburbs are still moving in the wrong direction.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Reeves Wins Mississippi Governor’s Race

November 5, 2019 at 11:51 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves won the race for Mississippi governor Tuesday night, defeating Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood, the Jackson Clarion Ledger reports.

Republicans were on track Tuesday to control all statewide elected offices in Mississippi and are expected to maintain super-majority control of the Legislature. 

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign Tagged With: MS-Gov

Democrats Stay Fired Up

November 5, 2019 at 11:41 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Vox: “Virginia and Kentucky demonstrated one clear thing: Democrats were fired up. No matter what caveats exist in each state, that’s great news for the Democratic party heading into 2020.”

“Beyond his turnout wins, Beshear’s message could give the national party hope. He ran primarily on health care and education — vowing to protect Medicaid and boost funding for teachers — a strategy Democrats could replicate in other Trump-friendly states and regions like West Virginia, another state that has seen teachers strikes.”

“Democrats also won their enthusiasm test in Virginia… Anecdotally, turnout was up significantly in the state. That’s significant especially because Virginia had no governor’s race or US Senate on the ballot, presenting both Democrats and Republicans with a unique opportunity to show how strong the party apparatus was.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Woman Who Flipped Off Trump Wins Race

November 5, 2019 at 11:30 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Juli Briskman, who famously flipped off President Trump’s motorcade in a viral 2017 photo, won her race Tuesday night for a seat on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors in Virginia,” the HuffPost reports.

“Briskman, a former marketing executive and local Democratic activist, unseated eight-year incumbent Republican Suzanne Volpe.”

Filed Under: 2019 Campaign

Democrats Win Kentucky Governor’s Race

November 5, 2019 at 8:32 pm EST By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

Andy Beshear (D) has defeated Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) in the race for governor, the Cook Political Report projects.

President Trump last night: “You gotta vote because if you lose, it sends a really bad message. It just sends a bad and they’re going to build it up … You can’t let that happen to me.”

Filed Under: 2019 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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