For related races, see 2019 United States gubernatorial elections.
2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election
← 2015
November 5, 2019
2023 →
Turnout
42% (12%)
Nominee
Andy Beshear
Matt Bevin
Party
Democratic
Republican
Running mate
Jacqueline Coleman
Ralph Alvarado
Popular vote
709,890
704,754
Percentage
49.20%
48.84%
County results
Congressional district results
State senate district results
State house district results
Precinct results
Beshear: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80-90% >90% Bevin: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80-90% >90% Tie: 40-50% 50% No data
Governor before election
Matt Bevin
Republican
Elected Governor
Andy Beshear
Democratic
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v
t
e
The 2019 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2019, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Kentucky.[1] The Democratic nominee, Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear, defeated Republican incumbent Matt Bevin by just over 5,000 votes, or 0.37%, making this the closest gubernatorial election in Kentucky since 1899 by total votes, and the closest since 1915 by percentage.[2] It was also the closest race of the 2019 gubernatorial election cycle.
Beshear won by 0.37 percentage points, receiving 49.20% of the vote to Bevin's 48.83%.[3] Bevin won 97 counties, while Beshear won 23 counties.[4] Beshear also carried only two of the state's six congressional districts, but those districts were the state's two most urbanized, the Louisville-based 3rd and the Lexington-based 6th.[5]
Beshear won with overwhelming support in the major population hubs of Louisville and Lexington and their suburbs, as well as major vote swings in the Republican-leaning Cincinnati suburbs. Beshear was also aided by Bevin's lackluster performance in counties that had previously been swinging heavily towards Republicans, particularly the coal country of Eastern Kentucky, where Beshear won multiple counties that overwhelmingly voted Republican in 2016.[6] Voter turnout was high across the state compared to past Kentucky elections, with a statewide turnout of about 42%. Fayette County (Lexington) saw a 20% increase in voter turnout, and Beshear received over twice as many votes in the county than the 2015 Democratic nominee for governor, Jack Conway. Unusually high turnout was seen as a major factor in Beshear's win.[7]
Beshear's win coincided with Democratic momentum nationwide in elections in 2017, 2018, and 2019, following the election of Donald Trump in 2016.[8] However, Republicans won all other statewide offices in Kentucky, including the attorney general and secretary of state offices which Democrats had held going into the election.[9]
Bevin conceded on November 14,[10] after a recanvass took place that day[11][10][12] that did not change the vote count.[10] Libertarian John Hicks also qualified for the ballot and received 2% of the vote. Statewide turnout was just over 42%,[7] much higher than for the 2015 gubernatorial election.
^"Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2019". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
^Watson, Kathryn (November 6, 2019). "Watch live: Democrat Andy Beshear speaks after declaring victory in Kentucky election". CBS News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
^Coaston, Jane (November 8, 2019). "Matt Bevin's Libertarian opponent says the Kentucky election just proved his point". Vox. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
^"Voter turnout for 2019 general election". WKYT. November 6, 2019.
^J. Miles Coleman. "... Beshear carried #KY03 (Louisville) by 37% & #KY06 (metro Lexington) by 14%. He only won two CDs, but his districts also had the highest turnout. Beshear also kept #KY04 (Cincy suburbs) close," Twitter.
^Golshan, Tara. "Democrat Andy Beshear just unseated Kentucky's Trump-loving governor Matt Bevin". Vox. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
^ abAcquisto, Alex; Patton, Janet (November 5, 2019). "Voter turnout tops 41 percent in tight race for Kentucky governor". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on January 30, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
^Rocha, Veronica (November 6, 2019). "Election day in Kentucky, Mississippi and Virginia". CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
^Sonka, Joe (November 5, 2019). "Daniel Cameron wins Kentucky attorney general race in historic victory". The Courier-Journal. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
^ abc"Gov. Matt Bevin won't contest results, concedes from gubernatorial race". WLKY. November 14, 2019. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
^Lemieux, Melissa (November 5, 2019). "Gov. Matt Bevin refuses to concede Kentucky race, even after Secretary of State calls it for Democrat Andy Beshear". Newsweek. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
^Barton, Ryland (November 6, 2019). "Kentucky GOP Gov. Bevin Officially Requests Recanvass Of Election Results". Morning Edition. NPR. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
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