2019 Kentucky elections
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| Elections in Kentucky |
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A general election was held in the U.S. state ofKentuckyon November 5, 2019, with all executive offices in the state up for election. Primary elections were held on May 21, 2019.[1]
Governor and Lieutenant Governor[edit]
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| Turnout | 42% | |||||||||||||||||||
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 County results Beshear:40–50%50–60%60–70% Bevin:40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The2019 Kentucky gubernatorial electiontook place on November 5, 2019, to elect thegovernorandlieutenant governorofKentucky.[2]TheDemocraticnominee,Kentucky Attorney GeneralAndy Beshear,defeatedRepublicanincumbentMatt Bevinby a margin of just over 5,000 votes, or 0.37%.[3]It was the closest gubernatorial election in Kentucky since1899by total votes, and the closest ever by percentage.[4]
Bevin won 97 counties, while Beshear won only 23 counties.[5]Beshear carried only two of the state's six congressional districts, but those districts were the state's two most urbanized, the Louisville-based3rdand the Lexington-based6th.[6]
Bevin conceded on November 14, after a recanvass took place that day that did not change the vote count.[7][8][9]LibertarianJohn Hicks also qualified for the ballot and received 2% of the vote. Statewide turnout was just over 42%,[10]much higher than for the2015 gubernatorial election.The result was a major swing from 2016, whenDonald Trumpwon the state by 30 points and Republicans gained a supermajority in both chambers of theKentucky General Assembly.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Andy Beshear | 709,890 | 49.20% | +5.37% | |
| Republican | Matt Bevin(incumbent) | 704,754 | 48.83% | -3.68% | |
| Libertarian | John Hicks | 28,433 | 1.97% | N/A | |
| Write-in | 46 | 0.00% | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 1,443,123 | 100.0% | N/A | ||
| DemocraticgainfromRepublican | |||||
Attorney General[edit]
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 County results Cameron:50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% Stumbo:50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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The2019 Kentucky Attorney General electionwas conducted on November 5. Primary elections occurred on May 21, 2019.[12]The general election was held on November 5, 2019. Incumbent Democratic attorney generalAndy Besheardeclined to seek reelection to a second term to successfullyrun for Governor.RepublicanDaniel Camerondefeated DemocratGreg Stumbo.[13]He became the first Republican attorney general of Kentucky since 1948,[14]and the state's first black attorney general.[15]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Daniel Cameron | 823,346 | 57.75% | +7.86% | |
| Democratic | Greg Stumbo | 602,272 | 42.25% | -7.86% | |
| Total votes | 1,425,618 | 100.0% | |||
| RepublicangainfromDemocratic | |||||
Secretary of State[edit]
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  Adams:50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% French Henry:50–60%60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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IncumbentDemocraticSecretary of StateAlison Lundergan Grimeswas ineligible to run for a third term due toterm limits.This was the only statewide race in Kentucky in 2019 besides thegubernatorial electionin which the Democratic candidate came close to winning and the only non-gubernatorial statewide election in KY, LA or MS where the Democrat achieved more than 45% of the vote in 2019.
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Jason Belcher, U.S. Air Force veteran and writer[1]
- Jason Griffith, teacher and businessman[1]
- Heather French Henry,former Commissioner of Veterans Affairs of Kentucky and formerMiss America[1]
- Geoff Sebesta, comic book artist[1]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Heather French Henry | 263,419 | 71.0 | |
| Democratic | Jason Belcher | 47,923 | 12.9 | |
| Democratic | Jason Griffith | 47,655 | 12.8 | |
| Democratic | Geoff Sebesta | 12,088 | 3.3 | |
| Total votes | 371,085 | 100.0 | ||
Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Michael Adams,general counsel for theRepublican Governors Associationand formerMitch McConnellaide[1]
- Andrew English, former general counsel for theKentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinetand U.S. Navy veteran[1]
- Stephen Knipper, cyber security expert, formerErlangercity councilman, and nominee for secretary of state in2015[1]
- Carl Nett, former counterintelligence officer[1]
Polling[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Michael Adams |
Andrew English |
Stephen Knipper |
Carl Nett |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cygnal | May 10–12, 2019 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 11% | 10% | 7% | 5% | 68% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Adams | 94,404 | 41.3 | |
| Republican | Andrew English | 62,677 | 27.4 | |
| Republican | Stephen Knipper | 41,367 | 18.1 | |
| Republican | Carl Nett | 30,340 | 13.3 | |
| Total votes | 228,788 | 100.0 | ||
General election[edit]
Polling[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Heather French Henry (D) |
Michael Adams (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity Campaign Labs (D)[A] | August 12–13, 2019 | 792 | ± 3.3% | 52% | 37% | 9% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael Adams | 746,629 | 52.3 | |
| Democratic | Heather French Henry | 682,096 | 47.7 | |
| Total votes | 1,428,725 | 100.0 | ||
| RepublicangainfromDemocratic | ||||
State Auditor[edit]
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 County results Harmon:40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% Donahue:50–60%60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Mike Harmon,incumbentState Auditor of Kentucky[1]
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Kelsey Hayes Coots, teacher[1]
- Sheri Donahue, former U.S. Navy engineer[1]
- Chris Tobe, pension consultant[1]
Withdrew[edit]
- Drew Curtis,founder ofFarkand independent candidate for governor in2015[16]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sheri Donahue | 134,952 | 46.7 | |
| Democratic | Kelsey Hayes Coots | 95,685 | 33.1 | |
| Democratic | Chris Tobe | 58,548 | 20.2 | |
| Total votes | 289,185 | 100.0 | ||
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mike Harmon(incumbent) | 779,730 | 55.7 | ||
| Democratic | Sheri Donahue | 574,820 | 41.0 | ||
| Libertarian | Kyle Hugenberg | 46,563 | 3.3 | ||
| Total votes | 1,401,113 | 100.0 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
State Treasurer[edit]
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 County results Ball:50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% Bowman:50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Michael Bowman, bank manager and formerLouisville Metro Councilstaffer[1]
- Josh Mers, insurance agent and treasurer for the Lexington Human Rights Commission[1]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Michael Bowman | 218,174 | 66.4 | |
| Democratic | Josh Mers | 110,349 | 33.6 | |
| Total votes | 328,523 | 100.0 | ||
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Allison Ball(incumbent) | 856,150 | 60.7 | ||
| Democratic | Michael Bowman | 555,259 | 39.3 | ||
| Total votes | 1,411,409 | 100.0 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Agriculture Commissioner[edit]
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 County results Quarles:50–60%60–70%70–80%80–90% Conway:50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Republican primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Bill Polyniak, farmer and hemp businessman[1]
- Ryan Quarles,incumbentAgriculture Commissioner of Kentucky[1]
Polling[edit]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Bill Polyniak |
Ryan Quarles |
Undecided |
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| Cygnal | May 10–12, 2019 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 8% | 35% | 58% |
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Quarles(incumbent) | 193,994 | 82.2 | |
| Republican | Bill Polyniak | 41,971 | 17.8 | |
| Total votes | 235,965 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Robert Haley Conway, district supervisor of theScott CountySoil and Water Conservation Board and former chair of the Scott County Board of Education[1]
- Joe Trigg,Glasgowcity councilman[1]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert Haley Conway | 202,894 | 60.2 | |
| Democratic | Joe Trigg | 134,009 | 39.8 | |
| Total votes | 336,903 | 100.0 | ||
General election[edit]
Results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ryan Quarles(incumbent) | 821,414 | 58.2 | ||
| Democratic | Robert Conway | 545,099 | 38.6 | ||
| Libertarian | Joshua Gilpin | 44,596 | 3.2 | ||
| Total votes | 1,411,409 | 100.0 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Judiciary[edit]
Supreme Court[edit]
Candidates[edit]
- Christopher Shea Nickell,Kentucky Court of Appealsjudge for the 1st Appellate District, Division 1[17]
- Whitney Westerfield,member of theKentucky Senatefor the 3rd District and candidate for attorney general in2015[18]
Results[edit]
Nickell
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Westerfield
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Both candidates were registeredRepublicans,but the election was conducted under a non-partisan format.[19]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Christopher Shea Nickell | 71,991 | 57.4 | |
| Nonpartisan | Whitney Westerfield | 53,633 | 42.6 | |
| Total votes | 125,624 | 100.0 | ||
Court of Appeals[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Jacqueline Caldwell | 62,851 | 53.7 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Caperton | 54,098 | 46.3 | |
| Total votes | 116,949 | 100.0 | ||
Notes[edit]
- Partisan clients
- ^Poll sponsored by Democratic Attorney General Association
References[edit]
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstBarton, Ryland (January 30, 2019)."Here's Who's Running For Kentucky Governor And Other Offices".WKMS.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
- ^"Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2019".Ballotpedia.RetrievedJune 22,2019.
- ^"Watch live: Democrat Andy Beshear speaks after declaring victory in Kentucky election".CBS News.November 6, 2019.RetrievedNovember 6,2019.
- ^Watson, Kathryn (November 6, 2019)."Watch live: Democrat Andy Beshear speaks after declaring victory in Kentucky election".CBS News.Archivedfrom the original on January 10, 2021.RetrievedNovember 6,2019.
- ^"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.
- ^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.RetrievedNovember 6,2019.
- ^Barton, Ryland (November 6, 2019)."Kentucky GOP Gov. Bevin Officially Requests Recanvass Of Election Results".NPR.org.RetrievedNovember 7,2019.
- ^"Gov. Matt Bevin won't contest results, concedes from gubernatorial race".WLKY. November 14, 2019.RetrievedNovember 14,2019.
- ^ACQUISTO, Alex."Voter turnout tops 41 percent in tight race for Kentucky governor".Lexington Herald Leader.RetrievedNovember 5,2019.
- ^abcdefg"2019 General Election"(PDF).Kentucky State Board of Elections.RetrievedDecember 7,2019.
- ^"Election calendar"(PDF).elect.ky.gov.2019.
- ^Wiegel, David (May 23, 2019)."Democrats look past 2020".Washington Post.RetrievedJuly 31,2019.
- ^"President Trump endorses Daniel Cameron in Kentucky attorney general race".WKYT-TV. July 29, 2019.RetrievedJuly 31,2019.
- ^Crain, Brennan (July 31, 2019)."Trump endorses Cameron for attorney general".WCLU. Archived fromthe originalon August 1, 2019.RetrievedAugust 1,2019.
- ^"Democrat Drew Curtis withdraws from auditor's race".Associated Press. April 2, 2019.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
- ^"Appellate judge announces run for Supreme Court seat".Associated Press. February 6, 2019.RetrievedMay 14,2019.
- ^Peterson, Erica (October 21, 2019)."Ky. Supreme Court Candidates Offer Starkly Different Resumes".89.3 WFPL News Louisville.RetrievedApril 11,2022.
- ^Niemeyer, Liam."Nickell Elected To Kentucky Supreme Court".www.wkms.org.
- ^"Kentucky intermediate appellate court elections, 2019".Ballotpedia.
External links[edit]
- Official campaign websites for Secretary of State
- Michael Adams (R) for Secretary of State
- Heather French Henry (D) for Secretary of StateArchived2019-08-10 at theWayback Machine
- Official campaign websites for Auditor
- Official campaign websites for Treasurer
- Official campaign websites for Agriculture Commissioner
- Official campaign websites for Supreme Court