Bevin's lieutenant governor, Jenean Hampton, becomes the first African American elected to statewide office in Kentucky.
Republicans win governor's races in Mississippi,Kentucky
(Reuters)
Republican businessman Matt Bevin was elected Kentucky's next governor on Tuesday, marking a setback for Democrats who had controlled the office in every election but one since 1971 and underscoring the party's decline in the conservative U.S. South.
Bevin, who rode Tea Party support to a narrow victory in a four-way Republican primary, soundly defeated State Attorney General Jack Conway, whose late October lead in the polls evaporated on election day.
"This is a chance for a fresh start," said Bevin at his victory event, calling his candidacy an opportunity to change traditional politics. "It truly is, and we desperately need it."
Republicans also were successful in securing a second term for Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who easily defeated a little-known opponent in the conservative Southern state.
Kentucky's more hotly contested race reflected the partisan divide seen nationally over gay marriage and President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law in a contest to replace Democratic Governor Steve Beshear, who cannot run because of term limits.
Bevin,
who has never before held elected office, won with 52.5 percent of the
vote, compared to 43.8 percent for Conway, according to unofficial
results with all precincts reporting.
His path to
victory included courting religious conservatives after meeting with
embattled Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis after she was jailed for defying a
federal judge's order to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.
"I am ecstatic,"
Davis said in a statement released by her attorneys at the conservative
Liberty Counsel, adding that Bevin had prayed for her. "I will be forever thankful that he came to visit me while I was in jail."
While
Tea Party leaders celebrated a win for Bevin, a conservative known to
challenge establishment Republicans, he also benefited from a late
infusion of cash from the Republican Governors Association. The
organization said it poured $2.5 million into the state during the final
two weeks of the campaign and spent a total of $6 million on the race.
Bevin
had pledged to roll back the expansion of Medicaid to provide health
coverage to the poor under Obama's health plan as started by the current
governor, which Conway had supported.
Although
Kentucky voters routinely send Republicans to Washington, D.C., experts
thought Conway had the advantage going into election day, given
Democrats' enduring state-level strength in recent decades.
Bevin's lieutenant governor, Jenean Hampton, becomes the first African American elected to statewide office in Kentucky.
In Mississippi, Republicans also celebrated widely expected victories for party incumbents.
Gov.
Bryant defeated truck driver Robert Gray, the surprise victor of a
Democratic primary in which he did not spend money or seriously
campaign. His low-budget campaign reflected the sorry state of the
Mississippi Democratic Party, observers said.
Still,
Democrats held off a challenge to one of the party's last statewide
elected officers in the Deep South. Mississippi Attorney General Jim
Hood won a fourth term in office, with his opponent conceding late
Tuesday night.
Source: Pulse.ng
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