Businessman Matt Bevin, who previously had challenged then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in the primary last year, has won the Republican gubernatorial primary in Kentucky. However, he currently only leads state Agriculture Commissioner James Comer by eighty-three votes.
Comer has announced that he plans to ask for a recanvass. He said, “It’s so close and so many people have worked so hard.” A recanvass is a review of the vote totals county-by-county. Clerks in each county will look at the vote totals and ensure that the correct numbers were sent to the state Board of Elections. Comer said that he may ask for a recount if he gains votes as a result of the recanvass.
Bevin, for his part, has already declared victory. Speaking at his victory party, Bevin pledged to repeal Common Core, dismantle the Kynect insurance exchange, and allow non-union workers to work in union businesses without paying fines or dues.
Both Comer and Bevin ended with 32.9% of the vote.
On the Democratic side, Attorney General Jack Conway declared victory in a 78.8% to 21.2% race. Conway defeated Geoff Young, who campaigned without funds or the support of the state party. Conway is the current state Attorney General and has been since 2008. He ran for the Senate in 2010, but lost to Rand Paul.
While Kentucky leans red in presidential races, the state offices tend to be held by Democrats. The current governor and Secretary of State are both Democrats.