Kentucky 2023 General Election Preliminary Results

I. Kentucky 2023 General Election Preliminary Results.

The 2023 Kentucky General Election featured Governor Andy Beshear (D) seeking his second term in office, as well as contested races for the Commonwealth’s other statewide executive offices. While the Democratic Governor emerged victorious, Kentucky Republicans enjoyed a clean sweep of the other contests.

II. Kentucky Governor.

Governor Beshear defeated challenger, current Kentucky Attorney General, Daniel Cameron (R) 53% to 47%. Heading into Election Day, Governor Beshear enjoyed a strong approval rating, even amongst Kentucky Republicans. According to a Morning Consult poll, 43% of Kentucky Republicans approved of Governor Beshear. That proved too much for Cameron to overcome and the Governor won the traditionally conservative state, even overcoming former President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Attorney General Cameron. The victory of Governor Beshear, along with his running mate Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman, was followed closely nationally for any indication that Democrats could make headway in red states, like Kentucky.

III.Other Statewide Races.

Despite the Governor’s victory, Kentucky Republicans rolled, winning all other statewide challenges. The results could signify that Governor Beshear’s victory is unique to his own personal brand of politics resonating with Kentucky voters and not indicative of a larger trend. Below are the preliminary results:

Preliminary General Election Results Winner in bold Italics denotes incumbent
Office	Democrat	Republican
Attorney General	Pamela Stevenson	Russell Coleman
Secretary of State	Charles Wheatley	Michael Adams
Treasurer	Michael Bowman	Mark Metcalf
Auditor of Public Accounts	Kimberley Reeder	Allison Ball
Commissioner of Agriculture	Sierra Enlow	Jonathan Shell

IV. Special Legislative Election.

Kentucky held one special election to fill a legislative vacancy in the House of Representatives. For House District 93, Democrat Adrielle Camuel defeated Republican Kyle Whalen (R). Ms. Camuel now assumes the Lexington area seat vacated by the death of Democrat Lamin Swann.

V. Conclusion.

Governor Beshear’s victory made national headlines, with many national political analysts looking for tea leaves to predict the 2024 presidential election. Pundits also highlighted the fact that KY has predicted the party outcome of the following year’s presidential race for the past five cycles. However, given Kentucky Republican’s strong showing in all other races, the party appears well-positioned for the next election cycle in the commonwealth. The state’s six congressional seats, 17 of the 34 State Senate seats, and all 100 State House seats are contested next year, a year with the highest office in the land on the ballot as well.

Bricker Graydon’s Government Relations team will be watching these races closely and stand ready to help our clients and friends navigate unpredictable political waters.

This article was co-authored by Bricker Graydon attorney, J. Stephen Smith.