Kentuckians re-elected incumbent Andy Beshear as their next governor on Tuesday, Nov 7, but this highly publicized race between Beshear and Attorney General Daniel Cameron highlighted the percentage of outside support each campaign gained on the road to governor.
According to The Associated Press, Beshear won 52.5% of the vote while Cameron received 47.5%.
At the beginning of the election, Beshear held a steady lead against Cameron, but a poll released by Emerson College on Nov. 3 revealed both candidates at 47%, with 4% of voters undecided.
As Beshear and Cameron launched their campaigns, both saw support from state and national organizations.
A September analysis from Open Secrets revealed both campaigns have raised a combined $36.8 million in contributions, which breaks the previous state record of $36 million in 2007. Beshear raised $17.3 million, with $10 million raised for the general election. Cameron raised $4.6 million, with $2.8 million used for the general election.
Majority of contributions came from Political Action Committees (PACs), which are groups organized with the sole purpose to raise and spend money in order to elect or defeat candidates. According to campaign finance laws, PACs are limited to donating $4,200 to a candidate. Names of donors must also be reported to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
Beshear received nearly twice as much PAC money compared to Cameron, with the candidates having taken $134,000 and $69,900 respectively.
This race also led to outside organizations, like the Voter Participation Center and the Kentucky Democratic Party, to send out last-minute “get out to vote” postcards in the mail. The Calloway County Democrats also led a door-knocking campaign, encouraging individuals to vote.
Drew Seib, chair of the political science department, said these tactics were in an effort to increase voter turnout.
An article from Fair Vote said low voter turnout tends to be common during off-year elections. While voter turnout tends to be lower during off-year elections, Calloway County saw a 38% turnout rate during this election. Out of 11,299 cast ballots in the county, 64.6% voted Republican while 35.4% voted Democrat.
According to an Associated Press article, Kentucky has become increasingly conservative over the last 50 years.
Seib said even though the state has become more conservative, the state’s Democratic Party is more conservative than the national party.
When it comes to key issues like abortion, Seib said even though the state is more conservative that doesn’t mean everything aligns with a liberal or conservative ideology.
“People themselves tend not to be able to call ideologues and don’t have a kind of coherent and really consistent set of beliefs that perfectly aligns ideologically, so individual issues can start mattering a lot,” Seib said.
An individual who is a strong believer in a party and its cause can be seen as an ideologue.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Louisville Tuesday night, Beshear said during his victory speech that this election is not about Republicans or Democrats, but working together for a better Kentucky.
“Tonight, Kentucky made a choice, a choice not to move to the right or to the left but to move forward for every single family,” Beshear said.
During his concession speech, Cameron said it was an honor to be the Republican nominee for governor.
“Thank you so much for your willingness and commitment to this campaign and this effort,” Cameron said to a group of supporters. “An effort that was ultimately about our kids and our grandkids.”
