LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – Daniel Cameron emerged from a crowded field of Republican candidates to win the GOP nomination for Kentucky governor on Tuesday, setting up a November race with incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
The Associated Press called the primary election race in Beshear's favor around 7 p.m. with 9% of the votes counted. Beshear had received 24,767 votes. By 11:15 p.m., Beshear had 91.3% of the votes with 176,673.
Beshear, who is seeking a second term after first being elected in 2019, easily won his primary against challengers Geoff Young and Peppy Martin.
"Kentucky voters took the first step to securing four more years," Andy Beshear said in a statement. "Our Commonwealth has been through a lot together, and we’ve gotten through our toughest times by relying on our faith, working together and always looking out for our neighbors. Kentuckians are ready to build on the progress we’ve made and emerge stronger than ever."
He will seek reelection against Cameron, and said he's not losing sleep on it.
"This race shouldn't be about him or me. It should be about the people of Kentucky, not calling each other names, not trying to bring in Washington D.C., but how we improve people's lives," Beshear said.
Beshear will face off against Republican gubernatorial candidate Daniel Cameron
The Associated Press called the race in Cameron's favor with 29% of the votes counted around 7:15 p.m. Cameron received 45.4% of votes, while Ryan Quarles got 21.0% of votes and Kelly Craft had 17.6%. As of 11:15 p.m., Cameron had 44.7% of the votes with 144,415.
"It sounds like Kentucky is ready for a new governor," Cameron said. "We proved that no obstacle is too great, no barrier is too large when concerned and committed Kentuckians come together."
Cameron thanked former President Donald Trump for his endorsement of the campaign, saying "the Trump culture of winning is alive and well in Kentucky."
"Faith, family and community: our commonwealth and this country were built on these ideals and all I've tried to do in this primary is (to) be a voice for those principals," he said. "And this campaign has tried to embody the promise of America that if you work hard and if you stand on principle, anything is possible."
Cameron will face Gov. Andy Beshear in November.
Meanwhile, Beshear said he has made several promises to Kentuckians since 2019, and he plans on fulfilling all of them if re-elected. He closed his primary day speech saying they celebrate now, but then, they'll plan for he road ahead.
"At the end of the day, we're all Kentuckians. We want the very best for our families. We care more about the future for our kids than we do Kidston than we do about what party somebody is in," he said. "So look at our record. And what I tell them is I'm always going to try to make the best decisions for our families. Not right, not left, but moving forward."
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman and former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, Gov. Andy Beshear's father, also spoke at Tuesday's primary watch party.
"We show up to celebrate job creation for our families just like we show up to wrap our arms around entire communities during their darkest hour, and Gov. Beshear has proven time and time again, he can make tough decisions and lead with compassion; and quite possibly my favorite thing about him is he knows our future's economy is in our classrooms today," Coleman said.
"This battle starts tonight and will go every day between now and November 7th. This battle is for Kentucky. This battle will decide whether our state will go backwards," Steve Beshear said.
The Republican field of 12 candidates included several current elected officials — current Attorney General Cameron, Agriculture Commissioner Quarles, Mike Harmon, Kentucky’s Auditor of Public Accounts, and Somerset Mayor Alan Keck — and Craft, who served as ambassador to the United Nations under former President Trump.
Cameron highlighted his legal battles against Beshear and the federal government during the primary, including the coronavirus restrictions Beshear put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also touted his endorsement from Trump, who participated in a virtual rally for Cameron during the final days of campaigning on Sunday.
"Together, we can make sure Kentucky has a governor that stands up to Washington and against Joe Biden," Cameron said. "Together, we can empower our teachers and prioritize parents' involvement in the education opportunity of our kids. Together we can keep our streets safe from violence and from drugs."
Among other things, Craft’s campaign focused on issues in public education, accusing “woke bureaucrats” of meddling in schools in one television spot. Craft, whose husband, Joe Craft, is a coal magnate, also released an ad championing the coal industry.
Craft held a commanding fundraising lead over her GOP foes, with $10.9 million as of the most recent reporting deadline about two weeks ago. More than $9.25 million of that amount was loaned or given from Craft herself.
Craft also received $1.8 million from Commonwealth PAC, an unauthorized political action committee that isn’t subject to contribution limits; the bulk of those donations came from a trust reportedly connected to Joe Craft.
Two other Republicans had raised more than $1 million — Cameron, with $1.5 million, and Quarles, with $1.2 million.
An unauthorized PAC backing Cameron — Bluegrass Freedom Action — had raised $2.6 million.
Also in the race for the Republican nomination were Eric Deters, a northern Kentucky attorney, and Bob DeVore, who previously lost bids for the Kentucky House and Senate, the U.S. House and Louisville mayor.
Other candidates included David O. Cooper, Dennis Ray Omerod, Johnny Ray Rice, Robbie C. Smith and Jacob Clark.
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