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| Democrat claims victory as Kentucky governor's race remains tight | Democrat claims victory as Kentucky governor's race remains tight |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Republican Matt Bevin refuses to concede, while Democrats take state legislature in Virginia | Republican Matt Bevin refuses to concede, while Democrats take state legislature in Virginia |
| A hotly contested governor’s race in Kentucky remained too close to call on Tuesday night, with the Democratic challenger, Andy Beshear, declaring victory and the Republican incumbent, Matt Bevin, refusing to concede. | |
| The tight race in Kentucky, a conservative-leaning state, came as Democrats took full control of the legislature in Virginia. Both results will be seen as a blow to president Donald Trump.Beshear declared himself the winner in Kentucky after securing 49.2% of the vote to Bevin’s 48.8%, telling voters that his performance was a message that elections were still about “right versus wrong” instead of right versus left. As of late Tuesday night, Beshear led Bevin by a margin of more than 5,000 votes. | |
| But Bevin, who took the stage at the Republican party across town, called it a “close, close race” and said he wasn’t conceding “by any stretch”. | But Bevin, who took the stage at the Republican party across town, called it a “close, close race” and said he wasn’t conceding “by any stretch”. |
| “We want the process to be followed, and there is a process,” he said. | “We want the process to be followed, and there is a process,” he said. |
| Bevin, who was elected in 2015, had portrayed the election as a referendum on Trump, who stumped for the governor at a rally in Kentucky on Monday night and called Beshear “too liberal, too extreme and too dangerous”. | |
| At the rally Trump told the crowd: “If you lose, it sends a really bad message … you can’t let that happen to me.” | At the rally Trump told the crowd: “If you lose, it sends a really bad message … you can’t let that happen to me.” |
| In a late-night tweet after results came in, Trump appeared to concede the Republican may have lost: “@MattBevin picked up at least 15 points in last days, but perhaps not enough (Fake News will blame Trump!).” | In a late-night tweet after results came in, Trump appeared to concede the Republican may have lost: “@MattBevin picked up at least 15 points in last days, but perhaps not enough (Fake News will blame Trump!).” |
| Despite the last pre-election poll showing the candidates tied at 46%, Bevin was bullish going into the election, telling the New York Times last month that he anticipated winning the election by between six and 10 points. | Despite the last pre-election poll showing the candidates tied at 46%, Bevin was bullish going into the election, telling the New York Times last month that he anticipated winning the election by between six and 10 points. |
| “I think you’re going to be shocked at how uncompetitive this actually is,” he told the paper at the time. | “I think you’re going to be shocked at how uncompetitive this actually is,” he told the paper at the time. |
| But while Trump won Kentucky with more than 60% of the vote in 2016 and remains popular in the state, Bevin – who polls as one of America’s most unpopular governors – could not ride that popularity to victory. | But while Trump won Kentucky with more than 60% of the vote in 2016 and remains popular in the state, Bevin – who polls as one of America’s most unpopular governors – could not ride that popularity to victory. |
| Beshear, the state’s attorney general and the son of Kentucky’s last Democratic governor, made public education the cornerstone of his campaign, choosing a public high school assistant principal as his running mate and accusing Bevin of bullying schoolteachers who protested against proposed pension reforms. | Beshear, the state’s attorney general and the son of Kentucky’s last Democratic governor, made public education the cornerstone of his campaign, choosing a public high school assistant principal as his running mate and accusing Bevin of bullying schoolteachers who protested against proposed pension reforms. |
| Bevin, who accused protesting teachers of acting “thuggish” and said school closures as a result of their actions would lead to children suffering sexual abuse and ingesting poison, said he did not regret his words. Beshear promised he would never bully anybody as governor. | Bevin, who accused protesting teachers of acting “thuggish” and said school closures as a result of their actions would lead to children suffering sexual abuse and ingesting poison, said he did not regret his words. Beshear promised he would never bully anybody as governor. |
| Bevin, meanwhile, fought on broader, national and cultural issues, highlighting his relationship with Trump and his support for the second amendment, while touting himself as the “most pro-life” governor in America. | Bevin, meanwhile, fought on broader, national and cultural issues, highlighting his relationship with Trump and his support for the second amendment, while touting himself as the “most pro-life” governor in America. |
| While Bevin performed well in much of the state, in parts of Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, one could drive by dozens if not hundreds of “Stop Bevin - Vote Beshear!” yard signs before passing any sign of support for the Republican. | While Bevin performed well in much of the state, in parts of Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, one could drive by dozens if not hundreds of “Stop Bevin - Vote Beshear!” yard signs before passing any sign of support for the Republican. |
| At the Democrats’ election party at an event center in the predominantly African-American Louisville neighbourhood of Smoketown, the mood turned from nervous to jovial as returns showed Beshear taking the lead. | At the Democrats’ election party at an event center in the predominantly African-American Louisville neighbourhood of Smoketown, the mood turned from nervous to jovial as returns showed Beshear taking the lead. |
| Kentucky’s race was one of several closely watched elections in states across the US on Tuesday. Republican Daniel Cameron made history in a resounding win in Kentucky’s election for attorney general, becoming the first African American to win the office. | Kentucky’s race was one of several closely watched elections in states across the US on Tuesday. Republican Daniel Cameron made history in a resounding win in Kentucky’s election for attorney general, becoming the first African American to win the office. |
| In Virginia, Democrats won both the state house and state senate, gaining full control of the government for the first time in more than two decades. Suburban voters turned out in big numbers to back Democratic candidates, continuing a trend of flipping once GOP-friendly suburbs. | In Virginia, Democrats won both the state house and state senate, gaining full control of the government for the first time in more than two decades. Suburban voters turned out in big numbers to back Democratic candidates, continuing a trend of flipping once GOP-friendly suburbs. |
| “I’m here to officially declare today, November 5, 2019, that Virginia is officially blue,” the Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, told a crowd of supporters in Richmond. | “I’m here to officially declare today, November 5, 2019, that Virginia is officially blue,” the Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, told a crowd of supporters in Richmond. |
| The elections offered insight into Trump’s popularity among Republicans as he battles an accelerating impeachment inquiry. Democratic-aligned groups pumped huge amounts of money into the contests as a way to test-drive messaging and campaigns ahead of the 2020 cycle, particularly on gun control and clean energy. The race also drew several high-profile visits from 2020 presidential hopefuls, including Joe Biden. | The elections offered insight into Trump’s popularity among Republicans as he battles an accelerating impeachment inquiry. Democratic-aligned groups pumped huge amounts of money into the contests as a way to test-drive messaging and campaigns ahead of the 2020 cycle, particularly on gun control and clean energy. The race also drew several high-profile visits from 2020 presidential hopefuls, including Joe Biden. |
| Donald Trump rallied Republican voters on Twitter but stayed out of the state, which he lost in 2016. | Donald Trump rallied Republican voters on Twitter but stayed out of the state, which he lost in 2016. |
| Democrats have pledged that when they take power, they will pass an agenda that Republicans have blocked for years, including stricter gun laws, a higher minimum wage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. | Democrats have pledged that when they take power, they will pass an agenda that Republicans have blocked for years, including stricter gun laws, a higher minimum wage and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. |