The 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2015. Incumbent Democratic Governor

Steve Beshear Steven Lynn Beshear (born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th atto ...

was ineligible to run for a third term due to

term limits A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

Primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

s were held on May 19, 2015. Despite trailing in most pre-election polls,

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

nominee

Matt Bevin Matthew Griswold Bevin (; born January 9, 1967) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Kentucky, from 2015 to 2019. He was the third Republican elected Kentucky governor since World War II, after Ernie Fletc ...

defeated Democratic nominee Jack Conway by a margin of 52.5% to 43.8% in the general election. Statewide turnout in this election was 30%. With a margin of 8.7%, this election was the closest race of the 2015 gubernatorial election cycle.

Background

Kentucky governor

was first elected in 2007. An attorney, he served as a state representative, attorney general, lieutenant governor, ran unsuccessfully for the United States Senate, and he had reputation for being a moderate liberal.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

* Jack Conway,

Attorney General of Kentucky The Attorney General of Kentucky is an office created by the Kentucky Constitution. (Ky.Const. § 91). Under Kentucky law, they serve several roles, including the state's chief prosecutor (KRS 15.700), the state's chief law enforcement officer (K ...

(2008–2016) and nominee for the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

:* Running mate:

Sannie Overly Sannie Louise Overly (born July 2, 1966) is an American lawyer, engineer, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, Overly served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing the 72nd district. She was the Democratic caucus cha ...

, state representative * Geoff Young, retired engineer and candidate for

Kentucky's 6th congressional district Kentucky's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Based in Central Kentucky, the district contains the cities of Lexington (including its suburbs), Richmond, and Frankfort, the state capital. The ...

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

:* Running mate: Johnathan Masters :* Former running mate: Cherokee Schill

Declined

Jerry Abramson Jerry Edwin Abramson (born September 12, 1946) is an American Democratic politician who was the 55th lieutenant governor of Kentucky. On November 6, 2014, Governor Steve Beshear announced that Abramson would step down from his position as lieute ...

, White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, former lieutenant governor of Kentucky and former

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

Rocky Adkins Rocky J. Adkins (born November 4, 1959) is an American politician from Kentucky. He is a member of the Democratic Party and is serving as a senior advisor to the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear. He is a former member of the Kentucky House o ...

, Majority Leader of the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

Ben Chandler Albert Benjamin Chandler III (born September 12, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States representative for from 2004 to 2013. A Democrat, Chandler was first elected to Congress in a 2004 special election. He ...

, former U.S. Representative, former attorney general of Kentucky and nominee for governor in 2003 * Luther Deaton, banker *

Adam Edelen Adam Edelen (born November 26, 1974, in Meade County, Kentucky) is an American businessman, solar energy entrepreneur, and politician who served as the Auditor of Public Accounts for the Commonwealth of Kentucky from January 2, 2012, to January ...

, State Auditor of Kentucky ( ran for re-election) *

Greg Fischer Gregory Edward Fischer (born January 14, 1958) is an American businessman, entrepreneur and 2nd mayor of Louisville Metro. In 2019, he was elected vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and served as its president in 2020. Fischer ra ...

, Mayor of Louisville *

Alison Lundergan Grimes Alison Case Lundergan Grimes (born November 23, 1978) is an American lawyer and Democratic politician who was the secretary of state of Kentucky from 2012 until 2020. Grimes was elected in 2011 after defeating incumbent Elaine Walker in the De ...

Secretary of State of Kentucky The secretary of state of Kentucky is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is now an elected office, but was an appointed office prior to 1891. The current secretary of state is Republican Michael Adams, who was e ...

and nominee for the U.S. Senate in

( ran for re-election) *

Crit Luallen Eugenia Crittenden Blackburn "Crit" Luallen (born July 21, 1952) is an American politician who served as the 56th lieutenant governor of Kentucky from November 13, 2014, to December 8, 2015. Luallen previously served as Kentucky State Auditor. ...

Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky The lieutenant governor of Kentucky was created under the state's second constitution, which was ratified in 1799. The inaugural officeholder was Alexander Scott Bullitt, who took office in 1800 following his election to serve under James Garrard ...

and former state auditor of Kentucky *

Daniel Mongiardo Frank Daniel Mongiardo (born July 4, 1960) is an American physician and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mongiardo is a Democrat and was the 54th lieutenant governor of Kentucky from 2007 until 2011. He was a member of the Kentucky St ...

, former

and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2004 *

Greg Stumbo Gregory D. Stumbo (born August 14, 1951) is an American lawyer and former Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Kentucky Attorney general from 2004 to 2008. He was the Democratic candida ...

Speaker Speaker may refer to: Society and politics * Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly * Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture * A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially: ** In ...

of the

, former attorney general of Kentucky and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2007 *

John Yarmuth John Allan Yarmuth ( ; born November 4, 1947) is an American politician and former newspaper editor serving as the U.S. representative for since 2007. His district encompasses the vast majority of the Louisville, Kentucky, Louisville Metro Area. ...

, U.S. Representative

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

, businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014 :* Running mate:

Jenean Hampton Jenean Michelle Hampton (born May 12, 1958) is an American politician who served as the 57th lieutenant governor of Kentucky from 2015 to 2019. Hampton was the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Matt Bevin in the 2015 election. A Republican, ...

, former Chairwoman of the

Bowling Green A bowling green is a finely laid, close-mown and rolled stretch of turf for playing the game of bowls. Before 1830, when Edwin Beard Budding of Thrupp, near Stroud, UK, invented the lawnmower, lawns were often kept cropped by grazing sheep on ...

/Southern Kentucky

Tea Party A tea party is a social gathering event held in the afternoon. For centuries, many societies have cherished drinking tea with a company at noon. Tea parties are considered for formal business meetings, social celebrations or just as an afternoon ...

and nominee for the 20th Kentucky House district in 2014 * James Comer, Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky, 2012–2016; and former state representative, 2001-2012 :* Running mate:

Christian McDaniel Christian 'Chris' McDaniel (born July 19, 1977, in Covington, Kentucky) is an American politician and a Republican member of the Kentucky Senate representing District 23 since January 8, 2013. He was the running mate of Republican gubernatoria ...

, state senator, 2013–present * Hal Heiner, former member of the

Louisville Metro Council The Louisville Metro Council is the city council of Louisville, Kentucky (Louisville Metro). It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of A ...

, 2003–2010; and nominee for

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

:* Running mate: K.C. Crosbie, former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman, 2006–2014; former finance chairwoman and national chairwoman for the

Republican Party of Kentucky The Republican Party of Kentucky is the affiliate of the Republican Party in Kentucky and follows its nationally established platform. The party's headquarters is in Frankfort, Kentucky. The party gained relevance around the 1940s. Since this ...

, and nominee for

Kentucky State Treasurer The Kentucky State Treasurer is elected every four years along with the governor and other statewide officials. The treasurer, who can serve two terms, acts as the state's chief elected fiscal officer.Kentucky TreasureWebsite/ref> The salary is $1 ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

* Will T. Scott, former associate justice of the

Kentucky Supreme Court The Kentucky Supreme Court was created by a 1975 constitutional amendment and is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Prior to that the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the only appellate court in Kentucky. The Kentucky Court of ...

, 2005–2015; nominee for

in 1995 and for KY-07 in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

and

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

:* Running mate: Rodney Coffey, former Menifee County Sheriff, 1999–2014; Kentucky Sheriffs Association President, 20142015

Withdrew

* Robert Lee Rosier, U.S. Army veteran :* Running mate: John Yuen, candidate for the State Senate in 2012

Declined

* Cathy Bailey, businesswoman and former

United States Ambassador to Latvia The United States first established diplomatic relations with the Baltic states ( Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia) in 1922. One ambassador, resident in Riga, Latvia, was appointed to all three nations. Relations with the three nations were broken a ...

* Andy Barr, U.S. Representative * Jess Correll, banker *

Richie Farmer Richard Dwight Farmer (born August 25, 1969) is an American former collegiate basketball player and Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Kentucky. He served as the Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner from 2004 to 2012 and was the ...

, former Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky *

Ernie Fletcher Ernest Lee Fletcher (born November 12, 1952) is an American physician and politician. In 1998, he was elected to the first of three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives; he resigned in 2003 after being elected the 60th ...

, former governor and former U.S. Representative *

Trey Grayson Charles Merwin "Trey" Grayson III (born April 18, 1972) is an American politician and attorney who is currently a member at Frost Brown Todd and a principal at CivicPoint. A former Secretary of State of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Grayson als ...

, former

and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 *

Brett Guthrie Steven Brett Guthrie (born February 18, 1964) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district is in central Kentucky and includes Fort Knox, Owensboro, Bowling Green, and Danville. Guthrie previou ...

, U.S. Representative *

Thomas Massie Thomas Harold Massie (born January 13, 1971) is an American politician and businessman. A member of the Republican Party, Massie has been the United States representative for Kentucky's 4th congressional district since 2012, when he defeated Bi ...

, U.S. Representative *

Mitch McConnell Addison Mitchell McConnell III (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician and retired attorney serving as the senior United States senator from Kentucky and the Senate minority leader since 2021. Currently in his seventh term, McConne ...

, U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader * Phil Moffett, businessman,

activist and candidate for governor in 2011 *

Rand Paul Randal Howard Paul (born January 7, 1963) is an American physician and politician serving as the junior U.S. senator from Kentucky since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he is a son of former three-time presidential candidate and 12 ...

, U.S. Senator and 2016 presidential candidate * David L. Williams, judge on the

Kentucky Circuit Courts The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Jurisdiction and bench The Circuit Courts are trial courts with original jurisdiction in cases involving capital offenses and other felonies; ...

, former

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

of the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

and nominee for governor in 2011

Endorsements

Polling

Results

2015 Kentucky Republican primary county map

On May 19, 2015, Matt Bevin won the Republican primary, defeating second-place finisher James Comer by 83 votes.

Independents

Candidates

Declared

Drew Curtis Drew Curtis (born February 7, 1973) is the founder and an administrator of Fark, an Internet news aggregator. He is also the author of '' It's Not News, It's FARK: How Mass Media Tries to Pass off Crap as News'' in May 2007. He is a guest on WOC ...

, entrepreneur and founder and CEO of

Fark.com Fark is a community website created by Drew Curtis that allows members to comment on a daily batch of news articles and other items from various websites. The site receives many story submissions per day and approximately 100 of them are public ...

:* Running mate: Heather Curtis, COO of Fark.com and wife of Drew Curtis * Gatewood Galbraith (formerly Terrill Wayne Newman), social worker (distinguish from politician

Gatewood Galbraith Louis Gatewood Galbraith (January 23, 1947 – January 4, 2012) was an American author and Attorneys in the United States, attorney from the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. He was a five-time political candidate for governor of Kentucky. Early l ...

) :* Running mate: Elisabeth Anderson, retired legal secretary

General election

Predictions

Polling

;Conway vs. Bailey ; Conway vs. Comer ;Conway vs. Heiner ;Conway vs. Scott * * Poll for the Kentucky Democratic Party

Results

References

External links

Matt Bevin for GovernorJack Conway for GovernorDrew Curtis for Governor
{{2015 United States elections

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

November 2015 events in the United States

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...