America Votes

GOP Outsider Matt Bevin Wins Kentucky Governor's Race

GOP nominee Matt Bevin bested Attorney General Jack Conway to become Kentucky's next governor.

GOP Outsider Matt Bevin Wins Kentucky Governor's Race
Getty Images / Win Mcnamee
SMS

For only the second time in more than 40 years, Kentucky has a Republican governor.

GOP candidate and Tea Party favorite Matt Bevin triumphed over Kentucky's attorney general Jack Conway in Tuesday's election. A millionaire businessman, Bevin ran as a political outsider who couldn't be bought off — a popular theme this year.

The victory is a big win for Republicans, who've managed to win Kentucky's federal elections but haven't had much luck electing state officials. It's also a good sign for the party's national platform; opposition to President Obama's signature health care law was a central plank of Bevin's campaign.

Bevin's win could jeopardize the legacy of current Governor Steve Beshear, whose term limit runs out this year. Beshear's vigorous support of Obamacare, expanding Medicare and setting up a state-run insurance exchange, could all be undone by Bevin.

This video includes images from Getty Images.