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Democrat knocks off incumbent Kentucky governor in state Trump won by 30 points, per projection

Posted at 6:28 PM, Nov 05, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-05 21:58:35-05

Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear is the projected winner in a contentious gubernatorial race, overtaking the incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in a state President Donald Trump won by nearly 30 points in 2016.

Beshear unofficially won by 4,000 votes.

The projection was made by Scripps' Lexington station WLEX-TV.

This comes despite Trump's popularity in the state, and Trump making a stop in Kentucky on Monday, appearing alongside Bevin.

A Mason-Dixon poll showed that 65 of Kentucky voters oppose an impeachment of Trump. The same poll also showed that 57 percent of Kentuckians approve of Trump’s job performance.

Nationally, most polls show Trump with an above 50 percent disapproval rating, and nearly 50 percent of U.S. voters supportive of Trump’s impeachment.

But polls showed the race between Bevin and Beshear would be neck and neck, and those polls appear to be accurate.

A Mason-Dixon poll of 625 Kentucky voters in October showed a 46-46 tie between the two candidates.

The relationship between Bevin and Beshear has been contentious, as Beshear has sued the Bevin administration, most recently in the spring over Bevin’s office issuing subpoenas during a statewide teacher sick-out.

The Bevin administration vowed to hold teachers responsible during the sick-outs, which drew Beshear’s objections.