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Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023 (May 16 Republican primary)
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| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: January 6, 2023 |
| Primary: May 16, 2023 General: November 7, 2023 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Andy Beshear (Democratic) Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman (Democratic) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voting in Kentucky |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2023 Impact of term limits in 2023 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2023 |
| Kentucky executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
Daniel Cameron defeated Kelly Craft, Ryan Quarles, and nine other candidates in the Republican primary for governor of Kentucky on May 16, 2023. The general election took place on November 7, 2023. Incumbent governor Andy Beshear (D) ran for re-election.
Cameron, Quarles and Craft led in polling and media attention ahead of the primary.[1][2]
Heading into the primary, the Associated Press’ Bruce Schreiner wrote that "[t]he top contenders often sound[ed] alike on core GOP issues. They support gun rights, oppose abortion and demand more parental input in school policies."[3]
At the time of the election, Cameron had served as attorney general since 2019, when he defeated Gregory Stumbo (D) 58% to 42%. Cameron previously worked as a law clerk and as legal counsel to U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R).[4][5] On June 16, 2022, President Donald Trump (R) endorsed Cameron. Following the endorsement, Cameron said, "With President Trump’s support, we are more ready than ever to take on the Beshear-Biden agenda that is failing our families and doesn’t reflect the values of our 120 counties."[6][7]
Craft served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under Trump from 2019 to 2021 and as U.S. Ambassador to Canada from 2017 to 2019. In a campaign ad, Kelly said, "I’m unapologetic about being pro-life, defending our veterans, and defending our second amendment." U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R) and Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Craft.[8][9][10][11][12]
Quarles, a former state representative, had served as Kentucky’s Commissioner of Agriculture since 2016. "Kentucky deserves a Governor who knows what a hard day's work looks like. Whether it was getting mud on my boots at the farm or teaching our next generations, I believe I will be that Governor," Quarles said. Quarles has the endorsements of four state senators, 22 state representatives, and other local state officials.[13][14]
Heading into the primary, Vox's Ben Jacobs wrote that Cameron’s key advantage was Trump’s endorsement. “The former president issued an endorsement of Cameron in 2022 which the state attorney general has heavily touted in recent weeks,” Jacobs wrote. [15]
"In contrast," wrote Jacobs, "Craft’s biggest advantage is her personal wealth. Her husband Joe Craft is a billionaire coal mogul. She has loaned her campaign almost $10 million this year and her husband has spent $1.5 million to fund the superPAC that supports her."[15]
Quarles, wrote The New York Times’ Nick Corasaniti, "has aggressively campaigned in rural stretches of the state, racking up more than 235 endorsements from local officials, including county judges, mayors and magistrates."[2]
The outcome of the general election determined the state’s trifecta status. [16]
Kentucky—alongside Kansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina—was one of four states with a Democratic governor that President Donald Trump (R) won in 2020. That year, Trump defeated Joe Biden (D) 62% to 36% in the state. The last Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state was former President Bill Clinton in 1996.
At the state level, Democratic governors had led Kentucky for 64 of the past 76 years. The state had elected three Republican governors since World War II, each serving single terms from 1967 to 1971, 2003 to 2007, and 2015 to 2019.
Jacob Clark, David Cooper, Bob DeVore, Eric Deters, Mike Harmon, Alan Keck, Dennis Ray Ormerod, Johnny Ray Rice, and Robbie Smith also ran in the primary.
Kentucky also held elections for Attorney General, Secretary of State, Treasurer, Auditor of Public Accounts, and Commissioner of Agriculture on Tuesday, as well as a special election for State Senate District 28.
This page focuses on Kentucky's Republican Party gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Kentucky's Democratic gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023 (May 16 Democratic primary)
- Kentucky gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2023
Candidates and election results
Governor
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Daniel Cameron | 47.7 | 144,576 |
 | Ryan Quarles | 21.7 | 65,718 | |
 | Kelly Knight Craft | 17.2 | 52,170 | |
 | Eric Deters | 5.8 | 17,464 | |
 | Mike Harmon | 2.6 | 7,797 | |
 | Alan Keck | 2.4 | 7,317 | |
 | David Cooper  | 0.8 | 2,282 | |
 | Jacob Clark | 0.6 | 1,900 | |
 | Robbie Smith | 0.5 | 1,388 | |
 | Bob DeVore | 0.3 | 931 | |
| Johnny Ray Rice | 0.2 | 726 | ||
| Denny Ormerod | 0.2 | 696 | ||
| Total votes: 302,965 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Savannah Maddox (R)
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Kentucky
State profile
| Demographic data for Kentucky | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 4,424,611 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 39,486 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 87.6% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 7.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 84.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 22.3% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $43,740 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 22.7% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kentucky. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Kentucky
Kentucky voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Kentucky, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[17]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Kentucky had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Kentucky coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Kentucky
- United States congressional delegations from Kentucky
- Public policy in Kentucky
- Endorsers in Kentucky
- Kentucky fact checks
- More...
2023 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This election was a battleground race. Other 2023 battleground elections included:
- Douglas County School District, Colorado, elections (2023)
- Pennsylvania House of Representatives special elections (February 7, 2023)
- Virginia State Senate District 7 special election, 2023
See also
| Kentucky | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Emerson College Polling, "Kentucky 2023: Cameron, Craft, Quarles Top GOP Nomination Contest, 1 in 5 Undecided," April 13, 2023
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The New York Times, "A Hostile, Under-the-Radar Primary Splinters Republicans," May 1, 2023
- ↑ Associated Press, "Kentucky GOP aims for strong matchup versus Dem Gov. Beshear," May 7, 2023
- ↑ Frost Brown Todd Attorneys, "Daniel Jay Cameron," accessed May 13, 2023
- ↑ Daniel Cameron for Governor, "Daniel’s Story," accessed May 13, 2023
- ↑ Daniel Cameron for Governor, "President Donald J. Trump Endorses Daniel Cameron For Governor Of Kentucky," June 16, 2022
- ↑ Associated Press, "Trump endorses Cameron’s bid for governor in Kentucky," June 16, 2023
- ↑ [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/desantis-endorses-kelly-craft-pivotal-kentucky-governors-race-setting-stage-epic-clash-trump Fox News, "DeSantis endorses Kelly Craft in pivotal Kentucky governor's race, setting stage for epic clash with Trump," May 16,2023
- ↑ The Courier Journal, "Who is Kelly Craft? What to know about the candidate for Kentucky governor," September 7, 2022
- ↑ Kelly Craft for Governor of Kentucky, "Keeping Kentucky's Promise," accessed May 12, 2023
- ↑ Fox News, "Kentucky GOP gubernatorial candidate Kelly Craft campaigns with Rep. Comer after missing Trump endorsement," April 13, 2023
- ↑ The Gazette,' "Ted Cruz endorses Kelly Craft in tight Kentucky GOP primary against Daniel Cameron," May 4, 2023
- ↑ Quarles Governor 2023, "Home Page," accessed May 13, 2023
- ↑ Quarles Governor 2023, "Endorsed by Kentucky," May 13, 2023
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Vox, "The GOP knife fight in the race for Kentucky’s governorship," May 7, 2023
- ↑ The Cook Political Report, "Kentucky Governor, 2024," accessed May 13, 2023
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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