2015 Kentucky elections

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Kentucky on November 3, 2015. All of Kentucky's executive officers were up for election. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015.

Elections in Kentucky
Government

Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Main article: 2015 Kentucky gubernatorial election

Incumbent Democratic Governor Steve Beshear was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office.

In Kentucky, gubernatorial candidates pick their own running mates and they are elected on shared tickets in both the primary and general elections.

The candidates for the Democratic nomination were Attorney General of Kentucky Jack Conway and his running mate State Representative Sannie Overly;[1] and retired engineer and 2014 Congressional candidate Geoff Young and his running mate Jonathan Masters.[2] Conway and Overly easily defeated Young and Masters at the primary election for the Democratic Party nomination.[3]

For the Republicans, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014 Matt Bevin ran on a ticket with Tea Party activist and 2014 State House candidate Jenean Hampton;[4] Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky James Comer ran on a ticket with State Senator Christian McDaniel;[5][6] former Louisville Metro Councilman and nominee for Mayor of Louisville in 2010 Hal Heiner ran on a ticket with former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilwoman and nominee for Kentucky State Treasurer in 2011 K.C. Crosbie;[7][8] and former Associate Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court Will T. Scott ran on a ticket with former Menifee County Sheriff Rodney Coffey.[9][10] Bevin held an 83-vote lead over Comer in the primary election, with both Heiner and Scott conceding. The Associated Press, referring to the race between Bevin and Comer a "virtual tie", did not called the race in favor of either candidate. In addition, Comer refused to concede and stated that he would ask for a recanvass.[11] The request for recanvass was filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State's office on May 20, 2015 with Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes ordering the recanvass to occur at 9:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28, 2015.[12][13] Upon completion of the recanvass, Grimes announced that Bevin remained 83 votes ahead of Comer. Grimes also stated that should Comer want a full recount, it would require a court order from the Franklin Circuit Court.[14] On May 29, Comer announced he would not request a recount and conceded the nomination to Bevin.[15]

Results
Kentucky gubernatorial election, 2015[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Matt Bevin/Jenean Hampton 511,771 52.5
Democratic Jack Conway/Sannie Overly 426,827 43.8
Independent Drew Curtis/Heather Curtis 35,627 3.7
Total votes 974,225 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

Attorney General

Incumbent Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office. He instead ran for Governor.

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined

Republican primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined
  • Luke Morgan, attorney[25]
  • Mark Wohlander, attorney[26]

Results
Republican primary results[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Whitney Westerfield 96,581 53.38
Republican Michael T. Hogan 84,364 46.62
Total votes 180,945 100.0

General election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Andy
Beshear (D)		 Whitney
Westerfield (R)		 Other Undecided
SurveyUSA October 23–26, 2015 798 ± 3.5% 47% 35% — 17%
WKU October 19–25, 2015 770 ± 3.5% 42% 36% — 22%
SurveyUSA September 22–27, 2015 701 ± 3.8% 38% 38% — 22%
SurveyUSA July 22–28, 2015 685 ± 3.8% 40% 33% — 24%
Public Policy Polling June 18–21, 2015 1,108 ± 2.9% 36% 41% — 23%

Results
Kentucky Attorney General election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Andy Beshear 479,929 50.1
Republican Whitney Westerfield 477,735 49.9
Total votes 957,664 100.0
Democratic hold

Secretary of State

Incumbent Democratic Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes was eligible to run for re-election to a second term in office. She had considered running for Governor of Kentucky or for Attorney General of Kentucky.[28][29][30] She decided to seek re-election.

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined

Results
Democratic primary results[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alison Lundergan Grimes (incumbent) 131,640 73.25
Democratic Charles Lovett 48,083 26.75
Total votes 179,723 100.0

Republican primary

Candidates
Declared
Withdrew
  • Michael Pitzer, candidate for the State House in 2008[31]
Declined

General election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Alison
Lundergan
Grimes (D)		 Steve
Knipper (R)		 Other Undecided
SurveyUSA October 23–26, 2015 798 ± 3.5% 50% 37% — 12%
WKU October 19–25, 2015 770 ± 3.5% 46% 35% — 19%
SurveyUSA September 22–27, 2015 701 ± 3.8% 46% 38% — 15%
SurveyUSA July 22–28, 2015 685 ± 3.8% 46% 40% — 12%
Public Policy Polling June 18–21, 2015 1,108 ± 2.9% 42% 47% — 12%
Gravis Marketing January 5–6, 2015 608 ± 4% 47% 46% — 7%

Results
Kentucky Secretary of State election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alison Lundergan Grimes (incumbent) 493,598 51.2
Republican Steve Knipper 471,209 48.8
Total votes 964,807 100.0
Democratic hold

State Auditor

Incumbent Democratic State Auditor Adam Edelen had considered running for Governor in 2015, even lining up a running mate, but ultimately declined to do so. He instead ran for re-election to a second term in office.[39]

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined
  • Chris Tobe, CFA, writer, former trustee of the Kentucky Retirement Systems and former staffer to State Auditor Ed Hatchett[33]

Republican primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined

General election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Adam
Edelen (D)		 Mike
Harmon (R)		 Other Undecided
SurveyUSA October 23–26, 2015 798 ± 3.5% 42% 34% — 22%
WKU October 19–25, 2015 770 ± 3.5% 40% 35% — 25%
SurveyUSA September 22–27, 2015 701 ± 3.8% 35% 33% — 27%
SurveyUSA July 22–28, 2015 685 ± 3.8% 35% 31% — 30%
Public Policy Polling June 18–21, 2015 1,108 ± 2.9% 33% 39% — 27%

Results
Kentucky State Auditor election, 2015[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mike Harmon 486,741 51.9
Democratic Adam Edelen (incumbent) 450,316 48.1
Total votes 937,057 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

State Treasurer

Incumbent Democratic State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach was term-limited and could not run for re-election to a third term in office. He had said that he may run for another office in 2015, but did not specify which, and eventually declined to run for another statewide office.[33] He instead successfully ran for an open seat on the Jefferson County District Court, defeating 20 other candidates.[41]

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
  • Neville Blakemore, Executive Chairman of Great Northern Building Products and nominee for Louisville Metro Council in 2006[42]
  • Jim Glenn, State Representative and candidate for State Auditor in 2003[43]
  • Daniel Grossberg, Jefferson County Commissioner and President of the Louisville Young Democrats[42]
  • Richard Henderson, former State Representative and former Mayor of Jeffersonville[44]
  • Rick Nelson, state representative[45]
Declined
  • Colmon Elridge, aide to Governor Steve Beshear and former Executive Vice President of Young Democrats of America[32][46][47]
  • Dee Dee Ford-Keene, businesswoman and former President of the Democratic Women's Club of Kentucky[33][48][49]
  • Chris Tobe, CFA, writer, former trustee of the Kentucky Retirement Systems and former staffer to State Auditor Ed Hatchett[33][48]

Results
Democratic primary results[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Rick Nelson 44,397 27.17
Democratic Neville Blakemore 36,663 22.44
Democratic Richard Henderson 32,914 20.14
Democratic Jim Glenn 31,146 19.06
Democratic Daniel B. Grossberg 18,284 11.19
Total votes 163,404 100.0

Republican primary

Candidates
Declared

Results
Republican primary results[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Allison Ball 84,516 46.88
Republican Jon Larson 55,712 30.91
Republican Kenny Imes 40,039 22.21
Total votes 180,267 100.0

General election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Rick
Nelson (D)		 Allison
Ball (R)		 Other Undecided
SurveyUSA October 23–26, 2015 798 ± 3.5% 35% 37% — 25%
WKU October 19–25, 2015 770 ± 3.5% 32% 37% — 31%
SurveyUSA September 22–27, 2015 701 ± 3.8% 33% 35% — 28%
SurveyUSA July 22–28, 2015 685 ± 3.8% 36% 33% — 29%
Public Policy Polling June 18–21, 2015 1,108 ± 2.9% 32% 41% — 26%
Gravis Marketing January 5–6, 2015 608 ± 4% 32% 34% — 35%

Results
Kentucky State Treasurer election, 2015[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Allison Ball 571,455 60.6
Democratic Rick Nelson 372,416 39.4
Total votes 943,871 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic

Agriculture Commissioner

Incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner James Comer did not run for re-election to a second term in office. He instead ran for Governor, and was defeated by Matt Bevin in the Republican primary.

Democratic primary

Candidates
Declared
  • Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, businesswoman, radio host and agriculture activist[53][54]
Declined

Republican primary

Candidates
Declared
Declined

Results
Republican primary results[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ryan Quarles 92,700 50.39
Republican Richard Heath 91,273 49.61
Total votes 183,973 100.0

General election

Polling
Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin of
error		 Ryan
Quarles (R)		 Jean-Marie
Lawson
Spann (D)		 Other Undecided
SurveyUSA October 23–26, 2015 798 ± 3.5% 40% 33% — 24%
WKU October 19–25, 2015 770 ± 3.5% 37% 30% — 33%
SurveyUSA September 22–27, 2015 701 ± 3.8% 34% 31% — 29%
SurveyUSA July 22–28, 2015 685 ± 3.8% 33% 32% — 30%
Gravis Marketing January 5–6, 2015 608 ± 4% 39% 31% — 30%

Results
Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner election, 2015
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ryan Quarles 563,383 60.1
Democratic Jean-Marie Lawson Spann 374,402 39.9
Total votes 937,785 100.0
Republican hold

Kentucky Supreme Court

District 7

A non-partisan special election was held along with the May 19, 2015 primary elections to fill the 7th district seat of the Kentucky Supreme Court.[61] The seat was vacated when Justice Will T. Scott resigned to run for Governor.[62] The winner of the election will serve the remainder of Scott's term, with the seat coming up for re-election next in 2020.

Candidates
Declared
Withdrew

Results
Results of the Kentucky Supreme Court, District 7 election results, 2015
  Stumbo—>90%
  Stumbo—80-90%
  Stumbo—70-80%
  Stumbo—60-70%
  Stumbo—50-60%
  Stumbo—<50%
  Wright—<50%
  Wright—50-60%
  Wright—60-70%
  Wright—70-80%
  Wright—80-90%
  Wright—>90%
General election results[64]
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Sam Wright 40,676 51.85%
Independent Janet Stumbo 37,772 48.15%
Total votes 78,448 100%
gollark: ++remind 5h attain emojicoid for works on my machine
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gollark: Essentially, a Macron will be received from the future and verified. If it is a valid Macron it will be sent back in time. Otherwise, it will not. The only self consistent outcome is that either Macron occurs or a ridiculous failure mode does.
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