The Associated Press called the race for Andy Beshear as the Democratic nominee for governor not long after polls closed Tuesday, but he didn’t have to wait long to find out who his Republican challenger would be.
Current Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, is the first major-party Black nominee for governor in the state’s history.
Other results came in quickly thereafter.
Incumbent Michael Adams will run for reelection for his current role as secretary of state with about 64 percent of the vote; Attorney Mark Metcalf won the Republican nomination for treasurer; and Allison Ball is the Republican nominee for auditor.
Sierra Enlow is the Democratic nominee for the commissioner of agriculture.
Adams said he regularly fends off accusations against election impropriety in Kentucky’s elections.
“We’ve done more in three years to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat than our predecessors were able to do in 200 years,” Adams said. “My campaign welcomes support from all Kentuckians. I do not take this race for granted, nor should anyone who wants fair, free, accessible and secure elections.”
With several state legislative candidates requesting recounts over alleged election impropriety in 2022, Adams regularly spoke out against “election deniers,” including Jessica Neal, former Republican candidate for NKY’s 24th Senate District. Adams called such lawsuits frivolous.
Adams beat out former Erlanger City Councilman Stephen Knipper and former state Rep. Allen Maricle.
The Associated Press called Ball the winner of the race for auditor — she received more votes than project manager Derek Petteys.
Ball is the current Kentucky treasurer. During her two terms in office, Ball returned more than $142 million of unclaimed property, launched a website for transparency in government spending and established a savings and investment program for Kentuckians with disabilities called STABLE Kentucky.
Prior to her role as treasurer, Ball practiced bankruptcy law and also served as the assistant Floyd County attorney. She holds a law degree from the University of Kentucky and a bachelor’s degree from Liberty University.
As for treasurer, Mark Metcalf beat out OJ Oleka and Andrew Cooperrider for the Republican nomination.