'We're gonna start bringing Kentucky together': Governor-elect
U.S. Democrats claimed an upset win in Kentucky on Tuesday over a Republican governor backed by President Donald Trump and seized control of the state legislature in Virginia, where anti-Trump sentiment in the suburbs remained a potent force.
In Kentucky, Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear, whose father, Steve, was the state's last Democratic governor, scored a narrow victory over Governor Matt Bevin despite an election-eve rally headlined by Trump.
While the result was a significant setback for Trump, who remains relatively popular in Kentucky, it may have had more to do with Bevin's diminished standing in the state. Opinion polls showed Bevin may be the least popular governor in the country, after he waged high-profile fights with labor unions and teachers.
Beshear's upset win could also bolster Democrats' slim hopes of ousting Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is on the ballot himself in the state next year.
At a rally on Tuesday night, Bevin refused to concede, citing unspecified "irregularities," even as Beshear called on the governor to honor the results.
