Republicans sweep down-ticket races

Published 9:45 pm Tuesday, November 7, 2023

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KENTUCKY TODAY

Just like four years ago, there was a Republican sweep of the down-ticket races in the results of the Kentucky Constitutional offices, while Democrats were able to hold onto a vacant House seat in Fayette County during Tuesday’s general election.

Michael Adams easily won reelection to a second term as Secretary of State. His Democratic opponent, Charles “Buddy” Wheatley, was a former state representative who was also a retired Covington Fire Chief.

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One-time U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, Russell Coleman, also cruised to victory in the Attorney General’s race, where he will succeed Daniel Cameron, who gave up the seat to run for governor.  It was an all-Jefferson County race, as his opponent, Pamela Stevenson is a House member from Louisville.

In the race for Auditor of Public Accounts, Allison Ball, who is wrapping up her second term as State Treasurer, defeated Kimberley Reeder, a Rowan County native who is a tax attorney now living in Frankfort. Ball succeeds Mike Harmon who was term-limited and lost in the May gubernatorial primary to Cameron.

Mark Metcalf, currently the Garrard County Attorney, won the race to succeed Ball as State Treasurer.  He defeated Michael Bowman of Louisville, who also lost the 2019 treasurer’s race to Ball, and who has a banking and financial background.

Jonathan Shell, a former House Majority Leader, won the race for Commissioner of Agriculture, where he will succeed Ryan Quarles, who was term-limited and also lost to Cameron in the May gubernatorial primary.

The only other Democratic win, other than Gov. Andy Beshear, was a special election in the 93rd State House District, where Democrat Adrielle Camuel defeated Republican Kyle Whelan.