Daniel Cameron wins GOP Kentucky gubernatorial primary

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron won the Republican gubernatorial primary in the Bluegrass State, defeating former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft and state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.

Cameron defeated the rest of the GOP field, which included a pool of 11 other candidates all hoping to unseat incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY).

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The state Attorney General held the lead from the moment the polls closed, with the race being called by the Associated Press with less than 30% of the vote in after Cameron jumped to a nearly 25% lead over his closest rival.

Some of the top issues the candidates campaigned on included the inclusion of transgender topics in education, fighting the Biden administration, and gun violence.

Cameron was the first black attorney general elected in Kentucky in 2019 and focused his time as lead prosecutor of the commonwealth pushing to block Biden initiatives, including environmental, social, and governance and allowing biological men to compete on women’s sports teams.

He also branded himself “THE law enforcement candidate” and has vocally opposed gun control proposals.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association, congratulated Cameron, saying his “no-nonsense conservative record” will provide a “sharp contrast” to Beshear in the general election.

“Daniel Cameron’s no-nonsense conservative record and history of delivering results for Kentucky families will stand in sharp contrast to Andy Beshear’s liberal priorities. Whether it’s surrounding himself with extreme liberals, fighting to close churches, or pushing a radical agenda on children in Kentucky schools, Andy Beshear has proven he is not right for Kentucky,” Reynolds said.

“Congratulations to Daniel Cameron on his primary victory, and we look forward to seeing him elected governor this fall,” she added.

The race also featured endorsements from 2024 contenders, with former President Donald Trump endorsing Cameron and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy endorsing Craft. Trump called Cameron a “young star” and said he was “absolutely outstanding in every way” in his June 2022 endorsement.

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Cameron will now face incumbent Beshear, who handily won the Democratic primary, in the general election on Nov. 7, 2023. Beshear was Cameron’s predecessor as attorney general of the commonwealth.

The GOP lost the governorship four years ago in the heavily Republican state when Beshear ousted then-GOP Gov. Matt Bevin. Since 1947, there have only been three Republicans elected as governor of the Bluegrass State.