Democrat Jack Conway Leads Matt Bevin In Close Kentucky Governor’s Race

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Matt Bevin (R) on left; Jack Conway (D) on right

With the Kentucky Governor’s election less than a month away, Democrat Jack Conway holds a narrow 43 to 41 percent lead over tea party Republican Matt Bevin, according to the latest Mason-Dixon Poll. Independent candidate Drew Curtis polls at 6 percent, and 10 percent of Kentucky voters remain undecided.

The poll was conducted from October 6th though October 8th. On October 6th, Republican candidate Matt Bevin suggested during a debate at Centre College, that Seniors who receive Medicare should be drug tested. Bevin seemed confused by the distinction between Medicaid and Medicare, as he argued:

I firmly believe, frankly, we should drug test people who are on medical, that are on Medicaid and Medicare.

Democrats have hammered Bevin for suggesting drug testing Medicare recipients, but Bevin’s poll numbers have stayed competitive with Conway’s numbers in the conservative-leaning state. Nevertheless, the fallout from Bevin’s comments could surface in future polls, as negative reactions to debate mistakes often take a few days to materialize in the court of public opinion.

The Kentucky Governor’s race has also received attention because of Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis’ grandstanding efforts to deny same-sex couples the right to marry. Matt Bevin has given Davis his “absolute support”, while Conway, as the state’s acting Attorney General, has often found himself at odds with Davis, over her unwillingness to comply with the law.

Remarkably all three candidates for Governor have net positive approval ratings from Kentucky voters, despite being in the middle of a contentious campaign. Democrat Jack Conway (42/30) has the highest net favorable rating but both Matt Bevin (39/34) and Drew Curtis (17/11) also have more voters who view them positively, than those who see them in a negative light.

With just over three weeks to go, the race in Kentucky is very close. If Kentucky voters do not want the state to fall into the hands of a tea party Governor, who has suggested drug testing Seniors, they had better make it a point to get out and vote for Jack Conway. As this race goes down to the wire, every vote is going to count.

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Keith Brekhus

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master's Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick's successful re-election bid in Arizona's 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.