Kentucky Governor | |
General information | |
Office Type: | Partisan |
Office website: | Official Link |
Compensation: | $152,181 |
2022 FY Budget: | $6,900,500 |
Term limits: | 2 consecutive terms |
Structure | |
Length of term: | 4 years |
Authority: | Kentucky Constitution, Article 6, the Executive Department |
Selection Method: | Elected |
Current Officeholder | |
Governor of Kentucky
Andy Beshear | |
Elections | |
Next election: | November 7, 2023 |
Last election: | November 5, 2019 |
Other Kentucky Executive Offices | |
Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Cabinet Secretary • Public Service Commission |
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in Kentucky. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two consecutive terms.[1]
Kentucky has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.
Kentucky has a divided government where neither party holds a triplex. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls the offices of attorney general and secretary of state.
The 63rd and current governor is Andy Beshear (D).[2] He was elected on November 5, 2019, and sworn in on December 10, 2019.
The state Constitution addresses the office of the governor in Article 6, the Executive Department.[1]
Under Article IV, Section 69:
The supreme executive power of the Commonwealth shall be vested in a Chief Magistrate, who shall be styled the "Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky."[1] |
A candidate for governor is required to be:[1]
Kentucky belongs to the handful of states that hold off-year elections, that is, elections in off-numbered years that are neither presidential nor midterm years. In Kentucky's case, elections are held in the year after a midterm and before a presidential; thus, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2027 are all gubernatorial election years. Legally, the inauguration is always held on the fifth Tuesday after an election.
In the event of a tie, a joint session of the legislature shall cast ballots, as set out in § 90.[1]
Andy Beshear defeated incumbent Matt Bevin and John Hicks in the general election for Governor of Kentucky on November 5, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
✔ |
|
Andy Beshear (D) |
49.2
|
709,890 |
|
Matt Bevin (R) |
48.8
|
704,754 | |
|
John Hicks (L) |
2.0
|
28,433 | |
Other/Write-in votes |
0.0
|
46 |
Total votes: 1,443,123 (100.00% precincts reporting) |
||||
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Andy Beshear defeated Rocky Adkins, Adam Edelen, and Geoff Young in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
✔ |
|
Andy Beshear |
37.9
|
149,448 |
|
Rocky Adkins |
31.9
|
125,981 | |
|
Adam Edelen |
27.9
|
110,161 | |
|
Geoff Young |
2.3
|
8,923 |
Total votes: 394,513 | ||||
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Incumbent Matt Bevin defeated Robert Goforth, William Woods, and Ike Lawrence in the Republican primary for Governor of Kentucky on May 21, 2019.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
✔ |
|
Matt Bevin |
52.3
|
136,069 |
|
Robert Goforth |
38.9
|
101,345 | |
|
William Woods |
5.5
|
14,440 | |
|
Ike Lawrence |
3.2
|
8,412 |
Total votes: 260,266 | ||||
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There was a regularly scheduled election for governor in 2015. Steve Beshear (D) was not eligible for re-election due to term limits. The primary election occurred on May 19, 2015, and the general election took place on November 3, 2015.
Republican Matt Bevin and his running mate, Jenean M. Hampton, defeated Attorney General Jack Conway and independent Drew Curtis.[3]
Governor and Lieutenant Governor, 2015 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | Matt Bevin/Jenean M. Hampton | 52.5% | 511,771 | |
Democrat | Jack Conway/Sannie Overly | 43.8% | 426,827 | |
Independent | Drew Curtis/Heather Curtis | 3.7% | 35,627 | |
Total Votes | 974,225 | |||
Election results via Kentucky Secretary of State |
Kentucky governors are restricted to two consecutive terms in office, after which they must wait four years before being eligible to run again.
Kentucky Constitution, Section 71
The Governor shall be ineligible for the succeeding four years after the expiration of any second consecutive term for which he shall have been elected.[1] |
The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of Kentucky governors from 1992 to 2013.
Details of vacancies are addressed under Article 6, Section 84.
Whatever the circumstances, if the elected governor is unable or unwilling to discharge the office, the duties pass to the lieutenant governor. If the governor is on trial for any reason, the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court must be the presiding officer.
Regarding physical or mental unfitness for office, the Attorney General of Kentucky may petition the Supreme Court for a judgment that the governor must be removed either temporarily or permanently.
Substantial power is granted to the Governor of Kentucky. Historically, the office has been regarded as one of the most powerful executive positions in the United States.[1]
The governor exercises traditional veto power, which can be overridden by a majority of both houses of the General Assembly. He or she is also granted the privilege of a line-item veto. As with the U.S. President, the governor has the option of a pocket veto. Unlike the federal pocket veto, however, in the event that the legislature dismisses, preventing the return of the bill by the governor, the bill becomes law after 10 days unless the governor explicitly vetoes it. With the federal pocket veto, the bill is considered vetoed after 10 days if the legislature dismisses.
The governor may, in exceptional circumstances, call the General Assembly into special session. This is done by issuing a proclamation that includes the issue or issues to be addressed in the special session. Consideration of any other issues during the session is forbidden. Special sessions are to take place in the state capital except in cases of danger from enemies or disease; in such cases, the governor specifies the location of the session.
The governor is required to give a "State of the Commonwealth" address periodically to the General Assembly. Traditionally, this is an annual address. The governor is also charged with presenting a budget to the General Assembly every other year.
He or she is granted the traditional executive power of pardon except in cases of impeachment or treason.
The governor is given broad appointment power, and names many state commissioners and department heads without the need for legislative approval. The governor is also empowered to reorganize the state government or reduce it in size.
Other duties and privileges of the office include:
Note: Ballotpedia's state executive officials project researches state official websites for information that describes the divisions (if any exist) of a state executive office. That information for the Governor of Kentucky has not yet been added. After extensive research we were unable to identify any relevant information on state official websites. If you have any additional information about this office for inclusion on this section and/or page, please email us.
The state operates on a biennial budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:<[4]
Kentucky is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[4]
The governor is statutorily required to submit a balanced budget proposal. The legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget.[4]
The Office of the Governor's budget for fiscal year 2022 was $6,900,500.[5]
The salary of the governor and lieutenant governor is determined by the Kentucky State Legislature. Section 74 of the Kentucky Constitution maintains that the governor's pay is fixed by law.[1] Section 96 of the Kentucky Constitution stipulates compensation for duties must be paid as a salary and in no other way.[1]
Kentucky Constitution, Section 74
Compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor shall at stated times receive for the performance of the duties of their respective offices compensation to be fixed by law.[1] |
Kentucky Constitution, Section 96
Compensation of Constitutional State officers. All officers mentioned in Section 95 shall be paid for their services by salary, and not otherwise.[1] |
In 2020, the governor received a salary of $152,181, according to the Council of State Governments.[6]
In 2019, the governor received a salary of $148,781, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
In 2018, the governor received a salary of $145,992, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
In 2017, the governor received a salary of $142,976, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
In 2016, the governor received a salary of $140,070, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
In 2015, the governor’s salary was $151,643, but Gov. Steve Beshear (D) took a voluntary 10% pay decrease, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
In 2014, the governor received a salary of $138,012, according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
In 2013, the governor's salary was $153,970, reflecting a voluntary 10 percent salary reduction taken by Gov. Steve Beshear.[13]
In 2012, the governor was paid an estimated $151,643, according to the Council of State Governments.
There have been 63 governors of Kentucky since 1792. Of the 63 officeholders, nine were Republican, 34 were Democrat, eight were Jeffersonian Republican, nine were Whig, one was Jacksonian Democrat, one was American, and one was Democratic-Republican.[14]
List of officeholders from 1792-present | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
1 | Isaac Shelby | 1792 - 1796 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
2 | James Garrard | 1796 - 1804 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
3 | Christopher Greenup | 1804 - 1808 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
4 | Charles Scott | 1808 - 1812 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
5 | Isaac Shelby | 1812 - 1816 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
6 | George Madison | 1816 - 1816 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
7 | Gabriel Slaughter | 1816 - 1820 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
8 | John Adair | 1820 - 1824 | Democratic-Republican | ||
9 | Joseph Desha | 1824 - 1828 | Jeffersonian Republican | ||
10 | Thomas Metcalfe | 1828 - 1832 | Whig | ||
11 | John Breathitt | 1832 - 1834 | Jacksonian Democrat | ||
12 | James Turner Morehead | 1834 - 1836 | Whig | ||
13 | James Clark | 1836 - 1839 | Whig | ||
14 | Charles Anderson Wickliffe | 1839 - 1840 | Whig | ||
15 | Robert Perkins Letcher | 1840 - 1844 | Whig | ||
16 | William Owsley | 1844 - 1848 | Whig | ||
17 | John Jordan Crittenden | 1848 - 1850 | Whig | ||
18 | John Larue Helm | 1850 - 1851 | Whig | ||
19 | Lazarus Whitehead Powell | 1851 - 1855 | Democratic | ||
20 | Charles Slaughter Morehead | 1855 - 1859 | American | ||
21 | Beriah Magoffin | 1859 - 1862 | Democratic | ||
22 | James Fisher Robinson | 1862 - 1863 | Democratic | ||
23 | Thomas Elliott Bramlette | 1863 - 1867 | Democratic | ||
24 | John Larue Helm | 1867 | Whig | ||
25 | John White Stevenson | 1867 - 1871 | Democratic | ||
26 | Preston Hopkins Leslie | 1871 - 1875 | Democratic | ||
27 | James Bennett McCreary | 1875 - 1879 | Democratic | ||
28 | Luke Pryor Blackburn | 1879 - 1883 | Democratic | ||
29 | James Proctor Knott | 1883 - 1887 | Democratic | ||
30 | Simon Bolivar Buckner | 1887 - 1891 | Democratic | ||
31 | John Young Brown | 1891 - 1895 | Democratic | ||
32 | William O. Bradley | 1895 - 1899 | Republican | ||
33 | William Sylvester Taylor | 1899 - 1900 | Republican | ||
34 | William Goebel | 1900 - 1900 | Democratic | ||
35 | John Crepps Wickliffe Beckham | 1900 - 1907 | Democratic | ||
36 | Augustus Everett Willson | 1907 - 1911 | Republican | ||
37 | James Bennett McCreary | 1911 - 1915 | Democratic | ||
38 | Augustus Owsley Stanley | 1915 - 1919 | Democratic | ||
39 | James Dixon Black | 1919 - 1919 | Democratic | ||
40 | Edwin Porch Morrow | 1919 - 1923 | Republican | ||
41 | William Jason Fields | 1923 - 1927 | Democratic | ||
42 | Flem Davis Sampson | 1927 - 1931 | Republican | ||
43 | Ruby Laffoon | 1931 - 1935 | Democratic | ||
44 | Albert Benjamin Chandler | 1935 - 1939 | Democratic | ||
45 | Keen Johnson | 1939 - 1943 | Democratic | ||
46 | Simeon Slavens Willis | 1943 - 1947 | Republican | ||
47 | Earle Chester Clements | 1947 - 1950 | Democratic | ||
48 | Lawrence Winchester Wetherby | 1950 - 1955 | Democratic | ||
49 | Albert Benjamin Chandler | 1955 - 1959 | Democratic | ||
50 | Bert Thomas Combs | 1959 - 1963 | Democratic | ||
51 | Edward Thompson Breathitt | 1963 - 1967 | Democratic | ||
52 | Louie Broady Nunn | 1967 - 1971 | Republican | ||
53 | Wendell Hampton Ford | 1971 - 1974 | Democratic | ||
54 | Julian Morton Carroll | 1974 - 1979 | Democratic | ||
55 | John Y. Brown | 1979 - 1983 | Democratic | ||
56 | Martha Layne Collins | 1983 - 1987 | Democratic | ||
57 | Wallace G. Wilkinson | 1987 - 1991 | Democratic | ||
58 | Brereton C. Jones | 1991 - 1995 | Democratic | ||
59 | Paul E. Patton | 1995 - 2003 | Democratic | ||
60 | Ernie Fletcher | 2003 - 2007 | Republican | ||
61 | Steve Beshear | 2007 - 2015 | Democratic | ||
62 | Matt Bevin | 2015 - 2019 | Republican | ||
63 | Andy Beshear | 2019 - present | Democratic |
Kentucky's 1899 gubernatorial election brought widespread civil disorder to the state and was only decided following a protracted legal battle.
At the time, state law prohibited governors from serving consecutive terms. As a result, then-Gov. William Bradley (R), the first Republican elected as Kentucky's governor, was ineligible to seek re-election. Attorney General William Taylor (R) won the Republican nomination, decided at the time by a convention rather than a primary election.
The Democratic convention was more hotly-contested, with candidates including state Sen. William Goebel (D), 1895 gubernatorial nominee Parker Watkins Hardin (D), and former Rep. William Johnson Stone (D). After four days and 24 rounds of voting, no candidate received enough votes to secure the nomination.
In response to suggestions that the delegates disband and schedule a second convention, Goebel proposed that the last-place nominee on the following, 25th, round of voting be eliminated. Seeking a resolution to the convention, the delegates agreed. Knowing that his own platform had more in common with last-place Stone's than with Hardin's, Goebel instructed some of his delegates to vote instead for Hardin in the 25th round, leading to Stone's elimination. In the 26th round of voting, Goebel won the nomination with the support of many of Stone's delegates. Goebel's tactics at the convention angered some Democrats, who held a second convention and nominated former Gov. John Y. Brown (D).[15]
The officially-reported returns indicated a narrow win for Taylor, who defeated Goebel by 2,383 votes. Brown received 14,050 votes—nearly six times the margin between Taylor and Goebel.[16] Supporters of Goebel alleged election fraud, leading the majority-Democratic legislature to appoint an 11-member select committee to investigate the election's outcome. Although membership on the committee was officially random, only one Republican legislator was selected.
As the committee met to deliberate the election's results, Goebel was mortally wounded by a shot from the Executive Building while entering the state capitol. Armed supporters of both parties had flooded the streets and then-Gov. Taylor ordered the state legislature to move to the Republican stronghold of London, Kentucky.
The day after the shooting, the select committee declared Goebel the winner of the election and swore him in on his deathbed. Democratic lieutenant gubernatorial nominee John Beckham (D) was sworn in as lieutenant governor and acting governor. Three days later, Goebel died.
Goebel's death led to a standoff between two parallel state governments—a Republican-controlled government in London and a Democratic-controlled government in Louisville.[17] An agreement had been brokered under which Taylor and his lieutenant governor would retire and hand the governor's office to Beckham. However, Taylor withdrew his support and said that he preferred to allow the courts to decide the election.
After the state's highest court ruled in favor of Beckham and the Democratic government, an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was denied on the grounds that the dispute was not a federal matter. By May 1900, the Democratic and Republican governments had been disbanded and regular order was restored. Beckham served out the remainder of Goebel's term and was elected governor in his own right in the 1903 election. Taylor left the state for Indiana. The identity of Goebel's assassin was never determined.[18]
From 1992 to 2013, in Kentucky there were Democratic governors in office for 18 years, including the last six, while there were Republican governors in office for four years. Kentucky is one of seven states that were run by a Democratic governor for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992 and 2013.
Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82 percent) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27 percent) from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Kentucky, the Kentucky State Senate and the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Kentucky state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Kentucky has been in the bottom-10 of the SQLI ranking regardless of its Democratic trifecta or years under divided government. The state’s highest ranking came in 1998 and 1999 (43rd) under a Democratic trifecta, while the state’s lowest ranking came in between the years 2003 and 2011 (48th) under divided government. The state has never had a Republican trifecta.
Demographic data for Kentucky | ||
---|---|---|
Kentucky | U.S. | |
Total population: | 4,424,611 | 316,515,021 |
Land area (sq mi): | 39,486 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White: | 87.6% | 73.6% |
Black/African American: | 7.9% | 12.6% |
Asian: | 1.3% | 5.1% |
Native American: | 0.2% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
Hispanic/Latino: | 3.3% | 17.1% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate: | 84.2% | 86.7% |
College graduation rate: | 22.3% | 29.8% |
Income | ||
Median household income: | $43,740 | $53,889 |
Persons below poverty level: | 22.7% | 11.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kentucky. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. |
Kentucky voted Republican in all six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020.
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, one is located in Kentucky, accounting for 0.5 percent of the total pivot counties.[19]
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Kentucky had one Retained Pivot County, 0.55 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Kentucky coverage on Ballotpedia
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700 Capitol Avenue, Suite 100
Frankfort, Kentucky 40601
Phone:502-564-2611
Fax:502-564-2517
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State of Kentucky Frankfort (capital) | |
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