Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron won the crowded Republican primary in the state’s gubernatorial race Tuesday night, and he will face incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear (D) in the November general election.
Cameron edged out his win with 48% of the vote and beat 11 other rivals, including state Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles (22%), former United Nations ambassador Kelly Craft (17%) and suspended lawyer Eric Deters (6%). Despite Craft using millions of her and her husband Joe Craft’s own money, Cameron was leading in polls all the way up to his victory on Election Day on Tuesday.
Cameron was first elected to public office in 2019 when he became Kentucky’s 51st attorney general. He announced his run for governor last May, and his primary win is the latest in a series of political victories for the 37-year-old. Craft previously working in former President Donald Trump’s administration, leading to Cameron receiving Trump’s endorsement in the Kentucky GOP primary. Cameron was also on Trump’s shortlist of Supreme Court nominees despite never serving as a judge in his career.
During his tenure as attorney general, Cameron has made it clear that he heavily opposes abortion. While the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, Cameron called for all abortions to be halted in Kentucky because he said the operation is an “elective procedure.” The Kentucky Legislature even tried to give the attorney general’s office the power to regulate abortion clinics, but Beshear vetoed the legislation. Cameron also spent much of his time vehemently opposing Beshear’s executive orders to stop the spread of COVID-19 during the height of the pandemic.
Beshear himself preceded Cameron as Kentucky’s attorney general before being elected governor in 2019. The two men will face each other on Nov. 7 to determine the political swing of the governorship.