Why The GOP Legislature Must Work With Beshear

Dear Kentucky Republican lawmakers,

Sure, the 2019 election was a good night for Democrats.

On the other hand, it was an even better night for the Republican Party! You might not have won the top race, but you comfortably swept the other five statewide races. And seeing as each of the victorious-Republican candidates received on average over-100,000 votes more than did Gov. Matt Bevin, in one sense, many Republicans got their choice for governor, too.

True, Republicans control the Senate by 20 seats and, after winning two special elections last Tuesday, you control the state house by 22 seats. The governor’s mansion is indeed a small, blue island in a vast sea of red, and if Gov.-elect Andy Beshear wants to survive again in four years, he needs to start fortifying the foundation immediately.

In many ways, the GOP has a firm grasp on Kentucky government and it would be easy for you to steamroll the incoming governor. After all, Bevin’s loss is his own fault, and now he’s gone thanks to massive vote margins in Louisville and Lexington.

But Bevin also lost in strong Republican areas of Northern Kentucky, and he failed to achieve the same vote margins as he had four years ago in many rural areas. Just look at the map. For many Republican lawmakers, you’ll find your counties aren’t as deep red as they were, and your races are determined by a lot fewer votes.

Read more: https://www.leoweekly.com/2019/11/gop-legislature-must-work-beshear/