By Kari Lutes, Contributing Writer
On Nov. 3,, 2015, Republican Matt Bevin was elected governor of Kentucky. Bevin won the election with a 52 percent majority, beating out Democratic challenger, Jack Conway. Bevin will replace Democrat Steve Beshear, who was ineligible to run due to term limits, as governor. He is one of only two GOP members to hold the office of governor of Kentucky in the last 40 years.
Bevin, a tea party favorite, is a self-described political outsider. In the 2014 senate primary, Bevin ran against Mitch McConnell, an act which placed him outside his own party. McConnell, however, had only support to offer Bevin. The senator offered his congratulations to Bevin, saying, “I look forward to working with him” to NBC news.
This will be the first time Bevin has ever held office. The same is true for his running mate, Jenean Hampton, the first African American to ever hold office statewide in Kentucky.
Bevin ran on a conservative platform. He calls for tax reform, eliminating common core educational reform and majorly cutting back the state’s Medicaid program, with the overall goal to shrink the size of the government. Bevin’s plan to shrink the Kynect, Kentucky’s Medicaid program, leaves many wondering about their insurance policies, but Bevin promises, “You will not be left out.”
Bevin has also taken a stand on the nationally recognized Kim Davis case. On the grounds of her Christian beliefs, Davis, a Rowan county clerk, refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the Supreme Court ruling in June. Bevin plans to issue an executive order that will remove the names of county clerks from the marriage form in an attempt to avoid other such controversies in the state.
Bevin used much of his personal funds as well as his personal story to aid him in his campaign. Bevin identifies as a Christian and is the father of nine children, four of whom were adopted from Ethiopia.
Bevin will take office on Dec. 8, 2015.