In 2019, Andy Beshear eked out an upset win for governor of Kentucky, a startling victory for a Democrat in a state that Donald Trump had won in 2016 by around 30 percentage points.
But with his re-election on Tuesday, Mr. Beshear, 45, showed that he was more than just lucky.
He again won the cities of Louisville and Lexington handily, but also won small rural counties across the state that he had lost four years earlier.
The victory followed an aggressive and well-funded campaign that could serve as a blueprint for Democrats across the country, who for years have seen rural states like Kentucky slipping ever further out of reach.
It also could position Mr. Beshear as a candidate for national office in 2028 and beyond.
Persons:
Andy Beshear eked, Donald Trump, Matt Bevin, Beshear, Daniel Cameron
Organizations:
Democrat, Republican, Lexington
Locations:
Kentucky, Louisville