LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — – Don Blevins, Jr. was more than happy to conduct a recanvass of last Tuesday’s Gubernatorial election results, which Democrat Andy Beshear is leading by more than 5,000 votes. What Blevins didn’t like at all was the insinuation, made by Governor Matt Bevin, of voting irregularities that took place in various counties across Kentucky. Bevin made these allegations on Election Day, without offering any tangible evidence of wrong doing.
“I would never allow that kind of malarkey in my county,” Blevins said following Thursday’s recanvass. “So I take it personally when the Governor says something like that. No! I don’t want to hear it. You need to graciously accept your defeat,” Blevins continued.
Blevins felt strongly before Thursday’s recanvass that Bevin had lost the election, and nothing that happened inside this room in downtown Lexington on Thursday morning changed his mind. After checking, Beshear still had 73,397 votes in Fayette County, to the 36,915 amassed by Bevin. “I would’ve been the most surprised person in the room had we had even one vote change,” he said. He’ll be just as shocked if the results are altered by much in other parts of the state. “I can’t imagine any county having anything different than what we just did, unless there was some human error.”
Even still, the deficit Bevin is facing seems insurmountable at this point. “5,000 votes is very difficult to overcome state-wide. There will not be that many errors,” Blevins said.
Blevins said the ball will now be in the Governor’s court, once each county has reported its recanvassing numbers to Secretary of State Alison Grimes’ office. Bevin still has one more option he could exercise through the state legislature, but Blevins is hopeful he won’t do to that.
“It’s time,” he said of Bevin’s need to concede the race.
It’s official in Fayette Co. Recanvass result. #KYGov @GovMattBevin @AndyBeshearKY @LEX18News pic.twitter.com/WmMUzRmdrz
— Michael Berk (@LEX18_Michael) November 14, 2019
