KENTUCKY 8 Electoral Votes
Population 
(Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Kentucky State Board of Elections)
Total Population, July 1, 2008 est.              4,269,245
Total Registration, Nov. 4, 2008 >               2,906,809
Dem. 1,662,093 (57.18%)   Rep. 1,053,871 (36.26%)   Other 190,845 (6.57%)
Kentucky has: 120 counties. 
Largest counties: Jefferson, Fayette, Kenton, Boone. >
Largest cities: Louisville-Jefferson, Lexington-Fayette. >

Government
Governor: Steve Beshear (D) elected Nov. 2007.
State Legislature: Kentucky Legislature   House: 100 seats   Senate: 38 seats
Local: Cities & Counties   NACO Counties
U.S. House: 4R, 2D - 1. E.Whitfield (R) | 2. R.Lewis (R) | 3. J.Yarmuth (D) | 4.G.Davis (R) | 5. H.Rogers (R) | 6. B.Chandler (D).
U.S. Senate: Mitch McConnell (R) up for re-election in 2008, Jim Bunning (R) re-elected in 2004. 
2008
update
U.S. Senate:  Democrats hoped to oust Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), but he won a fifth term by 953,816 votes to 847,005 votes (53.0% to 47.0%) over Bruce Lunsford (D). 
U.S. House:  In the 2nd CD (Central Kentucky) race to succeed retiring Rep. Ron Lewis (R), S. Brett Guthrie (R) defeated David Boswell (D) by 158,936 votes to 143,379 votes (52.6% to 47.4%).  The U.S. House delegation remains at
4R, 2D.  MORE

The Bluegrass State

 Commonwealth of Kentucky
Board of Elections

Constitution Party of KY
KY Democratic Party
Libertarian Party of KY
Republican Party of KY

Louisville Courier-Journal
Media (Newsp.)
TV, Radio

 Politics1-KY

blogs:
BluegrassReport.org
KY Kurmudgeon
Bluegrass Policy
 

General Election -- Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Voting Eligible Population*: 3,156,794.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 57.9%.

Total Registration: 2,906,809.

Official Results >


+McCain/Palin (Rep.)
1,048,462
(57.40)
Obama/Biden (Dem.)
751,985
(41.17)
Nader/Gonzalez (Ind.)
15,378
(0.84)
Barr/Root (Lib.)
5,989
(0.33)
Baldwin/Thornsberry (Const.)
4,694
(0.26)
Total........1,826,508

2008 Overview
McCain-Palin prevailed with a plurality of 296,477 votes (16.23 percentage points), carrying 112 counties to just 8 for Obama.  In terms of congressional districts, McCain carried all but the 3rd CD.  In terms of 2008 campaign activity, Sen. McCain attended a fundraiser at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville on June 28, and Sen. Biden attended a fundraiser at the downtown Marriott in Louisville on Sept. 24; Gov. Palin came close with her Oct. 29 stop in Jeffersonville, IN, across the river from Louisville.
Obama/Allies  |  McCain/Allies  |  Nader


Primary Election - Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Registration, May 20, 2008Dem. 1,629,845 (57.04%)   Rep. 1,040,438 (36.41%)   Other 186,948 (6.54%)   Total 2,857,231
According to statute, "The state executive committee of each political party shall, pursuant to its party's rules, determine whether to distribute its party's authorized delegate votes for presidential candidates at its party's national convention based on the results of a party caucus, a presidential preference primary, or a combination of the two (2) methods."  The primary date is the first Tuesday after the third Monday in May. (KRS 118.555, KRS 118.561, more).
Democrats
60 Delegates (51 Pledged, 9 Unpledged) and 9 Alternates.
1.48% of the 4,047 Delegate Votes.

Clinton  |  Obama

Results
+Hillary Clinton
459,511
65.5%
Barack Obama
209,954
29.9%
Uncommitted
18,091
2.6%
John Edwards
14,212
2.0%

701,768

Republicans
45 Delegates: 3 RNC; 24 at-large; 18 by CD (3 x 6). 
1.89% of the 2,380 Delegates.

McCain
former:
Huckabee  |  Romney  |  FThompson
Giuliani - former Congresswoman Anne Northup announced as state chair on Nov. 16, 2007.

Results
+John McCain
142,918
72.3%
Mike Huckabee
16,388
8.3%
Ron Paul
13,427
6.8%
Uncommitted
10,755
5.4%
Mitt Romney
9,206
4.7%
Rudy Giuliani
3,055
1.5%
Alan Keyes
2,044
1.0%

197,793

also Democrats' release


General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004
Voting Eligible Population: 3,057,741.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 58.7%.

Total Registration: 2,794,286.
+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
1,069,439
(59.55)
Kerry/Edwards (Dem.)
712,733
(39.69)
Nader/Camejo (Ind.) 8,856 (0.49)
Badnarik/Campagna (Lib.) 2,619
(0.14)
Peroutka/Baldwin (Const.)
2,213
(0.12)
Total........1,795,860
 




2004 Overview
The Kerry campaign had a brief presence in the state after the Democratic Convention, but pulled out after about six weeks.  Bush improved upon his 2000 showing, gaining a plurality of 356,706 votes (19.86 percentage points).  Bush carried 109 counties to 11 for Kerry.
General Election Details
Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04

General Election - Tuesday, November 7, 2000
Voting Eligible Population: 2,955,628.
VEP Highest Office Turnout Rate: 52.2%.

Total Registration: 2,556,815. 
Official Results


+Bush/Cheney (Rep.)
 872,492
(56.50)
Gore/Lieberman (Dem.)
 638,898
(41.38)
Nader/LaDuke (Grn.)
 23,192
(1.50)
Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)
 4,173
(0.27)
Browne/Olivier (Lib.)
 2,896
(0.19)
Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP )
 1,533
(0.10)
Phillips/Sobran (Const. )
 923
(0.06)
G.D. Strickland (w/in)
80
Total........1,544,187
Total Voting: 1,568,058.
Turnout: 61.3% of 2,556,815 registered voters.
2000 Overview
In 1996 Kentucky ended up as the closest state percentagewise in the presidential election, giving Clinton a margin of just 0.96%.  2000 saw a very different story as Bush handily won Kentucky's eight electoral votes, racking up a plurality of 233,594 votes (15.12 percentage points).  Bush carried 105 counties to 15 for Gore.  A highlight of the campaign was the vice presidential debate at Centre College in Danville on Oct. 5.
General Election Activity

1992 and 1996 General Election

1992
Clinton (Dem.)........665,104
(44.55)
Bush (Rep.)............617,178
(41.34)
Perot (Ind.)............ 203,944
(13.66)
Others (4+w/in)..........6,674
(0.45)
Total........1,492,900

1996
Clinton (Dem.)........636,614
(45.84)
Dole (Rep.)............623,283
(44.88)
Perot (Ref.)............120,396 
(8.67)
Others (3+w/ins)........8,415
(0.61)
Total........1,388,708

2004 page >
2000 page >

Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.