Republican Gov. Matt Bevin conceded to Democratic archnemesis Andy Beshear on Thursday, putting an end to Kentucky’s bitterly fought governor’s race, the AP reports. Bevin, an ally of President Trump, made the dramatic announcement outside his statehouse office on the same day election officials across Kentucky double-checked vote totals at his request. Bevin, who trailed by more than 5,000 votes, acknowledged that the recanvass wouldn’t change the outcome. “We’re going to have a change in the governorship based upon the vote of the people,” Bevin said at the news conference. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said in a statement that Thursday’s recanvass of vote counts did not alter results of the election. The state Board of Elections is scheduled to meet Nov. 21 to certify the vote totals.
Members of Bevin’s administration watched solemnly as the pugnacious governor graciously wished Beshear—the state’s attorney general—well in his new role. It capped a nearly four-year rivalry that overshadowed Kentucky politics. Beshear, wielding his authority as the state’s top lawyer, challenged a series of Bevin’s executive actions during their terms. Their feud spread to the campaign trail and a series of bare-knuckled debates this year. “I truly want the best for Andy Beshear as he moves forward. I genuinely want him to be successful, I genuinely want this state to be successful,” Bevin said in his concession Thursday. He had faced a growing chorus of state Republicans urging him to accept the results of the recanvass unless he could point to evidence of substantial voter fraud. The new governor-elect was scheduled to meet with reporters later in the day. (More Matt Bevin stories.)
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