Kentucky 2003

[Kevinstat]

To compare these results with those of the 1999 Gubernatorial election, right click on both of these links and select "Open in New Window".

1999: http://www.uselectionatlas.org/GOVERNOR/GENERAL/gov_state.php?fips=21&year=1999

2003: http://www.uselectionatlas.org/GOVERNOR/GENERAL/gov_state.php?fips=21&year=2003

One thing I've found interesting when comparing the two results is that there are three counties in southeast Kentucky (namely Harlan, Letcher and Perry) that Paul Patton's 1999 Republican challenger, Peppy Martin, carried in that election that Chandler carried yesterday.  Those counties usually vote Democratic, although usually not very strongly (the results there don't seem to have varied as widely as those in much of Kentucky, indicating that both parties have large bases there and that there are not many swing voters), so the real surprise may be that Patton lost them in 1999.  That may have had a lot to do with the strong Reform party candidacy of Gatewood Galbriath, who ran in the high teens to low 20s in the three counties.  Statewide, Galbraith seemed to hurt Martin more than Patton in 1999, allowing Patton to sweep the central portion of the Cumberland Plateau even though he failed to win a majority in several counties there.  I know that Gilbraith has run a few times in the past in the Sixth Congressional district, and it may be that he took more votes from Scotty Baesler than from Fletcher in the close race that wasn't in 2000.  The counties in question are in Hal Roger's 5th district, but they aren't too far from some counties in the 6th.  If anyone can provide any more clues clues as to why Patton lost these counties, and how Chandler won them back, I would appreciate it.

Sincerely, Kevin Lamoreau

[Kevinstat]

Demrepdan,

That is interesting.  It seems like State legislative elections in Kentucky were held in odd years until the 80s, but the first State Representative election after 1981 was in 1984 and the first State Senate election after 1983 was in 1986.  It does seem kind of wierd for a state's Gubernatorial and legislative elections to be in different years, but half the legislative elections in most states are in different years anyway, and there would probably be very low turnout on the elections two years before and after Gubernatorial elections, where there are no Presidential or Congressional contests.

Sincerely,

Kevin Lamoreau