Richmond Register

FRANKFORT — Steve Beshear cruised to an easy 18-point win over incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher, crushing hopes for the Republican Party to hold onto the governor’s office for a second term.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Beshear had 619,567 votes or 59 percent, to Fletcher’s 435,856 votes or 41 percent. Turnout was just over 36 percent.

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“Folks, the people of this state have spoken and they have handed the reins of this government to us,” Beshear said as confetti fell from the ceiling of the Frankfort Convention Center. He commended Fletcher’s “graciousness” in his concession speech and wished him and his wife, Glenna, well.

“Tomorrow, we’re all going to be Kentuckians, and my friends, we need everybody, and I mean everybody, those who voted for me and those who voted against me, if we’re going to make this commonwealth a better place to live,” Beshear told the crowd of jubilant Democrats.

“Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow begins the hard work of governing,” he said.

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The signs of Beshear’s victory were there early on, from multiple polls which consistently showed him with double-digit leads, to dispirited Republicans who said they might stay home on Election Day.

Glenda Tuttle of Richmond, who supported Beshear from the start of his campaign, already was celebrating before noon Tuesday, confident of what was to come.

“I voted straight Democratic,” she said. “I’m so tickled, I can’t stand it.”

Democrat Soc Clay of Greenup said it was evident what would happen.

“There were people piling onto Beshear because they thought he could win,” Clay said of Democrats in his northeastern part of the state. “And I’ve talked to some longtime Republicans here today who said they were not going to vote.”

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