News networks call Kentucky gubernatorial race for Democrat Steve Beshear

It was­n’t a close race:

Demo­c­rat Steve Beshear trounced Repub­li­can David Williams and inde­pen­dent Gate­wood Gal­braith Tues­day to win anoth­er four-year term as Kentucky’s governor.

Beshear, who made an unlike­ly polit­i­cal come­back in 2007 after los­ing a bid for gov­er­nor in 1987, rolled to vic­to­ry tout­ing his job-cre­ation efforts and his han­dling of the state bud­get dur­ing tight eco­nom­ic times.

The biggest mar­gin of vic­to­ry in recent races for gov­er­nor was in 1999 when Demo­c­ra­t­ic incum­bent Paul Pat­ton out­dis­tanced Repub­li­can Pep­py Mar­tin, 60.6 per­cent to 22.2 percent.

In that race, Gal­braith, who ran as a Reform can­di­date, cap­tured 15.3 per­cent of the vote, his best show­ing in his five bids for the state’s high­est elec­tive office.

Democ­rats were also pro­ject­ed as the win­ners in most of Ken­tuck­y’s oth­er statewide races. With more than 90% precincts report­ing, Ali­son Grimes appeared head­ed to vic­to­ry over Bill John­son in the con­test for Sec­re­tary of State, and Jack Con­way was hand­i­ly beat­ing Todd P’Pool for Attor­ney Gen­er­al. Demo­c­rat Adam Ede­len was pro­ject­ed as the win­ner in the state audi­tor’s race.

The state trea­sur­er’s race remains too close to call. Demo­c­rat Todd Hol­len­bach present­ly has a slight lead over Repub­li­can K.C. Cros­bie (49% to 46%). Lib­er­tar­i­an Ken­neth Moell­man trails far behind both of them at 5%.

Repub­li­cans did win the race for agri­cul­ture com­mis­sion­er. Their can­di­date, James Com­er, is trounc­ing Demo­c­rat Robert Farmer by a near­ly two-to-one margin.