Kentucky Democratic gubernatorial candidates Rocky Adkins, Andy Beshear, and Adam Edelen participated in a debate at Transylvania University hosted by Hey Kentucky! and LEX18.

 

Daniel Desrochers of the Lexington Herald Leader described the debate as light on conflict. He wrote that the buildup to the debate “suggested there might be fireworks. It was more like sparklers.”

 

The primary election will take place on May 21. Geoff Young is also on the Democratic ballot but did not participate in the debate. Governor Matt Bevin faces state Rep. Robert Goforth, Ike Lawrence, and William Woods in the Republican primary election.

 

The general election will take place on November 5. It is one of three gubernatorial elections on the ballot this year. The others are in Louisiana and Mississippi.

 

Heading into the election, Kentucky is a Republican trifecta. A trifecta exists when one political party simultaneously holds the governor’s office and majorities in both state legislative chambers. Republicans control the governor’s office and both chambers of the Kentucky State Legislature. As of February 2019, there were 22 Republican trifectas, 14 Democratic trifectas, and 14 divided governments where neither party holds trifecta control.

 

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