Elvis Presley Cousin Brandon Presley in Close Race for Mississippi Governor; Democrat Andy Beshear Wins as Kentucky Governor
The 2023 elections are now underway. In Mississippi, Elvis Presley's Cousin, Brandon Presley, hopes to flip the state blue, while Democrat Andy Beshear wins the governor's race in deep-red Kentucky, beating Republican challenger Daniel Cameron.
The Mississippi governor's race often goes to Republicans as the southern state is deeply red. However, Brandon Presley is challenging the status quo, and this is not just because he is Elvis Presley's 2nd cousin.
As of 1:21 PM on November 8, 2023, incumbent Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves is leading with 52.4% of the total number of votes while Presley remains alive with 45.7%. Around 89% of the votes have been counted already and the race could get closer with Presley possibly pulling off an upset.
He faces a tall order, though, as no incumbent has lost for over 20 years in Mississippi. However, Tate Reeves has been tagged as part of the Mississippi Welfare Scandal that includes NFL legend Brett Favre, making him unpopular with many of the state's low-income voters.
Kentucky Governor's Seat Remains Blue With Andy Beshear Win
Kentucky is considered one of the reddest states in the US. However, this southern state just re-elected a Democrat as its governor as incumbent Andy Beshear retains his office.
Beshear once worked with his opponent, Cameron, in the same law firm. However, the two found themselves on opposing sides in this election, with Kentucky opting to keep the governor's mansion blue for a while.
According to the Associated Press, the abortion righs debate contributed to the Beshear win, as his opponent defended the state's abortion ban. Voters in these often-Republican-leaning states have shown that eroding abortion rights could lead to election losses for Republicans, as shown by the Kentucky governor's race.
Voters in Kentucky have cited abortion rights as an important issue for them when casting their ballot for Bashear in Kentucky, ensuring that the state continues to uphold the right for women to control their own bodies.
Cameron tried to link Beshear to Biden's economic policies but this did not help the Republican candidate as Beshear pointed to record high economic development and historically low unemployment during his term.
Democrats Win Big in Virginia Senate Races
Over in Virginia, Democrats stopped a complete Republican takeover of the state's government as the State Senate remains blue. This means that Governor Gen Youngkin's proposals may not push through as easily as he might have wanted.
Much like the Kentucky race, the Democrats doing well in Virginia might also be linked to the abortion rights debate as Youngkin has proposed measures to curtail abortion across the state.
NBC News pointed out that the Republican governor's team has been unusually quiet as Democrats retained control of the State Senate. This comes as many of the candidates Youngkin endorsed were defeated by Democrats, including Bill Woolf, a former Fairfax County police officer, who ran against Virginia Democratic Del. Danica Roem. She is poised to become the state's first transgender state senator.
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written by: Rick Martin
WATCH: Governor Andy Beshear speaks after winning second term | Full Speech - WHAS11