Bevin vows to unite GOP

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Newly minted Republican gubernatorial nominee Matt Bevin said Friday he would unite the GOP behind him and derided the Democratic Party saying "they have no ideas."

He claimed victory at a 25-minute news conference at state Republican Party headquarters in Frankfort just two hours after Agriculture Commissioner James Comer conceded and less than a day after a recanvass confirmed Bevin's 83-vote squeaker of a win.

"We are male, we are female, we are black, we are white, we are from Eastern Kentucky, we are from Western Kentucky, we are from everywhere in between, we represent the state of Kentucky like no ticket that has ever been put forward for the voters of Kentucky in the history of Kentucky," Bevin said.

Comer's concession means the GOP will avoid a nasty recount process that could have dragged on for weeks, if not months, and made it difficult for the eventual nominee to raise money and begin campaigning in earnest.

"At the Republican Party of Kentucky, we are thrilled to have, what we call in politics, a nominee," state party chairman Steve Robertson said in opening the news conference, who thanked Comer for his actions since the polls closed.

Comer asked for a recanvass, which is a matter of certifying that numbers reported to the secretary of state's office were accurate, but he declined to seek a more extensive recount in which individual ballots are examined.

Bevin and Robertson were joined at the news conference by Bevin's lieutenant governor candidate, Jenean Hampton, as well as state Rep. Ryan Quarles, the party's nominee for agriculture commissioner; Allison Ball, the nominee for treasurer; state Rep. Mike Harmon, the nominee for state auditor, and Steve Knipper, the candidate for secretary of state.

State Sen. Whitney Westerfield, the nominee for attorney general, could not attend.

Bevin said he was convinced that there will be party unity, despite his warring last year with Sen. Mitch McConnell when he challenged him in the 2014 Republican primary and then refused to endorse him by name after losing.

"I've had occasion this morning to be in communication with both of our state's senators, Sen. McConnell and Sen. (Rand) Paul. They also have made clear that this is a ticket that they support ... and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate their support," Bevin said.

Bevin later said that he hadn't talked personally to McConnell but that he had spoken to a staff member.

McConnell refused to endorse Bevin after he spoke to the Elizabethtown Rotary Club on Tuesday and issued a terse, one sentence statement yesterday pledging to back him.

"I congratulate Matt Bevin on his victory and endorse him for governor," McConnell said in the statement.

Bevin said that he expects both Paul and McConnell will work to open the wallets of their backers to him — but conceded that they might not be available to campaign for him.

McConnell, who is the Senate majority leader, and Paul, who is running for president, have busy schedules, he said.

"They are more than a little busy, each in their respective roles," Bevin said. "I want people to understand that simply because they are not stumping around for us ... that they have been here thus far and will continue to be here for this ticket."

The Democrats have already seized on a possible split between Bevin and the McConnell wing of the party. Yesterday, they introduced a website called "BevinSelfPortrait.com" to highlight things other Republicans have said about him.

The home page shows a cartoonish picture of Bevin with a long Pinocchio-like nose with a quote that appeared in The Courier-Journal from McConnell's former chief of staff Josh Holmes: "If somehow Matt Bevin got into the governor's mansion, his only agenda would be the commissioning of his self portrait."

Bevin criticized the site and the party as childish and snarky.

"This is going to be a race about issues," he said. "What are the Democrats talking about? Nonsense. They're talking about things that have nothing whatsoever to do with taking Kentucky forward, because, you know why? They have nothing. ... They're going to talk about things that seem funny if you're 13 years old."

Bevin also said there will be stark contrasts between he and Attorney General Jack Conway, the Democratic nominee.

"There are clear, clear lines that are going to be drawn in the sand," Bevin said. "The difference between what we will be espousing on this side and what will be coming from the Democrats' side will be night and day," Bevin said.

"And as it relates to everything from education and whether our people should have choice and opportunity, or whether we stay with the same old failure that we have as is being brought forward by the other side, these issues will be discussed."

He said the "nature and role of government," tax reform, education and "Judeo-Christian ethics and principles" would be key components of his campaign.

"These are the very values that will be brought to bear as we talk about this race," he said.

He also claimed massive support from Democrats moving forward.

"It would concern those on the other side how many Democrats I have been speaking with who are powerful, motivated well-heeled, well-elected members of that party who want very much to see us win," Bevin said.

He refused, however, to name any of the elected Democrats he claims support from. "Absolutely not," he said.

Comer, earlier in the morning, conceded and said he delayed doing it on Thursday only to inform his close supporters that he would not seek a recount.

"Throughout the entire primary campaign, I grew to appreciate Matt Bevin's knowledge of the issues, his work ethic, and his morals," Comer said in a statement. "Matt ran a clean campaign which focused on the issues important to Kentuckians. Matt Bevin will stand up to the special interest groups that have held our great state back and fight the corrupt elements that still exist in Frankfort."

Reporter Joseph Gerth can be reached at (502) 582-4702.