Matt Bevin Blames His Defeat On Dems ‘Harvesting’ Votes In ‘Urban Communities’

on May 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Gov. Matt Bevin (R-KY) speaks at the National Rifle Association's NRA-ILA Leadership Forum on May 20, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Departing Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) claimed on Wednesday that he lost his reelection bid to Gov.-elect Andy Beshear (D) because those on the left are “getting so good at harvesting votes in the urban communities.”

“They were able to go into urban communities where people are densely populated on college campuses and in public housing projects,” Bevin told local radio host Brian Thomas on 55KRC.

The governor drew a binary between the two groups, arguing that they’re “at both ends of the socioeconomic spectrum” with “different levels of education attainment” and “of different race.”

“The reality is that doesn’t matter,” Bevin said. “What seems to matter is people that are densely populated are harvested by the left for votes in ways that the right just doesn’t understand.”

Vote “harvesting” refers to the practice of political groups tracking which voters have not yet submitted their absentee ballot and then approaching the voters to collect and deliver the ballots on their behalf. The operation is illegal in some states, but not Kentucky.

He warned that conservatives need to “find some counterpoint” or else “you’re going to continue to see these types of surprises that defy logic,” referring to his defeat.

Bevin had initially refused to concede the race after Beshear’s narrow victory on November 5, claiming there had been “irregularities” in the voting process. He called for a re-canvassing, then gave up the following week.

Listen to Bevin’s interview here (his comments begin at the 107:20 timestamp).

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for g_k g_k says:

    This makes his defeat just that much more enjoyable.

  2. …and if that KY election was any indication there’s gonna be a hella good national ‘harvest’ in Nov 2020…

  3. Avatar for noonm noonm says:

    Trump and the GOP must be good farmers, because the seeds they planted in 2016 are ready for harvest in 2018 and 2020.

  4. Damn urban dwellers voting, don’t the realize only rural votes are suppose to count.

  5. Avatar for gajake gajake says:

    Oh my God! He lost because too many Democrats voted!? Shouldn’t that be illegal, or something?

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