GOP's Cameron to face Gov. Beshear in Kentucky gubernatorial race, AP projects

Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron is projected to win the Republican primary for governor and will likely face Gov. Andy Beshear, the projected Democratic nominee, this fall.

The Associated Press called the race for Cameron early Tuesday evening. As of press time, he claimed 45.7% of the vote with an estimated 41% of the vote in. Republican challengers Ryan Quarles and former U.N. Ambassador Kelly Craft trailed Cameron with 21.3% and 17.6%, respectively.

The Republican primary represented a clash between former President Donald Trump and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who endorsed Cameron and Craft, respectively.

Trump endorsed Cameron early in the race and maintained his support even after Craft joined the contest. Craft replaced Nikki Haley in Trump's cabinet after her resignation. DeSantis, meanwhile, threw his support behind Craft on Monday through a last-minute recorded statement to voters, Fox News reported.

Later on Tuesday evening, the Trump campaign touted its successful endorsement of Cameron, with spokesperson Steven Cheung saying "President Trump is a winner and his endorsement continues to be the single most powerful endorsement in political history."

Beshear's race was more lopsided, with the incumbent governor claiming 92.3% of the vote as of press time with 27% of the votes tallied. He faced two Democratic challengers.

The Kentucky governor claimed the post in an upset victory over Republican Gov. Matt Bevin in 2019. Kentucky is one of several states that hold their gubernatorial contests in years that do not align with presidential elections.

A rising star in the Republican Party, Cameron triumphed in his bid to become Kentucky's attorney general during the 2019 cycle. He is the first black individual to hold the post.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.