Kentucky Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo loses re-election bid

In the 1st Congressional District, Jamie Comer (R) won an open seat created by the retirement of Congressman Ed Whitfield (R).

Republicans hope Donald Trump propels their candidates to victory, promoting a series of Facebook ads with GOP candidates arm in arm with the presidential nominee.

“That’s quite a change, isn’t it?” The stakes were high for Hoover, who had vowed to give up his GOP leadership post if Democrats had kept their majority. They avoided duplicating efforts and spread their resources more efficiently among several races.

“Working people are mad and upset”.

The Republican Party has 24 Electoral College Votes in contrast with three for the Hillary Clinton’s Democrat Party. “That’s what Trump is all about”, said Duard Rutledge, a 66-year-old retiree who said he voted for Trump in Georgetown.

Trump won despite tepid support from U.S. Sen.

Donna Haynes, chairwoman of the Daviess County Democratic Party, said party officials are “going to have to go back to square one, because the people spoke”. “The total vote was reluctantly pro-Trump and much anti-Clinton”.

As recently as 2010, Democrats held a 65-to-35 advantage in the state house. And of course, the state GOP is cheering on Donald Trump. “Nobody was predicting that Hubert Collins would get beat because he’s always been a good candidate”.

“I don’t think he’s cut out to be no president”, she said.

Kentucky has traditionally voted red on the federal level. That shifted when Republicans gained 17 seats.

Democrats have tried to make the race about Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, especially in the 39th District that includes Fayette and Jessamine County.

Hoover said the new Republican majority will meet as a group for the first time on Thursday and plans a caucus retreat in advance of the General Assembly that convenes in January. “(The Clintons) have done nothing but politics all their lives”.

Stumbo was not available for comment Wednesday.

“Kentucky is a conservative state that has suffered under liberal rule for decades”, Cothran explained.

Democrats lost big in rural Eastern Kentucky and Western Kentucky, where voters have trended Republican over the course of President Barack Obama’s administration.

After Kentucky Democrats lost the governor’s mansion and several statewide offices, they almost lost the state House due to party defections. But Republicans bested Democrats in Eastern Kentucky state House races as well. Democrats held a 53-47 majority heading into the election. “They need to keep a watchful eye on how Republicans govern”.