New figures in Kentucky show that for the first time in history, Republicans outnumber Democrats in registered voters.
Although the commonwealth has long largely voted for Republicans in national and local elections in recent years, Democrats still officially had an edge in registered voters going back over a hundred years. On Friday, new data shows that Republicans have 1,612,060 registered voters while Democrats have 1,609,569 registered voters.
“After a century and a half, the birthplace of Lincoln has finally aligned with the party of Lincoln. Today is a grand day for all of us in the Grand Old Party who have worked so hard for so long to advance our goals of limited government and personal responsibility,” said Kentucky’s Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams.
Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rand Paul (R-KY) both celebrated the development.
“We are living a historic moment in the commonwealth,” Paul said. “The majority of people in Kentucky realize that their beliefs are best represented by the Republican Party.”
McConnel said that he didn’t think Republicans would ever reach the milestone.
Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) is the most prominent Democrat in statewide office. He was narrowly elected in 2019 and will likely have another competitive race in 2023.
“What it means is we’ve got to get along,” Beshear told reporters after being asked about the numbers. “We ought to stop trying to fight to move the state right or left but to just move it forward. And to focus on things that truly impact people’s lives — like good jobs, a great public education and access to health care.”
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