[Stardust]

http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/201...Kentucky|s

Some Republicans helped Gov. Steve Beshear win re-election.

Beshear won predominantly Republican areas of Northern Kentucky, including Fort Thomas by 2 percent over Republican challenger and state Senate President David Williams, R- Burkesville.

Republicans saw Beshear's victory and the Democrats' success Election Day as an anomaly and not foreshadowing 2012.

Democrats saw this year's election, particularly Beshear's victory in conservative areas, as proof Democrats can win in the region. Everyone on the Democratic ticket except the agriculture commissioner candidate won last Tuesday.

Beshear won Kenton and Campbell counties with 53 and 51 percent of the vote but lost Boone County to Williams, 51 percent to 46 percent.

Beshear is a conservative Democrat, said State Rep. Arnold Simpson, D- Covington. "That endeared him to voters," Simpson said. "It was a double whammy, a combination of Gov. Beshear's conservative values and Sen. Williams' unpopularity."

All three Northern Kentucky counties, however, voted for Republican candidates on the down ticket.

In the Republican stronghold Fort Thomas, 1,739 people voted for Beshear, about 49 percent, compared to 1,648 who voted for Williams, about 47 percent. All other Democratic candidates lost Fort Thomas and only one other Democrat won a precinct in the city - Alison Lundergan Grimes won the precinct around the public library, 113 votes to 111.

Beshear's success in Fort Thomas surprised Jeff Kidwell, GOP chairman for Campbell County. He said it doesn't signal long-term success for the Democrats in Northern Kentucky.

"It was an off-year election" Kidwell said "Next year's numbers will be significantly different. Campbell went against Obama during the last presidential election. We won every other race this year with the exception of a constable race."

Beshear even found success in the predominantly Republican Boone County, despite losing the county.

Beshear won 22 precincts -10 in Florence - in the county while the rest of the Democratic ticket won a combined four precincts in Boone.

"It told us that people were not voting straight ticket, and they were voting for and against candidates for a particular reason," said Kevin Sell, a Republican from Campbell County. "I think popularity had to do with it. I think candidates' negatives going into the race had something to do with it."

Williams had lost Kenton and Boone counties in the Republican primary to tea party-backed candidate Phil Moffett, a Louisville businessman. Election Day was more of an indictment on Williams than a victory for Beshear, said David Adams, Moffett's former campaign manager.