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In the general election last week, incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron by 6 percentage points to win another four years in office.
At a press conference the day after the election, Beshear said he will continue to push the legislature to fund raises for teachers.
“For many of these legislators, the school system is the largest employer in the region. ... If we’re not paying our educators enough, we’re just impoverishing our own communities,” he said.
Though the governor’s race was the most high-profile race on the ballot, there were at least 45 school board seats up for election due to resignations and appointments. Unlike regular elections, candidates who win elections for unexpired terms begin serving immediately after the election results are certified.
There were only a handful of contested races, and those races resulted in only three new board members – with one seat still to be decided.
In Jessamine County, the only open race where no incumbents were running, Michael Foster won the election over Eric Walsh by 52 votes.
Foster, who is president of the Jessamine County Youth Football league, told the Jessamine Journal he is advocate for school sports and wants focus on school safety.
In Lyon County, incumbent William Simpson, who had served since being appointed to the seat in early 2023, lost to challenger Aimee Hildalgo-Brown, a mother of four who has served on a school-based decision making council and a parent teacher organization.
Steve Becker is returning to the Danville Independent board after a one-year absence. Becker beat incumbent Melinda Weathers who did not file for election but ran as a write-in candidate.
One seat will likely be determined by the courts. In Montgomery County, challenger Josh Oney beat incumbent Bill Morgan by 67 votes. However, Morgan has filed suit against Oney in Montgomery Circuit Court alleging that Oney cannot serve because his brother is employed by the district. Oney has appealed a judge’s order declaring him ineligible to serve.
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