Incumbent Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has won a closer-than-expected primary election and will face Attorney General Andy Beshear during this year’s race to be Kentucky’s next governor.

The two men have been political rivals since taking office more than three years ago with Beshear, a Democrat, filing a series of lawsuits against Bevin over executive orders and a controversial pension bill.

Kentucky’s incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture has won the Republican nomination in his bid for reelection.

Ryan Quarles was the first winner to be called in Tuesday night’s primary election. Quarles received than 82 percent of the votes with 92 percent of precincts reporting. He defeated challenger Bill Polyniak, a cannabis farmer from Fayette County.

Quarles has supported the rise of hemp as an agricultural product in Kentucky, and his administration led a statewide initiative to study and address hunger. He has also worked to expand Kentucky’s international export market, by resuming live equine exports to China.

Michael Bowman has won the Democratic primary for the office of Kentucky state treasurer. The race was called by the AP with nine percent of precincts reporting; Bowman got 64 percent of the vote against John Mers. Incumbent Allison Ball was uncontested in the Republican race.

Bowman is a branch manager for U.S. Bank in Louisville and worked within Louisville Metro Council as a legislative assistant. In 2018, Bowman ran as a Democrat in the race for Jefferson County Clerk; he lost to Republican Bobbie Holsclaw.

Democrat Heather French Henry and Republican Michael Adams will face off in the November election for Kentucky Secretary of State.

French Henry, currently the Kentucky Deputy Veteran Affairs Commissioner, emerged from a group of four Democrats vying for Kentucky Secretary of State. French Henry also was the former Veteran Affairs Commissioner under former Gov. Steve Beshear. In Tuesday’s primary, with about 93 percent of precincts reporting, she had won about 71 percent of the Democrat votes.

The race for the state auditor’s office is set between Democrat Sheri Donahue and incumbent Republican Mike Harmon, who ran unopposed.

Sheri Donahue is a Louisville-area native who campaigned on a promise of restoring faith in government. She is an industrial engineer and cyber security expert who previously worked with the U.S. Navy and Humana. Last year she ran, unsuccessfully, for state Senate.

Her opponent Harmon is in his first term, and won in 2015 along with many other Republican candidates. He is from Danville, and worked as an insurance agent.

The former legal counsel for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has clinched the Republican nomination for attorney general after a barb-fueled primary race.

Daniel Cameron has said he will fight for pro-life policies, combat the state’s opioid epidemic and end the partisan divide between the Democratic attorney general’s office and the Republican-led Legislature.

He will face former Attorney General Greg Stumbo, the Democratic candidate for the office who ran unopposed for the nomination.

Results are in for the Kentucky 2019 primary election. 

Republican ballot

Governor/Lieutenant Governor  

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has cleared his first hurdle toward a second term, defeating three challengers to win the Republican nomination.

Bevin beat three Republican challengers in Tuesday's primary election. They were state Rep. Robert Goforth, William Woods and Ike Lawrence.

The governor is an ally of President Donald Trump, who remains a popular political force in the state. The governor's strong showing Tuesday gives him a boost heading into the fall campaign in a state that has trended overwhelmingly toward the GOP.

Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada said on Tuesday he plans to step down from his position. 

Casada's decision comes hours after the House Republican Caucus cast an unprecedented 45-24 no-confidence vote in Casada, after racist and lewd text messages between him and his former chief of staff were leaked to the media. 

"When I return to town on June 3, I will meet with Caucus leadership to determine the best date for me to resign as Speaker," Casada said.

Voters in Kentucky are casting ballots in a primary that will deliver an initial verdict on the job performance of Gov. Matt Bevin.

The ally of President Donald Trump faces state Rep. Robert Goforth and two other challengers in Tuesday's GOP primary.

Democrats are choosing between three leading gubernatorial candidates on a ballot that also includes contested primaries for attorney general and other statewide offices.