KENTUCKY
      Nov. 8, 2016 U.S. Senate

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+Rand Paul (R) i
1,090,177
57.27%
Jim Gray (D)
813,246
42.72%
write-ins (2)
 42

1,903,465
Voter Registration: 3,306,120.
Plurality 276,731 votes (14.55 percentage points).
 KY State Board of Elections


Notes:  Sen. Rand Paul (R), seeking a second term, defeated Lexington Mayor Jim Gray (D).  Paul had recently been a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, announcing his candidacy on April 7, 2015 and suspending his campaign on Feb. 3, 2016.  Paul was thus better known statewide than Gray.  Additionally, Gray was an openly gay candidate running in the state where Kim Davis, a local county clerk, went to jail in 2015 for refusing marriage licenses to gay couples. 

There was one debate, sponsored by Kentucky Educational Television on Oct. 31 (>). 

Outside groups weighed in.  In June the pro-Paul America's Liberty PAC ran a TV spot charging that, “Jim Gray backs Hillary because they’re the same kind of liberal, big government, coal-hating politicians.”  Gray was boosted by a super PAC, Kentucky Moving Forward, which spent $422,972.  Spending by the campaigns was relatively even.  According to the FEC, for 2015-16 the Paul campaign reported disbursements of $7.6 million compared to $6.4 million for the Gray campaign (>).  One Gray TV spot featured clips of Trump making disparaging remarks about Paul.  Gray also drew notice for criticizing Paul's "wild ass theories and philosophies." 

While Trump's margin of victory over Clinton in Kentucky was 574,117 votes (29.84 percentage points), Gray did markedly better in his race against Paul, coming within 276,731 votes (14.55 percentage points).


Campaign Managers:
Rand Paul  Chasen Bullock
(Feb. 2016)  South Carolina state director on Rand Paul for President, April 2015-Feb. 2016.  Campaign manager on Doug Ose for Congress (Sacramento, CA), Dec. 2013-Nov. 2014.  Campaign manager on David Yancey for Delegate (Newport News, VA), Sept.-Nov. 2013.  Staff assistant in the U.S. House, Dec. 2012-Aug. 2013.  Campaign manager on Sam Graves for Congress (Kansas City, MO), Aug.-Nov. 2012.  Associate at Axiom Strategies in Kansas City, MO, April-Nov. 2012.  Campaign manager on Bill Stouffer for Missouri Secretary of State, April-Aug. 2012.  Campaign manager on Bette Grande for Congress (ND), Jan.-April 2012.  Deputy campaign manager on Joe Walsh for Congress (IL), Oct. 2011-Jan. 2012.  District representative in the California State Assembly, Jan.-July 2011.  Coalitions coordinator on Meg Whitman for Governor (CA), July 2009-Nov. 2010.  Also worked on a couple of city council races.  B.A. in economics from Cal State University San Marcos.

Jim Gray  Jamie Emmons
Chief of staff to Mayor Gray from Jan. 2011; managed Gray's 2010 campaign for Mayor and also had a management role at Gray Construction. Advisor to the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives.  He has directed more than 50 candidate and ballot initiative campaigns at Emmons & Company.  Undergraduate degree in agricultural economics from University of Kentucky.


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