♪ >> Who won?

Who lost?

We'll sort out what happened and why on Election Day 2022.

>> Thanks for coming out to doctor Fauci.

Is retirement.

It's a 3rd term for U.S..

Senator Rand Paul.

But will his party take over the Senate?

>> I think this really good.

It really adds to the richness of our society.

>> And a high schooler helps kids on leash.

There entered answers.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky.

Addition this Wednesday, November, the 9th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Wednesday night with us.

>> It is the day after the 2022 midterm elections.

And here are the headlines in the state voters in Kentucky rejected amendment to the amendment that would have added language to the Kentucky Constitution stating that there is no constitutional right to an abortion.

Voters also said no to Amendment one which would have allowed the Kentucky General Assembly to call itself and a special session.

>> It's a 3rd term for U.S..

Senator Rand Paul as he defeated Democrat Charles Booker by more than 20 percentage point Democrat Morgan McGarvey won the U.S. House seat in the 3rd Congressional district.

The rest of the U.S. House delegation, all Republicans won with ease.

Craig Greenberg will be mayor of Louisville, Lexington, reelected Mayor Linda Gorton and Republicans added to their super majorities in the Kentucky General Assembly with Democratic incumbent Jeffrey Donahue, Charles Miller, Patty Mentor and Minority Whip Angie Hatton all falling.

We begin our coverage with the abortion amendment.

I'm Emma to a ballot measure removing the right to an abortion under the state constitution failed to pass, according to results by The Associated Press, the measure was narrowly defeated by a vote around.

52 to 48% while abortion rights advocates say the results are a big win for reproductive rights.

Both sides say this fight is not over.

>> We've been working on this for over 18 months.

We've been over thousands of doors.

We've talked to thousands of and resoundingly.

You know, when we were doing this work over and over again, we heard that this went too far that people want access to abortion.

And so this is vindication for something I already KET about Kentucky.

And now we have the numbers to prove it.

>> We are certainly disappointed in the results of amendment 2.

But, you know, the Pro Life movement here in Kentucky across the nation.

As always, we remain steadfast in our resolve to continue defending life.

You know, from our perspective Amendment 2 was a a opportunity simply to to add clarity and an extra level of protection against the potential of an activist court decision, I would say was a missed opportunity.

I think at the end of the day there were some voters who may have normally inclined just didn't want to take the extra step of of of amending the Kentucky Constitution.

One of the things we found from doing this work was that abortion wasn't as polarizing as has had been led to believe for all these years.

Kentucky actually has a pro-choice, pro-abortion electorate.

>> We and that transcends party affiliation.

Religious identities because abortion is something that is not unique to one party.

Everybody knows and loves someone who's had enough portion and Kentucky's restrictions on abortion care have gone too far.

>> It's important for folks to Kentuckians to recognize that our laws protecting preborn children remain in place.

And so the reality is that just means the status quo continues in Kentuckyian the status quo from our perspective is, you know, strong pro-life laws have been passed and we continue to look to look forward to doing all that we can to ensure unborn allies are protected.

>> The fight is far from over.

We are you know that legislators are already planning a more restrictions on abortion and birth control access.

We will also be in the court's next week.

It was a week from Election Day.

The 15th that we will be Planned Parenthood and the ACLU will start case with the Supreme Court on this six-week ban and the trigger ban, which now we have a pathway forward to start him, you know, bring back some modicum of access to Kentucky with >> pro-life majorities in and those that reelected and even some of the other that won by candidates that hold the prolife use in the General Assembly.

I still continue to remain confident in desire of Kentuckians to want to protect unborn In the law.

I will say that, you know, because of this more Kentuckians are now going to be paying attention to their legislators will bring Kurt.

>> They may have continued to send anti-choice legislators to Frankfort, but at the door, we hope we heard repeatedly that they were going to be calling them and making sure that they KET that they did not have a mandate on abortion >> I we have a abortion access electorate that has woken up and is paying attention.

>> Abortion access was also on the ballot in California, Vermont and Michigan.

Voters in all 3 states passed amendments to their state constitution, protecting a woman's right to an abortion.

The Associated Press as amendment one has also failed.

That amendment would have allowed the Senate president and House speaker to call a special session of the Kentucky General Assembly right now, only the governor has that power and it would have allowed the General Assembly to extend a session past the usual.

if 3 fifths of each chamber agree.

Republican Senator Rand Paul won a 3rd term by defeating Democrat Charles Booker last night.

Paul won all but 3 counties, Jefferson, Fayette and Franklin.

After a dozen year after a dozen years as Senator Paul has readily gone his own way, even putting himself at odds with his own party.

The outspoken conservative has railed repeatedly against socialism, foreign aid and what he sees as excessive spending that he blames for driving up the nation's debt.

Paul Echo those libertarian things and declaring victory last night.

>> We come together under the belief the government has instituted among men and women to preserve our God given.

>> Period.

>> Our desire is not to rule over others but a largely leave.

People love.

It.

Is this system of constitutional checks on power that has allowed America to become the freest nation ever known.

>> First elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010, Paul is gained a national voice denouncing what he views as government overreach and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic during KET selection show last night, former Republican secretary of state Trey Grayson said Paul speech was a preview of what the senator will do if Republicans take control of the Senate.

>> Well, he was giving a very national address speaking like somebody who if the Republicans take over that sits on a Hill chair, the Senate Health Committee, actually the very first thing he said, I don't know how how well it came across as like writers were coming in.

We said welcome to Doctor Fauci.

Is retirement party.

He's going to clearly have doctor Fauci, his cross hairs, and he's going to clearly have the Biden administration is crossers in some respects, is previewing what he would do if you're able to take over that Senate Health Committee.

>> Democrat Charles Booker conceded defeat this morning.

In a statement, he said, quote, After reviewing the numbers and determining with my team that there was no viable path.

I respectfully can see my loss and this Senate race.

The odds were clear from the start, but so was my faith and our collective urgency for change for the nearly 2 years I ran this race.

I was told it would be impossible to when I understood what I was up against, unquote.

Booker was the first block and talking to Ron as the state's Democratic nominee for the Senate.

The former state lawmaker promoted such social programs as Medicare for All and basic Universal and calm.

He tried to unite Kentuckians with his hood to the holler campaign promising to uplift poor urban neighborhoods and struggling rule light.

He also backed criminal justice reforms.

Speaking to a room full of supporters last night in Louisville, a book or explained why he wasn't ready to concede.

Ben.

>> I know you have heard the news.

That they call the race prematurely.

>> We understand how this goes.

They look at these races based on analytics, they make projections based on previous election cycles.

This is not like the status quo.

>> Their assessment, it's based on the premise that a black man can't get support in rural areas.

As soon as a few numbers coming in.

This start trending.

For my opponent.

They're light rated just calling rep. >> As we said, Booker did concede officially this morning.

He has not said if he's considering another run for office.

After last night, it will still be 5 Republicans and one Democrat in Kentucky's U.S. House delegation.

>> But there is going to be a new face.

>> Morgan McGarvey will replace John Yarmouth.

The 3rd district congressman for 16 years.

>> Our Casey Parker Bell breaks town.

Kentucky's races.

>> It was the result most expected.

Kentucky started last night off with one Democrat and 5 Republican representatives in Congress.

And that's how the state into the night the one change was in Kentucky's 3rd congressional district, current state Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey defeated Republican Stewart rate to claim the seat held by Congressman John Yarmouth who announced his retirement earlier this year.

>> Because when the will of the American people and the weight of our government get behind a problem.

>> We can solve it.

McGarvey a Democrat is known for his bipartisan work in the Kentucky General Assembly.

The U.S. House likely to be run by Republicans.

He touted that very experience.

>> So how do you plan to work in a Republican led?

We'll throw me in that Briar patch.

Again, I have not been in the super minority every single day that I've been in office.

Never let that change the way legislate.

I made a promise 10 years ago have stuck to it than that.

I'm going to stand up for what I believe in the fight for the ball movement into the way we're trying to get things done about it.

>> First district Congressman James Comer easily dispatched his challenger.

He received almost 3 quarters of the vote in his district with Republicans predicted to take the House.

It means the Kentucky Republican will have new powers.

Congress isn't just voting on a bill that also trying to help the people in your district Comer will have broad investigative powers as the chair of the House Oversight Committee is we believe the president's son and brothers, our national security threat, we believe they've been influence peddling.

>> For a long time.

So we're going to hold some very high-profile Biden family influence peddling investigation.

The investigations the Comer has promised would bring him wide national recognition.

>> And set the tone for how Republicans plan to respond to President Biden in eastern Kentucky's 5th congressional district.

How Rodgers was elected for 22nd consecutive term.

He received the highest share of the vote in any Kentucky district.

>> What more do you hope to accomplish?

Should you be elected to another term to serve in Washington?

>> Well, to continue our efforts to recruit business and industry into our region to employ our people and KET them home.

>> Rogers is already dean of the House or the chamber's longest-serving member, which means he'll swear in the next speaker widely believed to be House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in Kentucky's other 3 races for U.S.. House seats.

The district's elected Tamil your faces in the second district Republican Brett Guthrie will return for his 7th consecutive term.

There are people that are voting for us tonight because they've lost hope.

>> And we're going to bring hope back.

We're getting inflation under control.

We're going to be energy independent.

We're going to have a culture of freedom and we're going to just govern accountable.

>> In northern Kentucky, Thomas Massie will again represent the 4th congressional district.

His 5th consecutive term.

And Andy Barr enters his 5th consecutive term in Kentucky's 6th congressional district in Central Kentucky.

For Kentucky edition.

I'm Casey Parker Bell.

>> Thank you so much, Casey.

New U.S. House members will be sworn in January 3rd.

As Casey just mentioned, Senator Rand Paul and Congressman James Comer stand to take over some important leader said CHIP positions.

If Republicans take control of the Senate and the House, the same is true of U.S..

Senator Mitch McConnell right now, Senator McConnell as Senate minority leader and says he has the votes to become majority leader.

If Republicans reclaim the Senate.

There were long lines in some parts of Kentucky yesterday.

Secretary of State Michael Adams said at time some counties we're dealing with 2 hour waits.

There are also people still waiting in line when the polls closed.

But Adams who's a proponent of early voting says he doesn't think expanding early voting is the solution for long lines on Election Day.

>> I think when we look at election reform and making voting easier, we did focus on Election Day.

So my team and I are going to be looking at how we can improve Election Day itself iced both support the early voting days.

I'm glad we've got him, but I don't think that we're going to have a solution by just adding more days.

I think the solution is to add more locations on Election Day itself.

>> Kentuckians were allowed 6 days to vote in-person absentee if they had a qualifying excuse and they were also 3 days of early, no excuse voting for Kentucky voters.

Lexington's 2 largest cities pick mayors yesterday.

Louisville will be led by Craig Greenberg, a Democrat and former CEO of 21 C museum hotels.

He beat Bill Dieruf who is the current mayor of Jeffersontown Greenberg will succeed.

Mayor Greg Fischer who served 3 terms, Lexington voters reelected Mayor Linda Gorton to a second term by a large margin.

She defeated council member David Kloiber.

Some of the most visible races yesterday involved judges and Kentucky Supreme Court District.

6 Justice Michelle Calor Beach State Representative Joe Fisher Fisher had been criticized for touting his conservative Republican credentials and a race that's supposed to be nonpartisan and Supreme Court district to Cali Thompson Junior Beach on Murray, Elkhart.

And in the Franklin County Circuit Court race.

Judge Phillip Shepherd defeated Joe Bilby.

Now we talked about yesterday's election with Rylan Barden of Kentucky, Public Radio and Ohio Valley Resource.

We began our discussion from the Louisville studio with the anti-abortion ballot question.

Constitutional Amendment 2.

♪ Let's start with constitutional amendment.

Number 2, this is the abortion amendment that went down in flames last night and many had predicted this.

>> Yeah, but had predicted this, especially after seeing Kansas vote this down.

Kansas has somewhat similar political make it to Kentucky a predominantly Republican state.

But so is Democratic And so this is the amendment that would have said that there's no right to abortion under the Kentucky Constitution.

And So the AP has called they're still technically counting votes, but it looks like the no vote is going to win by about 70,000 So I mean, this not not the tightest of margins here.

It really seems that people in Kentuckyian it's not 9 days.

That's You know, we're questioning this amendment.

They weren't exactly sure about.

I think some people weren't sure about exactly what it would do.

Another people word we're a little bit concerned about giving that much power over to the legislature and removing that much power away from the court system.

The legislature's, of course, already regulating abortion out of existence in Kentucky.

So we're we're still kind of waiting to see what they're going to do in this post Dobbs or post Roe V Wade World and, you know, or have a court case between now and the start of the next legislative session.

So the the landscapes a lot different.

>> So we'll KET our eyes on November.

15th, which is next Tuesday.

That's when the Kentucky Supreme Court hears a it's very issue on because plaintiffs in this case are arguing that there is a right to abortion under the state constitution you know, basically saying and the right to privacy that women should be able to have this right.

So we'll KET our eye on that.

You had a constitutional amendment number one, which relates to sessions of the General Assembly, them able to really the legislative leaders.

>> Being able to call the General Assembly back into special session that also went down.

But they're still the AP has or has not called that one that called them both.

That one's been called.

>> Well, same thing.

So they're sold counting the votes.

But this is this is the CVS receipt.

A ballot measure.

I think people were surprised with a foot the ballot over and they go.

Oh, goodness.

Look at that thing.

700 and the words.

And I think one thing that I notice is that there's a big difference in the number of people who voted for amendment one versus amendment to think a lot of people just Senate skipping it.

Yeah, because they're so confused about what it would actually do.

Yes, it would have provided the legislature with more power to call themselves and legislative leaders to call themselves into session or extend the regular session.

I think there's also a similar argument there were.

I think a lot of voters in Kentucky are just concerned about providing that much kind of blank check power to legislate bigger government, right in some ways for some.

So.

>> That's interesting about that and how those ended up where we think they ended up.

So now let's talk about the marquee race on the ballot.

Misses the U.S. Senate race for the Rand Paul in Charles Booker.

And so Charles Booker did concede.

And he made a soft concession.

But then I think he's kind of made it more from today.

And he was upset that the race got so >> called so early.

I think when I was checking, it was about 5% of votes counted.

This is right after Louisville.

Some early vote said for Jefferson counties.

>> Early votes.

And finally, I've been coming in and they be called it a said, wait a second.

This is based on the other day last that question with.

>> That percentage of vote, how can you make that determination so early and really that comes down to the people who get paid to make those kinds of decisions where they're really looking at the rest of the state, looking at some voting patterns.

Again, some registration patterns and the allies.

it's it's incredibly unlikely that he's going to be able to make up the difference here.

And the math kind of proved out correcting that.

>> But I mean, the big takeaway from this is that it's just so hard for Democrats to run for statewide office in Kentucky.

You know, Booker's really one of the most more candidates to ever run for statewide office in Kentucky.

There's a lot of personal part of the of the numbers to see like or what places was actually able to do well outside of Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort And so we're going we're going to see that.

But the other concerning thing for Democrats is that the statewide races are getting harder and harder.

So, you know, for a while, you kind of saw the 15 point margins where, you know, Alison Lundergan Grimes leads to a call by 15 points.

Rand Paul or the gym, great least.

The Rand Paul at 15 point.

Now it's kind of getting into the 1920, point mark.

And that's what it was from a graft and kind of looking like what it's going up for Booker.

So so what does it portend for Andy Beshear, anything for the governor's race?

Well, Andy Beshear has, you know, he's got a different way of running these campaigns.

And there's like a little bit of different math to follow.

I mean, what we saw in 2019 and this year, one is yes.

Running up the board in Lexington, Louisville, but then kind of running and some of these smaller cities.

So and some of them were regional universities are right.

He did well, we're in Round or head is in Madison County, where you tell you is in Warren County where Western U.S..

So there's a little bit of a different path for a Democrat to win to, to kind of try to follow that map.

The other thing in this year's favors that this is an off off year election with 2023, there's no congressional races.

There's no presidential election.

It's Kentuckians are just focused on on those races.

Turns out a little lower people into voting or a little bit more plugged in.

So it's a really different sense what's going on and post one postscript to the yesterday's race turnout 50%?

>> Yes.

So high for an offer.

A mid-year, a midterm election.

I think the secretary Adams that predicts about 41%, that's kind of normal.

Yeah, exceeding that.

But that's the highest since 1990's.

And I think there's a lot of unpacking for people to figure out, but that was all about.

I imagine a lot of that has to do with the amendments that with amendment to be on the ballot.

I think there's also this kind of like post Trump, you know, people just kind of be included in, you know, wanting tied to kind of continue on the Trump legacy are wanting to fight That element that goes on with a lot of voters.

The states too.

>> Legislative takeaways.

We won't go through specific races, but what can you take away from what happened on Tuesday night?

>> Democrats just aren't doing outside of Lexington, Louisville, and they're starting to not do well, even in places around Lexington and So Republicans are able to pick off some from Louisville area.

We're still waiting on some returns from Lexington, but now there's only one Democrat in eastern There's no more Democrats in the central time zone.

A couple Democrats.

So you can take off and northern Kentucky kind an area where Democrats have been hoping to do well.

>> Good to see your island.

Thanks so much.

Ice Arena.

And other news.

High winds, low humidity and dry conditions are fanning wildfires in parts of southern and eastern Kentucky.

There's a burn ban in place.

A Nassau County, still county emergency management says one of the fires, the pits fire is now contained and the same wind that is feeling the fires is also carrying the smoke to other places, including Lexington.

♪ >> Kayla Chambers read dreamed of opening a dance company centered on elevating black dancers.

>> She wanted the younger generation to look on stage and see people of color filling lead roles with the help of her mom and a few friends, Kayla's dream became reality when she started the African American Ballet troupe.

The troop teaches ballet to kids in Lexington and put on performances to show that anyone can dads.

And that dreams really do come true.

♪ >> Growing up in the dance world or the deaf community and seeing the lack of diversity and other black and brown kids like growing up.

I just thought it was like a huge lack of that.

And I wanted to do something about it.

So I got my friends together and I want to start.

>> Initially, my dream was to start off with just teaching just teaching among children and then the principal from William Wells abound really was in support of us.

And that really start us into the performing aspect of things instead of just a teaching.

So now we do about it.

>> We have about 18 to 20 their answers in our chat.

We try to meet weeklies on weekly on for a couple hours just to get our crowd gathered for the upcoming events or anything.

And then we teach once a week, once a week at the school for Elementary kids that we teach.

So on the teaching department, we start in like kindergarten and we're going all the way up to like 6th grade that kind of age and then for the trip itself, we have ages from 8 all the way up to 18.

♪ Growing up.

>> There's not a lot a lot of representation, especially in light of this community for people like that.

So like I know when we went away and was brown and we performed like just seeing light, especially being a boy.

I know there's definitely visitation just being a window, not even being a black male.

Just like Jane Lee been a boy and just being black in general that just aren't as onto it.

So just all of that together and just blending all of that and putting in the same room and putting on the same stage.

It's so powerful having your own group of black dancers in the black community.

>> Allows for kids in our community, the black kids in that community to come out.

Sarah performances, see us on the stage.

See us teaching them and them feeling included themselves and not them just seeing us in another true.

But them seeing themselves in I just hope that.

>> Stroup can be a a permanent part of community.

Whether Kaylor myself, whether we're here or not, I think having a perspective with respect to dance, with respect to ballet, I think this really good really adds to the richness.

>> Of our society.

>> Hopefully in the future reaching a lot more kids than we already have maybe being in different states.

Not just in one state and maybe being over the United States.

>> I hope.

>> This group is self expand and hope other groups like it starts to show up.

And I hope just the dance community, I just come together and realize that we can do the same thing that they're doing now.

♪ >> Over the summer, the African American Ballet troupe taught dance classes to more than 200 kids for free.

The troops rendition of The Nutcracker will include students from William Wells Brown Elementary School.

The performance is Tuesday, December 20th at the Lyric Theater in Lexington.

♪ >> Election Day wasn't the only notable event yesterday.

It was also national Sesame Street Day.

KET celebrated with our partners at Crank and boom craft ice cream.

In Lexington, there are special flavors inspired by Sesame Street characters like Cookie Monster's Cookie dough Oscars, grouchy Green cookies and Cream and Alamos.

Fresh Red Strawberry that flavors are available for the rest of the week.

While supplies last at both crank at both locations off.

I'm we hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition where we inform connect tenants, Spire subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition, e-mail news letter watch full episode to KET DOT Org.

We'll see you right back here again tomorrow night at 6.30, eastern for Kentucky.

Addition, take good care so long.

♪