Runoff in 2023? Some KY legislators are talking about it

A lot of candidates are already vying for a chance to unseat Gov. Andy Beshear in the upcoming 2023 GOP gubernatorial primary, and more might be joining them soon. As it stands, whoever gets the highest total of GOP primary voters come next May to vote for them will move on to the general election.

But there are talks – nothing more than that, they insist – among some elected officials with the power to change that.

Kentucky used to have a runoff rule, a threshold of 40% that gubernatorial primary candidates had to clear to win straight-up in the primary to become the nominee, but it was scrapped in a piece of legislation that Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, worked on in the late ‘00s.

Now, he says, there’s “chatter” in Frankfort of going back. Thayer – who often takes the lead on election matters for the Senate – said he understands both sides of the argument.