Adams’ race is notable for a number of reasons. Not only did the GOP election official cruise to reelection with the most votes of any candidate – nearly 784,000 – he may, like the governor, have benefitted from some split ticket voting in a time when partisanship is at a peak.
Adams faced primary challenges as some within his own party were angered by his dismissal of election fraud and conspiracy claims. Some Republicans also criticized Adams’ cross-the-aisle cooperation with Gov. Beshear during the height of the pandemic to pull off elections under unprecedented stresses.
In his speech Tuesday, Adams said voters also rewarded his efforts to get election reforms passed amid a time of rising mistrust in the system.
"Kentucky has defied the odds and the laws of political physics by taking the highly polarized, third rail issue of how we vote, putting politics aside, approaching it inclusively, and in good faith," he said.
While other candidates engaged in varying levels of negative advertising aimed at politically hot topics, often lumped under the category of “woke” politics, Adams said voters responded to his upbeat, positive messaging.
