On Tuesday night, as the results of Kentucky's GOP gubernatorial primary trickled in, it became clear that state Attorney General Daniel Cameron wasn't the only winner in the race. Former President Donald J. Trump, who endorsed Cameron early on in a rare alignment with Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, was also taking a victory lap — and not just because of Cameron's win. The election results also represented Trump's latest victory in his proxy war with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his likely rival in the 2024 Republican presidential primary.
Cameron's win was resounding. As of Wednesday morning, with more than 99 percent of precincts reporting, he had claimed 48 percent of the Republican vote, with agriculture commissioner Ryan Quarles receiving 22 percent and Trump's former United Nations Ambassador Kelly Craft trailing in a distant third at 17 percent. Out of the 12-person field, the Cameron-Craft rivalry commanded the most attention, largely due to the scorched earth tactics of both campaigns and a staggering $9.3 million of personal money Craft and her coal magnate husband invested in her bid.
