Government

Kentucky's physician governor loses re-election

NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Nov. 26, 2007

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Democrat Steve Beshear unseated Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher, MD, on Nov. 6. Beshear, a former Kentucky attorney general and former lieutenant governor, received 619,654 votes (58.7%). Dr. Fletcher, a Republican and a family physician, got 435,857 votes (41.3%).

The governor was tarnished by a scandal related to alleged preferential hiring in Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet. A grand jury indicted Dr. Fletcher in May 2006 on one count each of conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination -- all misdemeanors -- related to his conduct during the preferential hiring investigation. Two months later he settled the charges without admitting wrongdoing. Dr. Fletcher said the investigation by Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo, a Democrat, was politically motivated.

Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/11/26/gvbf1126.htm.

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