Kentucky Senate chief wins GOP primary in governor's race

Updated 40m ago |

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Senate president David Williams easily defeated two others to win the GOP primary and will face popular incumbent Steve Beshear for governor in the fall.

His easy win Tuesday came despite revelations from unsealed divorce documents during the campaign in the Bible-belt state that Williams had frequented casinos in the past. He opposes building casinos in the state and adding slot machines at horse tracks.

Williams has acknowledged past gambling and says he hasn't been to a casino in two years.

Williams defeated Louisville businessman Phil Moffett and Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw.

He heads into what is expected to be a rough and tumble general election campaign against a familiar Capitol foe in Beshear.

With 86% of precincts reporting, Williams had 58,505 votes or 46%, to Moffett's 38%. Holsclaw had 15%.

Businessman John T. Kemper III has overcome the stigma of a personal bankruptcy to win the Republican nomination for state auditor.

The residential developer from Lexington defeated state Rep. Addia Wuchner in Tuesday's primary and advances to the general election for the job of Kentucky's chief financial watchdog.

Kemper will face Democrat Adam Edelen in November. Edelen, a former chief-of-staff to Beshear, was unopposed in the primary.

Kemper embraced the theme of a "debt-free Kentucky" on his campaign website but had to explain his own bankruptcy after a real estate development went bust. Kemper filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2009.

With 95% of precincts reporting, Kemper had 67,434, or 57% of the vote, to 50,516, or 43%, for

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