Election Results 2024: Democrat Moore defeats Jefferson in House District 45
Democrat Adam Moore narrowly defeated Republican Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday in the 45th House District race.
With 99% of the votes counted, according to the Associated Press, Moore, 39, declared victory over Jefferson Tuesday night to represent the southwestern suburbs of Lexington. Neither candidate has served in elected office before.
Moore pulled in 50.3% of the vote to Jefferson’s 49.7%, according to the unofficial results.
Reached by phone Tuesday night, Moore said he was excited to serve and “committed to working for Kentucky’s families, protecting individual freedoms and supporting our veteran community.”
His victory — flipping the House seat from Republican to Democrat — is notable after Jefferson, 60, dealt an upset earlier this year when he handily defeated incumbent Rep. Killian Timoney, a moderate Republican, in the May primary.
Timoney was seeking a third term, but Jefferson, a Liberty candidate, won in a landslide with more than 70% of the vote.
Throughout his campaign, Moore, an Afghanistan veteran, presented himself as a candidate with a “heart for compromise,” purposely de-emphasizing party affiliation. A former intern for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Moore has said he has the profile of a Democrat whose candidacy might resonate with voters in this politically purple district.
“I felt like I was the right person to be doing it, someone who was a former Republican, someone who was in the Army, who I think could resonate with a lot of voters in that district who maybe have traditionally voted for more conservative values,” Moore previously told the Herald-Leader.
“I think I’m the right person to be that kind of middle of the road Democrat, to really represent the district well,” he said.
Moore’s victory underscores how politically purple the district is , made up of part Jessamine County and part Fayette County. After twice reelecting a moderate Republican in Timoney, when presented with a Democrat and a Liberty conservative, voters in this district chose the Democrat.
Jefferson was one of several candidates across Kentucky in the primary and general election whose campaign tenets aligned more with the Liberty wing of Republican politics. Generally, the Liberty movement in Kentucky is a loosely organized effort to push the already Republican-controlled House and Senate further to the right.
Moore’s political platform sharply contrasts, by comparison.
He opposed the GOP-backed “school choice” Amendment 2, which was handily defeated Tuesday night. Moore also wants to restore abortion access up to the point of viability, and thinks government shouldn’t dictate what’s taught in schools, including when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.
He also wants to start a legislative caucus for veterans.
As of early October, Moore had raised roughly $119,000, which allowed him to pay for television advertisements. Jefferson’s campaign brought in close to $32,000.
When asked to comment about his loss, Jefferson declined, saying, “I would prefer not to comment out of respect for my opponent.”
Republican President Donald Trump won the politically purple district by three percentage points in 2020 but Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won it by 21 points last year.
House District 45 skewed about five points toward Republicans from 2016 to 2020. It’s about 81% white, and the biggest minority group is Asian, as 9.1% of residents there identify themselves as Asian. That makes it the most Asian House district in the state, according to elections analysis website Dave’s Redistricting.
Herald-Leader writer Austin Horn contributed to this report.
This breaking story will be updated.
This story was originally published November 5, 2024 at 11:23 PM.
