By Noah Oldham

Contributing writer

Gov. Andy Beshear lost Boyle County by a hair in November, but he raised more than twice as much campaign money from Boyle County residents as former Gov. Matt Bevin, according to reports from their campaigns up to 15 days before the election. 

Bevin got 49.1% of Boyle County’s vote, and Beshear got 49.0%. Beshear, then the state attorney general, received contributions from 41 people in Danville, totaling $36,669 according to his campaign’s reports. 

Bevin received contributions from 21 individuals in Danville, totaling $17,403. The wealthy governor financed about 42 percent of his own campaign, according to its reports to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

Kentucky law limits contributors to $2,000 per campaign per election. Counting primary and general elections, the most a contributor can give a candidate is $4,000. There are no limits on how much a candidate may contribute to their own campaign. 

Dr. Kimberly Smith, an optometrist at Danville Eye Center, contributed the maximum amount of $4,000 to Beshear’s campaign. 

Jon and Renee Harned were also large contributors, giving a combined total of $6,000 to Beshear. Jon Harned is retired from Harned Insurance & Finance Company. 

Mary Begley contributed $3,000 to the Democrat’s campaign. Begley served as a commissioner for the Department of Health and Family Services under Governor Steve Beshear.

Former Boyle County Magistrate Jack Hendricks contributed $2,250 to Beshear’s campaign. Hendricks served as a magistrate for 11 years, before losing re-election in 2018. 

Other former Boyle County officials contributed to Beshear’s campaign. Richard Campbell, who served as the Boyle County attorney, contributed $2,000. Former Judge-Executive Harold McKinney, who retired in 2018, contributed $1,500. 

Jeffery Johnson, a dentist at Danville Pediatric Dentistry, contributed $2,000 to Beshear’s campaign. 

Richard Webb contributed $1,525 to Beshear. Webb was the executive director of the Harrodsburg-Mercer County Industrial Development Authority for three years, before resigning in 2018. Before that, Webb was the superintendent of Burgin Independent Schools. 

Other significant contributors to Beshear’s campaign include Walter and Sandra Burberry, who gave a total of $1,300. Laura Coleman Pritchard, who is the director of major gifts at Saint Mary’s College, gave $1,250. Robin Morley, who works for HealthTech Solutions, contributed $1,600. Dan Nolet, an engineer at Corning Inc. gave $1,050. And Clint Wilder, a national handler for the Transnow Corporation, gave $1,000. 

Matt Bevin also had notable contributors to his reelection campaign in Danville. 

Doug and Karen Ditto gave a combined total of $4,000. Doug Ditto is a banker for First Southern Bank. 

Anjum Bux, an anesthesiologist, and Christopher Stewart, who works in project development at HMB Professional Engineers Inc., each gave $3,000.

HMB Engineers Inc. has had about $1.4 million in contracts with Kentucky’s Department of Highways since 2009. Employees of HMB have given $41,050 to Kentucky candidates since 2014, according to campaign finance reports. 

Other notable contributors from Danville toward Bevin’s reelection campaign include John Albright, President of Caldwell Stone Company, who gave $1,500; and Lynn Tye, the owner and an agent of Blue Moon Insurance Agency, who contributed $1,000. Tye’s husband, Tom, is chair of the Boyle County Republican Party.

Gov. Beshear took office Tuesday, Dec. 10. The law requires each campaign to file another finance report 60 days after the Nov. 5 election. Beshear’s inaugural committee will also have to report. The finance reports are available online at http://www.kref.state.ky.us/krefsearch/.