The 2000 United States presidential election in Kentucky took place on November 7, 2000, as part of the 2000 United States presidential election, which included elections in all 50 states and D.C. Voters chose 8 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.

Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...

2000 United States presidential election in Kentucky

← 1996 November 7, 2000 2004 →

Nominee George W. Bush Al Gore Party Republican Democratic Home state Texas Tennessee Running mate Dick Cheney Joe Lieberman Electoral vote 8 0 Popular vote 872,492 638,898 Percentage 56.50% 41.37%

County Results Bush   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%   70-80%   80-90% Gore   40-50%   50-60%   60-70%

President before election Bill Clinton Democratic Elected President George W. Bush Republican

Close

Kentucky was won by Governor George W. Bush. He won most of the counties and congressional districts in the state. Bush dominated among the rural areas of the state. The only congressional district Gore won was the third district, which is a part of Jefferson County, Kentucky, the highest populated county in the state. The only other region where Gore performed strongly was in the coal dependent counties in the southeastern part of the state. As of the 2020 presidential election^[update], this is the last election in which Boyd County, Muhlenberg County, Harlan County, Perry County, Letcher County, Ballard County, and Fulton County voted for the Democratic candidate, and also the first in which Wolfe County and Morgan County ever voted for a Republican.^[1] This election cemented Kentucky from a major swing state into a Republican stronghold, although the state would not back the loser of a general election until 2008.

Kentucky was 1 of 14 states that Bill Clinton (and, by extension, Gore as Clinton's vice presidential running mate) won at least once and 1 of 9 that backed him twice that Gore lost in this election.Kentucky is also the only state to back Clinton in 1996 which Gore lost by a double digit margin in 2000.

Bush became the first Republican to win the White House without carrying Jefferson County since Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.

Technically the voters of Kentucky cast their ballots for electors: representatives to the Electoral College. Kentucky is allocated 8 electors because it has 6 congressional districts and 2 senators. All candidates who appear on the ballot or qualify to receive write-in votes must submit a list of 8 electors, who pledge to vote for their candidate and his or her running mate. Whoever wins the majority of votes in the state is awarded all 8 electoral votes. Their chosen electors then vote for president and vice president. Although electors are pledged to their candidate and running mate, they are not obligated to vote for them. An elector who votes for someone other than his or her candidate is known as a faithless elector.

The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000^[3] to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.

The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for George W. Bush and Dick Cheney:^[4]

1. George S. Beard
2. William S. Farish Jr
3. Robert B. Fearing
4. Connie S. Hayes
5. G. Richard Noss Jr.
6. A. Douglas Reece
7. Michael A. Shea
8. Larry Joe Walden