Louisville, Kentucky - Democrat Andy Beshear will serve a second term as Kentucky Governor after comfortably turning aside a challenge from Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron in Tuesday's hugely significant election.

Beshear was ahead by five points on Wednesday morning, with almost all ballots counted.

"Tonight, Kentucky made a choice, a choice not to move to the right or to the left but to move forward for every single family," the moderate said in his victory speech.

Beshear's win was a result of his own personal popularity and ability to most keep national issues at bay in a state where President Joe Biden is deeply unpopular.

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Still, one matter with national resonance that was central to the governor's campaign was abortion. In a state that last year passed a near-total abortion ban, overriding Beshear's veto, his opponent objected to adding even rape or incest exceptions to the law.

Anger over Cameron's handling over the police killing of Breonna Taylor also played an important role. The AG failed to bring any charges against the Louisville cops who broke into her apartment and shot her dead in March 2020, sparking nationwide protests.

Coupled with Ohio's resounding "yes" to a constitutionally enshrined right to abortion, the Kentucky result gave Biden a boost at a time when his prospects in the 2024 presidential election look alarmingly bleak.