Matt Bevin

Matt Bevin
Born	Matthew Griswold Bevin 1/9/1967
Birthplace	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman, politician
Title	62nd Governor of Kentucky
Known for	62nd Governor of Kentucky
Education	Washington and Lee University (BA)
Children	10

Matthew Griswold Bevin (born January 9, 1967) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 62nd governor of Kentucky from December 8, 2015, to December 10, 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Bevin rose from relative political obscurity to win the governorship in 2015 after narrowly prevailing in a four-way Republican primary by just 83 votes and then defeating Democratic nominee Jack Conway in the general election. His tenure was marked by the enactment of right-to-work legislation, laws restricting abortion access, and efforts to reverse Kentucky's Medicaid expansion. Bevin drew national attention for contentious confrontations with public school teachers over pension reform and for remarks that generated considerable controversy. He lost his bid for re-election in 2019 to Democrat Andy Beshear, the state's attorney general, in one of the closest gubernatorial races in Kentucky history. In the final days of his administration, Bevin issued more than 600 pardons, including pardons for individuals convicted of serious violent crimes, which prompted an FBI investigation. Born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in New Hampshire, Bevin served as an officer in the United States Army before entering the financial services industry and later taking over a family bell manufacturing business. He is currently the CEO of Neuronetrix Solutions, LLC.

Early Life

Matthew Griswold Bevin was born on January 9, 1967, in Denver, Colorado. He was raised in Shelburne, New Hampshire, a small town in the northern part of the state. Bevin grew up in a family with deep roots in New England manufacturing; the Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company, based in Connecticut, was a family enterprise and one of the last remaining American bell foundries in the United States.

Details about Bevin's childhood in rural New Hampshire shaped his later political identity as a conservative outsider and businessman. He would later take over leadership of the Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company, maintaining the family's connection to American manufacturing traditions. The company's history as a longstanding domestic manufacturer became a talking point during Bevin's political campaigns, where he presented himself as someone with firsthand experience in the challenges facing American industry.

Education

Bevin attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. He also attended Central Michigan University at some point in his academic career. Washington and Lee, a private liberal arts institution founded in the 18th century, is one of the oldest universities in the United States. Bevin graduated the same year he entered military service.

Career

Military Service

Following his graduation from Washington and Lee University in 1989, Bevin was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. He served in the Army from 1989 to 1993, assigned to the 5th Infantry Division. During his four years of service, Bevin attained the rank of captain. His military background later featured prominently in his political biography and campaign materials.

Business Career

After leaving the Army, Bevin entered the financial management industry. In 1999, he relocated to Louisville, Kentucky, while working in financial services. Bevin later assumed leadership of the Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company, the Connecticut-based family business that had been in operation for generations as one of the last American bell foundries. His experience running a manufacturing company and working in finance formed the basis of his self-presentation as a business-minded candidate during his subsequent political career.

Following his time as governor, Bevin became the CEO of Neuronetrix Solutions, LLC, a technology company.

2014 U.S. Senate Primary

Bevin's first foray into electoral politics came in 2014, when he launched a primary challenge against Kentucky's senior U.S. senator, Mitch McConnell, for the Republican nomination. Running as a conservative outsider and Tea Party-aligned candidate, Bevin positioned himself as an alternative to the long-serving Senate leader. The challenge was considered an uphill battle from the outset, given McConnell's deep institutional support and extensive campaign resources. On primary election day, Bevin lost to McConnell by nearly 25 percentage points, a decisive defeat that nonetheless raised his profile within the state's Republican politics.

Despite the loss, the 2014 campaign established Bevin's name recognition among Kentucky Republican voters and positioned him for a future statewide run. McConnell later offered what was described as a "mild endorsement" of Bevin's gubernatorial candidacy during the Fancy Farm political event.

2015 Gubernatorial Election

In 2015, Bevin announced his candidacy for governor of Kentucky. The Republican primary featured four candidates, and the race proved to be exceptionally competitive. Bevin won the primary by a margin of just 83 votes, one of the narrowest primary victories in Kentucky gubernatorial history.

In the general election, Bevin faced Jack Conway, the Democratic nominee and Kentucky's sitting attorney general. Bevin selected Jenean Hampton as his running mate for lieutenant governor, making Hampton the first African American to hold statewide office in Kentucky's history when the ticket prevailed. Bevin defeated Conway to become the 62nd governor of Kentucky, taking office on December 8, 2015.

Governorship (2015–2019)

Right-to-Work Legislation

One of the signature accomplishments of Bevin's tenure was the enactment of right-to-work legislation in Kentucky. The law, which prohibited requiring workers to join a union or pay union dues as a condition of employment, had been a long-sought goal of Kentucky Republicans. Its passage marked a significant shift in labor policy for a state with a historically strong union presence, particularly in the coal mining and manufacturing sectors.

Abortion Restrictions

During Bevin's term, Kentucky enacted several laws restricting abortion access. Bevin signed multiple pieces of legislation aimed at limiting the procedure, consistent with his stated pro-life position. These measures placed Kentucky among the most restrictive states in the nation regarding abortion policy during his time in office.

Concealed Carry Legislation

Bevin signed legislation allowing the carrying of concealed handguns without a permit, a policy known as "constitutional carry" or permitless carry. The law removed the requirement for Kentucky residents to obtain a concealed carry permit before carrying a concealed firearm.

Medicaid Expansion

Bevin sought to reverse Kentucky's expansion of Medicaid, which had been implemented by his predecessor, Steve Beshear. The Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act had extended health coverage to hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians. Bevin proposed a waiver plan that would have imposed work requirements and other conditions on Medicaid recipients, an approach that faced legal challenges and generated significant debate within the state.

Teacher Pension Controversy

Perhaps the most politically consequential chapter of Bevin's governorship involved his efforts to reform public employee pension systems. Kentucky faced one of the worst-funded pension systems in the nation, and Bevin pursued changes that teachers and other public employees viewed as harmful to their retirement security. His administration's pension reform efforts sparked large-scale teacher demonstrations at the state capitol.

Bevin drew particular ire from educators for his public criticisms of teachers who protested the pension changes. His comments regarding teachers leaving their classrooms to protest generated significant backlash and became a central issue in his subsequent re-election campaign. The pension dispute galvanized opposition to Bevin among educators and public employees across the state.

Controversial Remarks

In September 2016, Bevin made remarks at a Values Voter Summit that drew national attention. Speaking about the possibility of Hillary Clinton winning the 2016 presidential election, Bevin suggested that the "blood of patriots" might need to be shed to protect conservative values, invoking a quotation attributed to Thomas Jefferson. The comments were interpreted by critics as an allusion to political violence. CNN and other outlets reported on the speech, with Bevin's office later clarifying that he was referring to military sacrifices rather than domestic violence. The Jefferson quotation Bevin referenced — "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants" — was contextualized by the Thomas Jefferson Foundation as having a specific historical meaning that did not align with Bevin's usage.

Bevin also generated controversy when he publicly stated that he had intentionally exposed his nine children to chicken pox rather than having them vaccinated. The admission, made during a radio interview, drew criticism from medical professionals and public health advocates.

2019 Re-Election Campaign and Defeat

Bevin sought re-election in 2019, facing Andy Beshear, the son of former governor Steve Beshear and the sitting Kentucky attorney general, as the Democratic nominee. The race became one of the most closely watched gubernatorial contests in the nation that year. Bevin's approval ratings had been affected by his conflicts with teachers and public employees, his controversial public statements, and other political disputes during his first term.

On election night, November 5, 2019, Beshear declared victory after results showed him leading by approximately 5,000 votes. Bevin initially refused to concede, citing unspecified "irregularities" in the voting process and requesting a recanvass of the results. The recanvass confirmed Beshear's victory. Bevin formally conceded the election on November 14, 2019.

The loss made Bevin only the fourth incumbent Kentucky governor since World War II to lose a re-election bid. McConnell had endorsed Bevin's re-election, though their relationship had been strained since Bevin's 2014 primary challenge.

Pardons Controversy

In his final days as governor, between his election loss and the inauguration of Andy Beshear, Bevin issued more than 600 pardons and commutations. The pardons generated intense criticism when it emerged that several recipients had been convicted of serious violent crimes, including murder, rape, and other offenses. Among the most controversial pardons was that of a man convicted of child rape whose family had contributed to a fundraiser that raised $4,000 for Bevin's campaign. Bevin also pardoned a woman convicted of hiring a hitman.

The scope and nature of the pardons provoked a national firestorm. The Washington Post reported extensively on the controversy, noting that the mass pardons were among the most controversial executive clemency actions by a departing governor in recent American history.

On December 23, 2019, it was reported that the FBI had questioned state representative Chris Harris about Bevin's pardons. On January 2, 2020, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron formally asked the FBI to investigate the pardons, raising questions about whether any of the clemency decisions were connected to campaign contributions or other improper considerations.

Personal Life

Bevin has ten children, including adopted children. His personal life has been the subject of significant public attention in recent years due to an ongoing and highly publicized divorce case. Court proceedings involving Bevin, his ex-wife Glenna, and their adopted son Jonah have been covered extensively in Kentucky media.

In 2025 and 2026, multiple legal disputes arose in connection with the divorce proceedings. Jonah Bevin, Bevin's adopted son, sought to intervene in the divorce case to pursue retroactive child support. The Kentucky Court of Appeals rejected Bevin's effort to block Jonah from intervening in the case. A Court of Appeals judge subsequently denied Bevin's request to keep Jonah out of the divorce proceedings entirely.

In January 2026, Bevin sought to have a court order allowing Jonah to pursue retroactive child support thrown out. A judge also ordered Bevin to disclose his finances as part of the case. The divorce case, after months of delays related to various appeals, was set to resume in late 2025.

Bevin admitted publicly that he intentionally exposed his children to chicken pox rather than having them vaccinated, a disclosure that drew criticism from public health officials.

Recognition

Bevin's tenure as governor received mixed assessments. His enactment of right-to-work legislation and gun rights expansion were praised by conservative organizations and Republican allies, while his confrontations with teachers and his handling of pension reform were cited as key factors in his electoral defeat. His controversial pardons in the final days of his administration drew bipartisan criticism and national media coverage, and remained a defining aspect of his public legacy as of the mid-2020s.

The 2019 gubernatorial race between Bevin and Andy Beshear became a case study in the political consequences of antagonizing organized interest groups, particularly public school teachers. Bevin's defeat in a state that Donald Trump had carried by 30 percentage points in 2016 was analyzed by political observers as evidence that personal unpopularity could overcome partisan advantages in statewide races.