By Matt Young

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Republicans adorned in suits and dresses sipped their drinks and rang their Bevin bells.

The crowd’s cheers roared louder and louder through the Louisville riverfront’s historic Galt House Hotel for Republican Governor-elect Matt Bevin as the precinct numbers rolled in.

Bevin is only the second Republican to be elected governor of Kentucky in four decades.

The consensus of support in the room did not come, however, because Bevin was a Republican. It came because Bevin represented change.

Bevin has often rubbed many Republicans the wrong way in his two campaigns for public office. After his primary defeat in the 2014 Senate race to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Bevin refused to endorse McConnell against Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Even in victory it was clear Bevin was a party outsider.

“I’m proud of the fact that this is a great night for the Republican Party in the state of Kentucky, but it is more important that this is a great night for conservatives in Kentucky,” he said.

But Bevin does things his own way.

Kentucky traditionally leans blue for state elections, but Bevin stole the show by keeping the focus on conservative social issues.

While Democratic candidate Jack Conway seemed like Punxsutawney Phil, seeing his shadow at the Fancy Farm picnic, he went back in his hole for six weeks while Bevin traveled around the state defending Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis. On many occasions Bevin said if it were up to Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and Conway, Davis would still be in jail — the message of social conservatism rang well with voters.

But as the campaign rounded the final turn, Bevin was still staring down the barrel of unfriendly poll numbers.

He shifted his strategy and began to release ads linking Jack Conway to President Barack Obama, even going to the extent of calling Conway a rubber stamp for Obama on the Glenn Beck radio show. His strategy worked.

Bevin won over voters including Stanley Burgan, a 73-year-old retired auto body painter in Jessamine County who is a registered Democrat.

“I went Republican because I’m sick of what Democrats are doing — meaning Obama,” said Burgan, who disagrees with same-sex marriage and said the Democratic Party appears to be turning socialistic.

Only 28 percent of voters turned out to vote during the gubernatorial election in 2011. Bevin rallied social conservatives and religious groups for support in an election where 30.7 percent of registered voters turned out when a turnout of less than 25 percent was expected.

“We are Republicans and Democrats, and we are one Kentucky at the end of the day.” Bevin said to the crowd of cheering supporters. “Kentucky is ready for a fresh start.”

Bevin reserved the biggest moment of the night for his wife, Glenna. Bevin said as he drove 95,000 miles around the state over the last two years, she was beside him all the way.

“I hear so often, ‘How is it possible that you always seem so rested and full of energy? You have all these children, how is it possible that you are able to do this?’” Bevin said. “I’ll tell you. You marry well.”

Glenna could not wipe the smile off her face, even though the spotlight seemed to embarrass her. She tried to hide behind the shoulder of her husband, politely declining the attention the two had been awarded.

From the failure in the Senate race, to his sometimes abrasive approach to the Governor’s race, one metaphor illustrates the grit of Bevin.

His father, Avery Bevin, was asked about a story Matt once told during the Senate race.

It was a cold New England night on the farm, probably dozens of degrees below zero, as it often is. A car would not start, and Bevin and his father went out to persuade it. Bevin said it was so cold the moisture in their leather gloves would freeze, and they would have to be removed to perform repairs — a dangerous task because of the risk of frostbite.

“You either took your gloves off and made it run, or you just sat there and froze to death,” Avery Bevin said.

Avery Bevin never imagined his son in public service, but he said Bevin has taken the gloves off.