Matt Bevin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matt Bevin
Bevin in 2016
62nd Governor of Kentucky
In office December 8, 2015 – December 10, 2019
Lieutenant	Jenean Hampton
Preceded by	Steve Beshear
Succeeded by	Andy Beshear
Personal details
Born	Matthew Griswold Bevin (1967-01-09) January 9, 1967 (age 58) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Glenna Bevin ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2025)​
Children	10
Education	Washington and Lee University (BA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1989–1993
Rank	Captain
Unit	5th Infantry Division

Matthew Griswold Bevin (born January 9, 1967) is an American businessman and politician. He is a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 62nd governor of Kentucky from 2015 to 2019. He is currently the CEO of Neuronetrix Solutions, LLC.

Bevin was born in Denver, Colorado, and grew up in Shelburne, New Hampshire. He earned a bachelor's degree from Washington and Lee University in 1989. He served four years in the U.S. Army and became a captain. In 1999, Bevin moved to Louisville, Kentucky, for his work in financial management. Later, he took over his family's business, Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company, which makes bells. It is one of the last bell foundries in the United States.

In 2013, Bevin announced he would run against Mitch McConnell, a U.S. Senator from Kentucky. He lost to McConnell in the Republican primary election in 2014. Bevin then decided to run for governor in 2015. He won a close Republican primary election by only 83 votes. In the general election, he defeated Jack Conway, who was the state's Attorney General and a Democrat.

..... He also supported a law that allowed people to carry concealed handguns without a permit. He tried to change Kentucky's Medicaid healthcare program. Bevin was often in the news for criticizing school teachers. Teachers protested against his plans to cut their pensions. Bevin lost his re-election campaign in 2019 to Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear. It was a very close race. After asking for a recount, Bevin accepted the results on November 14, 2019.

Early Life and Education

Matt Bevin was born on January 9, 1967, in Denver, Colorado. He was the second of six children. He grew up in the countryside of Shelburne, New Hampshire. His father worked in a wood mill, and his mother worked part-time at a hospital. His family raised animals and grew much of their own food. When he was six, Bevin sold seeds to his neighbors. He was involved in 4-H, which helped him learn public speaking and leadership skills.

Bevin went to a small Christian school. Later, he attended Gould Academy, a private high school in Maine. Financial aid and jobs like washing dishes helped pay for his tuition. After high school, Bevin went to Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He had a partial scholarship from ROTC. He studied in Japan and learned to speak Japanese. In 1989, he earned a degree in East Asian Studies.

After college, Bevin joined the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant. He trained at Fort Knox in Kentucky. He liked the area because it reminded him of his hometown. Bevin became a captain. He received several awards, including the Army Achievement Medal. He left active duty in 1993 and joined the Army Reserve.

Business Career

After leaving the Army in 1993, Bevin worked as a financial consultant. He worked for companies in Pennsylvania and Boston. In 1999, he moved to Kentucky for a new job. In 2003, Bevin started his own company, Integrity Asset Management. This company managed over $1 billion in investments. He sold it in 2011.

In 2008, Bevin took over Bevin Brothers Manufacturing Company in East Hampton, Connecticut. This company was founded by his great-great-great-grandfather in 1832. It is the last American company that only makes bells. The family chose Bevin to help the company stay in business.

In 2012, a lightning strike caused a fire that destroyed the factory. Even though he lost many bells to looters, Bevin promised to rebuild. He said, "I'm a Bevin, and Bevins make bells." The Governor of Connecticut helped the company with grants. Bevin also sold souvenirs to raise money. The company started making bells again in a temporary location in September 2012.

Bevin is also a partner at Waycross Partners, an investment firm in Louisville, Kentucky. In November 2022, he became the CEO of Neuronetrix Solutions, LLC.

Political Campaigns

Bevin considered running for Congress in 2012 but decided against it.

2014 U.S. Senate Campaign

On July 24, 2013, Bevin announced he would challenge Senator Mitch McConnell in the 2014 Republican primary. He felt McConnell was not conservative enough. Early polls showed Bevin far behind McConnell.

McConnell's campaign ran ads saying Bevin took taxpayer money and had tax problems. Bevin said McConnell voted for higher taxes and government bailouts. PolitiFact.com said some of McConnell's claims were "Mostly False." McConnell also criticized Bevin for claiming he attended a seminar linked to Massachusetts Institute of Technology on his LinkedIn page. Bevin later clarified this.

Mitch McConnell, Bevin's opponent in the 2014 Republican Senate primary

McConnell's campaign later focused on the Democratic candidate, Alison Lundergan Grimes. However, the Senate Conservatives Fund supported Bevin. McConnell then ran another ad claiming Bevin did not disclose a tax lien when applying for a state grant. Bevin said he was paying the lien in installments.

Bevin criticized the Affordable Care Act and wanted to repeal it. He suggested allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines. He also wanted to cut government spending and reform entitlement programs. Bevin opposed U.S. involvement in the Syrian Civil War. He was against federal farm subsidies and supported term limits for Congress.

Bevin complained that McConnell refused to speak at events if Bevin was also invited. McConnell also refused to debate Bevin. Conservative groups like the Madison Project and FreedomWorks supported Bevin.

In February 2014, it was reported that Bevin had signed a report in 2008 that praised a federal bailout program. During his campaign, Bevin criticized McConnell for voting for this program. Bevin said he only signed the report because he was legally required to.

Both Bevin and McConnell disagreed with a judge's ruling that allowed same-sex marriage in Kentucky.

Cockfighting Rally Incident

In April 2014, news outlets reported that Bevin spoke at a pro-cockfighting rally. Bevin said he thought it was a states' rights event and left after speaking. However, a video showed that the speaker before him clearly said the rally was to legalize cockfighting. Bevin told a reporter he was not paying attention. When asked if he supported legalizing cockfighting, Bevin said he supported Kentuckians' right to decide. He said criminalizing something that is part of the state's heritage was a bad idea.

Many people criticized Bevin for attending the rally. On April 25, 2014, Bevin apologized. He said he was sorry his attendance caused concern and that he did not support cockfighting or animal cruelty.

Result

On election day, Bevin received 35.4% of the votes, while McConnell received 60.2%. Bevin did not officially endorse McConnell after the primary. However, he later said he voted for McConnell.

2015 Gubernatorial Primary

Bevin speaking in an AARP voter guide video, September 2015

After his Senate loss, Bevin remained active in politics. In January 2015, he announced he would run for governor. His running mate was Jenean Hampton, a Tea Party activist. Bevin joined a crowded field of Republican candidates. These included James Comer, Hal Heiner, and Will T. Scott.

Platform

Bevin's campaign focused on economic issues. His main ideas included:

• Passing "right-to-work" laws.
• Lowering taxes and getting rid of the state inheritance tax.
• Making the state pension system stable, possibly by changing to 401(k) plans for new employees.
• Reducing the number of state employees.
• Reforming education by ending Common Core State Standards Initiative and allowing charter schools.
• Ending the state's health insurance exchange, kynect, and changing the state's Medicaid program.
• Reducing federal influence in Kentucky.

Bevin was the first candidate to suggest reversing the Medicaid expansion. He said it was too expensive for the state.

Campaign Advertising

Early in the campaign, ads from supporters of Hal Heiner attacked Bevin. They brought up old claims about bailouts and tax problems. Bevin spent money on ads to defend himself. Polls later showed the race was very close between Bevin, Heiner, and Comer.

Accusations Against Comer

Before the primary, James Comer's former girlfriend made accusations against him. She claimed he had abused her in 1991. Heiner apologized if his campaign had any role in spreading these claims. Bevin said Heiner's connection to the accusations disqualified him. Bevin also released an ad showing Comer and Heiner as children in a food fight, saying he would bring "grown up leadership."

James Comer lost support in the race due to accusations by a former girlfriend.

A poll after the accusations showed Bevin in the lead.

Result

On election night, May 19, Bevin received 70,479 votes. This was just 83 more votes than James Comer. Hal Heiner and Will Scott received fewer votes. Comer asked for a recount, but Bevin remained ahead. Comer then accepted Bevin's nomination.

Bevin spent over $2.5 million of his own money on his primary campaign. After winning, he was asked about his support for Mitch McConnell. Bevin said he had supported McConnell in many ways. McConnell later endorsed Bevin.

2015 Gubernatorial General Election

In the general election, Bevin faced state Attorney General Jack Conway. Both candidates were from Louisville. The Democratic Party tried to highlight the disagreements within the Republican Party about Bevin. Bevin's campaign linked Conway to President Barack Obama, who was not popular in Kentucky. McConnell endorsed Bevin.

Fiscal Issues

Bevin wanted to change the state's tax system. He proposed moving from income taxes to sales taxes. Conway called this "regressive." Bevin also wanted to eliminate the inheritance tax. He said he would get rid of many "tax loopholes" but did not give specific examples.

Conway promised to increase funding for early childhood education. Bevin said the state could not afford more funding for this. He supported funding education based on results.

Bevin continued to say the state could not afford the Medicaid expansion. He suggested requiring small payments from those on Medicaid. He initially said he would end the expansion immediately. Later, he said he would "address" or "tweak" it. He also said the state would not enroll new people at 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Social Issues

Marriage Equality

Bevin disagreed with the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. He said that Kentuckians had voted to support only heterosexual marriage. He criticized Conway for not appealing the federal court's decision on Kentucky's marriage law. Bevin said Conway's decision cost taxpayers money.

After the Supreme Court ruling, some county clerks refused to issue same-sex marriage licenses. Bevin criticized Governor Beshear for not calling a special meeting to help these clerks. Bevin suggested replacing marriage licenses with a "marriage contract template."

When Rowan County clerk Kim Davis was jailed for refusing to issue licenses, Bevin praised her. He met with her in jail and attended a rally celebrating her release. Bevin said he wanted to focus on financial issues, but social issues had taken over the race.

Bevin also said he believed the government should not be involved in marriage at all. He felt that the religious and legal parts of marriage should be separate.

Reproductive Rights

..... He said he would send the money back to the federal government. .....

Personal Finances

Conway continued to attack Bevin's finances, especially his late tax payments. Reports showed Bevin had been late paying property taxes on his vacation homes many times. His company also had past tax issues. Bevin became annoyed with these reports. He said he always paid his taxes, even if they were sometimes late.

Result

On November 3, Bevin won the election with 53% of the votes. Conway received 44%, and independent candidate Drew Curtis received 3%. Bevin was only the third Republican elected governor of Kentucky since World War II. His running mate, Jenean Hampton, became the first African-American elected to a statewide office in Kentucky. Republicans also won other statewide offices.

2019 Gubernatorial Election

On January 25, 2019, Bevin announced he would run for a second term. He chose State Senator Ralph Alvarado as his running mate. Bevin won the Republican primary election on May 21, 2019. He then faced Andy Beshear, who was Kentucky's Attorney General and the son of former Governor Steve Beshear.

Bevin narrowly lost the re-election campaign to Beshear. Bevin refused to accept the results at first. He claimed there were "irregularities" and "thousands of absentee ballots that were illegally counted." Other Republican lawmakers in Kentucky asked him to provide proof or concede.

On November 6, Bevin asked for a review of the votes, which happened on November 14. The Kentucky Secretary of State declared Beshear the winner. Bevin conceded the race on November 14, 2019.

Governor of Kentucky

Bevin speaking in Nashua, New Hampshire in 2016

After terror attacks in Paris in November 2015, Bevin announced that Kentucky would not accept Syrian refugees. He said this was until the risks could be better understood. A political cartoon showed Bevin hiding, with an aide saying the refugees were his adopted children. Bevin had adopted four children from Ethiopia. Bevin said the cartoon showed "racial intolerance."

Bevin became Governor of Kentucky on December 8, 2015. He chose experienced people for his cabinet. He appointed two Democratic state representatives to new roles. This reduced the Democratic majority in the House.

In December 2015, Bevin issued executive orders. He removed county clerks' names from state marriage licenses. He also reversed orders that restored voting rights for some felons and raised the minimum wage for some state workers.

Bevin announced that the state would stop advertising for kynect, the state's health insurance exchange. In January 2016, he told federal authorities he planned to close kynect by the end of 2016.

Bevin declared both 2016 and 2017 the "Year of the Bible" in Kentucky.

In July 2018, Bevin cut Medicaid dental and vision coverage for many Kentuckians. This happened after a judge rejected his plan to change the program. The cuts were meant for healthy adults, but some children and pregnant women also lost coverage.

Attorney General Andy Beshear sued Bevin many times. Beshear argued that Bevin was misusing his executive powers. Bevin said Beshear was doing it for his own political career.

Bevin's time as governor was often difficult. He had low approval ratings among governors. In April 2019, he was ranked the least popular governor in the United States. He lost his re-election bid in November 2019.

Bevin issued many controversial pardons in his last month in office. He pardoned or reduced sentences for 428 people. These included people convicted of serious crimes. Some of these pardons were met with anger from victims' families. Republican leaders in Kentucky condemned the pardons and asked for an investigation.

2016 Legislative Session

Bevin with Governors Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Dennis Daugaard of South Dakota in Berlin, Germany, in March 2017

Budget Issues

On January 26, 2016, Bevin presented his two-year budget plan. It cut funding for most state agencies by 9 percent. The money saved would go to the state pension system, which needed more funding. Public schools were not cut, and some state workers received raises. Public colleges and universities faced cuts.

Bevin also ordered state agencies to reduce current spending by 4.5 percent. The Attorney General, Andy Beshear, sued to stop these cuts. In September 2016, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled that Bevin did not have the power to make mid-year budget cuts without the legislature's approval.

Bevin and the legislature eventually agreed on a budget. It cut public universities' budgets by 4.5 percent. The money went to the state pension system. Bevin signed the budget but used his line-item veto to remove funding for a scholarship program.

2016 Values Voter Summit

Bevin with Vice President Mike Pence in March 2017

In September 2016, Bevin spoke at the Values Voter Summit. He spoke about the importance of liberty. He used strong language, saying that "the tree of liberty" might need to be refreshed by the blood of patriots. He also mentioned his nine children, saying it "might be their blood" that is needed. Bevin later said his words were about military sacrifice.

2017 Legislative Session

Bevin speaking at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference

In the 2016 election, Republicans gained a large majority in the Kentucky House of Representatives. This allowed Bevin to pursue his conservative goals.

In January 2017, the Kentucky General Assembly quickly passed seven bills. ..... Three bills reduced the power of labor unions, making Kentucky a "right-to-work" state. Bevin signed all seven bills into law on January 9.

Other bills Bevin signed included one to protect religious expression in public schools. He also signed a "Blue Lives Matter" bill, making it a hate crime to attack a police officer. ..... Bevin vetoed a bill about mentally disabled people, but the legislature overrode his veto.

In April 2017, Bevin signed a law that required the Kentucky Board of Education to create rules for Bible literacy classes.

2018 Legislative Session

In February 2018, after school shootings, Bevin said that violent video games were to blame. He said they "desensitized people to the value of human life." In November 2018, he also blamed the popularity of "zombie television shows" for mass shootings. He said gun regulation was not the answer.

In March 2018, Bevin criticized teachers who protested a pension reform bill. He called their actions "selfish." In April, he claimed that the teachers' protests led to unsupervised children being harmed. He later apologized for these comments.

In November 2018, Bevin signed an order requiring contractors to certify they did not boycott Israel.

2019 Legislative Session

Bevin with President Donald Trump on August 21, 2019

On January 29, 2019, Bevin said that school closings due to weather were a "sign America was soft." He received criticism for this comment.

On March 11, 2019, Bevin signed a bill that removed the permit requirement to carry a concealed firearm. ..... On March 26, Bevin signed a bill protecting free speech rights at public universities.

On April 25, 2019, Bevin blamed teacher strikes for the death of a seven-year-old. During the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Bevin was booed while giving a speech.

In July 2019, Bevin supported a bill to ban "sanctuary cities" in Kentucky.

Personal Life

While in the Army, Bevin met his future wife, Glenna, on a blind date. They married in 1996. Glenna had a daughter, Brittiney, from a previous marriage. Brittiney took Bevin's last name. In 2003, Brittiney died in a car accident. The Bevins created Brittiney's Wish, a non-profit that funds mission trips for high school students.

In 2011, Bevin took his children out of school for a year. They traveled across the United States, visiting historical sites. In 2012, the Bevins adopted four children from Ethiopia. By 2015, Bevin said all his children were homeschooled. The Bevin family, with eleven members, was the largest to live in the Kentucky Governor's Mansion since it was built in 1914.

The Bevins attended Southeast Christian Church. After his election, Bevin held an inaugural worship service.

In March 2019, Bevin said in an interview that he purposely exposed all nine of his children to chickenpox so they would become immune.

In May 2023, Glenna Bevin filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized in March 2025.

In late 2019, after losing the governorship, Bevin sent his adopted son Jonah to Atlantis Leadership Academy in Jamaica. This school was later shut down in February 2024 after officials found eight American boys living in poor conditions. They were removed from the school. When no family member claimed Jonah, a judge made him a ward of the Jamaican State.

In February 2025, Jonah Bevin shared his story of severe abuse and neglect at the school. After returning to the U.S. in May 2024, he became homeless. In March 2025, a judge issued a temporary protective order against Matt Bevin. This order restricted him from contacting Jonah and required him to give up his firearms. A deal was reached for the protective order to last six months, followed by a civil restraining order. Both adoptive parents must also provide Jonah with information about his biological family.

Electoral History

See also

In Spanish: Matt Bevin para niños