Rand Paul went all in on the Kentucky governor's race. It didn’t work.

On Nov. 7, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) was handily elected to a second term despite millions in spending in support of his Republican opponent by conservative PACs and corporations. One of the biggest spenders was a PAC affiliated with Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).

According to reporting from the Kentucky Lantern, Paul’s Protect Freedom PAC spent $2.1 million in support of Beshear’s challenger, state Attorney General Daniel Cameron. That includes two direct-to-camera television ads in which Paul endorsed Cameron. 

In an ad titled “Kentucky Kids,” Paul falsely asserted that Beshear’s support for LGBTQ rights was endangering children.

“Keep Kentucky kids safe,” Paul said in the ad. “Kick Governor Beshear out of office.”

In August, the Lexington Herald Leader reported that Protect Freedom PAC had joined forces with the School Freedom Fund on a $5 million dollar get-out-the-vote campaign for Cameron. It included digital and television ads as well as direct mail. The School Freedom Fund is an offshoot of the Club for Growth, a far-right group that was co-founded by billionaire Harlan Crow.

Paul’s gambit did not pay off.

Beshear was reelected with 52.5% of the vote. In Warren County, where Paul lives, Beshear secured 52% of the vote. That’s an improvement over 2019, when Beshear secured 50.8% of the vote in Warren County.

A spokesperson for Paul did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.