#byebyebevin trends on Twitter during close Kentucky gubernatorial race

WASHINGTON – The Twitter hashtag #bybyebevin started trending on Twitter as the polls closed in Kentucky in a heated gubernatorial race that has garnered national attention, including that of President Donald Trump.

As early results showed that Republican incumbent Matt Bevin was in danger of losing his seat to Democratic challenger Andy Beshear, the state’s attorney general, Kentuckians and those interested in the election took to social media to spread the hashtag.

The two men have a bitter rivalry that goes back to when they first took office in 2015, expressing vastly different visions for where they want to take the state in the next four years.

Bevin has aligned himself with Trump, with the President rallying in Kentucky on Monday night for GOP incumbent, urging Kentuckians to re-elect the Bevin and send a signal "to the rest of the world that the Republican Party – you know what we stand for."

Bevin is among the least popular governors in the country. He has caused rebuke within the state on multiple fronts, including from his handling of a teachers walk out when he said students were left vulnerable to sexual assault as a result of school closures and that teachers only caused "sickouts" while schools were in session because they wanted paid time off work.

More: At debate, Gov. Matt Bevin denies saying people commit suicide in casinos. He did

Early numbers showed Bevin slightly leading Beshear. However, so far, Beshear vastly outperformed the last Democrat who ran against Bevin when he first ran for office, and soon, the race became too close to call.

More: Kentucky election results 2019: Follow along for live results from Bevin vs Beshear & more

Phillip M. Bailey, Benjamin Tobin, Billy Kobin and Sarah Ladd, Louisville Courier Journal

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matt Bevin: #byebyebevin trends during gubernatorial race in Kentucky