FRANKFORT — Steve Beshear cruised to an easy 18-point win over incumbent Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher, crushing hopes for the Republican Party to hold onto the governor’s office for a second term.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Beshear had 611,415 votes to Fletcher’s 431,786, winning 59 percent of the vote to Fletcher’s 41. Turnout was just over 36 percent.

Beshear led from the very start, and early on the only question was whether his margin would eclipse previous governors’ winning margins or provide enough coat tails to pull down Republican Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Richie Farmer.

It was big enough for Beshear, but not enough to sweep Bruce Hendrickson into a victory over Grayson or David Lynn Williams of Glasgow over Farmer.

“Folks, the people of this state have spoken and they have handed the reins of this government to us,” Beshear said as confetti fell from the ceiling of the Frankfort Convention Center. He commended Fletcher’s “graciousness” in his concession speech and wished him and his wife, Glenna, well.

“Tomorrow, we’re all going to be Kentuckians, and my friends, we need everybody, and I mean everybody, those who voted for me and those who voted against me, if we’re going to make this commonwealth a better place to live,” Beshear told the crowd of jubilant Democrats.

“Tonight we celebrate, but tomorrow begins the hard work of governing,” he said.

Fletcher spent much of his concession speech touting his accomplishments but he wished Beshear good luck and said his victory – after “the challenges we’ve faced” – give him an opportunity to build on “a new era” in Frankfort.

“Voters have made up their minds and I accept their decision,” Fletcher said. “My days in office didn’t end as I like, but I learned many things that will serve (wife) Glenna and me well in our future.

”There was so much more we wanted to do but it wasn’t meant to be,” he said. “But here the saying is true, that one man reaps what another sews.” He only briefly alluded to his troubles with the Merit System investigation, saying he wished he’d seen those challenges when he “was flush with victory four years ago.”

The signs of Beshear’s victory were there early on, from multiple polls which consistently showed him with double-digit leads, to dispirited Republicans who said they might stay home on Election Day.

Glenda Tuttle of Richmond, who supported Beshear from the start of his campaign, was already celebrating before noon Tuesday, confident of what was to come.

“I voted straight Democratic,” she said. “I’m so tickled, I can’t stand it.”

Democrat Soc Clay of Greenup said it was evident what would happen.

“There were people piling onto Beshear because they thought he could win,” Clay said of Democrats in his northeastern part of the state. “And I’ve talked to some longtime Republicans here today who said they were not going to vote.”

Barren County Clerk Pam Browning, a Republican, saw the big loss coming. She said her party will rebound and won’t be split apart by Fletcher’s loss or the primary challenges he faced from Anne Northup and Billy Harper. And she noted Grayson’s and Farmer’s re-election wins.

“I think we’ll just stand up, stand together and get going again,” she said. “I don’t think there’ll be any splits. I know we’ll be ready to go when (U.S. Senator) Mitch (McConnell) gets ready to go in his election next year.”

Republican House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover of Jamestown, who ran with Anne Northup in the Republican pirmary on a ticket challenging Fletcher,said Republicans "will pick up tomorrow and we'll start moving ahead for 2008." He said "we'd seen it coming in recent days," but said he'd supported Fletcher in the general election.

Sen. Ed Worley, the Democratic Minority Leader in the state Senate from Richmond, said Democrats are happy to control the governor’s mansion again and Senate Democrats will work with Beshear. But it won’t be dominated like it used to be, Worley said.

“Obviously, you’re always pleased when you can win the governorship for your own party,” Worley said.

“But the legislature is a very independent organization and a governor has to be able to depend on the people in his party,” Worley said. “When he’s right, we’ll be with him and when he’s not, we won’t.”

Senate President David Williams – without saying so – made that clear. He said Beshear needs to keep his campaign promises to work with both Republicans and Democrats because Kentucky faces tremendous problems, including the underfunded pension programs for state employees. He said he hopes “we can establish a working relationship with the new governor.”

Democratic House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins of Sandy Hook said Beshear’s big win adds strength to the Democratic Party in Kentucky and gives a push to Beshear’s call to place the gambling question on the ballot.

“I definitely think it gives him more strength and momentum in the legislature this January,” Adkins said. He said Beshear has the “ability to understand how the legislature works and how to communicate with the legislature and he’ll have a lot of success.”

But Adkins echoed Worley’s caution to Beshear – the legislature “will remain independent.” And Williams, who opposes gambling, wouldn’t address questions about what Beshear’s win means on that issue.

Beshear, Adkins said, will face a tough set of choices – revenue forecasts for the coming two-year budget cycle have been scaled back and it’ll be difficult for lawmakers and the new governor to find money for current programs even before addressing campaign promises or dealing with sticky problems like the underfunded state pension system or the growing burden county jails place on county budgets.

Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.