The 1995 Kentucky gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 1995. Incumbent
GovernorBrereton Jones was not eligible to run for a second term due to
term limits established by the
Kentucky Constitution, creating an open seat. At the time,
Kentucky and
Virginia were the only states that prohibited their Governors from serving immediate successive terms. The
Democratic nominee,
Lieutenant GovernorPaul E. Patton, defeated
Republican nominee
Larry Forgy to win his first term as governor. It was the last time that the election was held until the
Kentucky General Assembly changed its term limits law in 1992, allowing Patton to run again in
1999 and leaving
Virginia as the only state that prohibits its governor from serving immediate successive terms.