Sen. Rand Paul wasn't on the ballot Tuesday, but the Kentucky Republican got a much needed victory that might quell — for now — the calls for him to bow out of the 2016 presidential race and focus on winning another Senate term.

In a come-from-behind victory, Republican Matt Bevin won the Kentucky governor's race and Republicans nearly swept the other down-ballot races, including knocking off the incumbent state auditor who national Democrats had hoped would challenge Paul in next year's Senate race.

The results demonstrated that the onetime border state's partisan lean continues to drift further to the right like its southern neighbors, giving Paul evidence to push back against critics who fear that his presidential ambition is putting his Senate seat at risk.