No effect with one cause, no cause with one effect. That Democratic and progressive policy positions are gaining in popularity doesn't mean other factors (including ingrained distrust of Democrats and "socialism") melts away like the dew.
Bevin was the state executive so he gets the "Buck Stops Here" award for any conservative policies that hurt people. People who haven't yet given up on the idea of being a Republican might well still vote for other Republicans who represent their professed values...
...but in voting against Bevin they've maybe taken a step towards recognizing the dissonance between those values and what they actually, in day to day life, value.
