Looks like this stunt may have helped defeat Comer in KY's 2015 gubernatorial primary (by 83 votes), he was nevertheless elected to the House in 2016. From
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/10/after-near-miss-in-kentucky-governors-race-james-comer-tries-a-congressional-comeback/448026/Two weeks before the gubernatorial primary, Comer’s college girlfriend told the Louisville Courier-Journal that he had physically abused her. The allegations, helped along by a rival campaign, took over the last days of the primary campaign and likely bumped Comer to that narrow loss, even as his campaign aired TV ads in which the candidate's wife touted his character and values.
But Comer said he doesn’t believe that line of attack will have the same impact in the GOP primary for Whitfield’s rural district.
“I don't think anyone can ever pull a stunt like that again,” Comer said. “One candidate used it as an issue—[Hal] Heiner—and he dropped like a lead balloon. One candidate defended me in the primary and shot up, and that was [Matt] Bevin,” who won the nomination.
“That was a turning point for all three campaigns,” Comer said. “… We were prepared for [negative ads]. We were not prepared for that Courier-Journal story and those allegations.”
So the accusation was the primary season equivalent of an
October Surprise.
The R opponent who embraced the claim plunged, i.e. it seems that more KY voters rejected the claim than bought it.
And, as often happens with
October Surprise slanderous accusations, it disappeared, not even being recycled for the 2016 election.
