Conway and his Republican opponent Matt Bevin participated in a debate sponsored by Eastern Kentucky University and the League of Women Voters. The debate took place on October 25, 2015, at the university.

The debate was heated, with both candidates interrupting each other. At one point, Bevin accused Conway of lying to the public about having cut his office's budget.

He said, “You didn’t cut your budget. The governor cut your budget. It’s a lie. Stop lying to people, Jack.”

Conway defended his budget claims, saying he was responsible for managing the governor's cuts and that he returned $300 million to the General Fund through settlements he won as attorney general.

The candidates also wrestled over health policy. Conway criticized Bevin for saying he would reverse Governor Steve Beshear's Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Bevin responded, “I never said I would kick anyone off Medicaid if I was elected.”

Conway turned to what he said were independent financial analyses showing that Medicaid expansion is beneficial for the state in the early years, and that the General Fund would not be hit until at least 2021. Bevin said the studies Conway cited are "baloney."

The candidates battled over other issues such as education and Kentucky's pension fund and agreed on issues such as restoring nonviolent offender voting rights, supporting the Second Amendment, instituting a nonpartisan redistricting commission and opposing harmful federal coal regulations.