As you can see, he did not carry the counties that border Kentucky. But he did do impressively well in other parts of Appalachia.  

Some interesting points (highlights are mine):

Post-nomination, Wilder's campaign was a shoestring classic, fueled by the candidate's personal blend of sophistication and backroom savvy. A millionaire lawyer and real estate entrepreneur, Wilder locked his white Mercedes in the garage and set off on a statewide tour in a borrowed station wagon. Along the way, he and a small group of white Senate advisors pushed the right pressure points whenever Democratic support seemed lukewarm.

Meanwhile Wilder and Goldman-a former Vista worker with a quirky and largely unproved political brilliance-adopted an unlikely campaign strategy. Shredding candidate workshop manuals, they decided to limit their paid staff to two, plus a driver, and to pour their resources into television. In the end, about $500,000 of a $700,000 budget was spent on media advertising. The ads stressed Wilder's selling points: that he had more Senate experience than the last five lieutenant governors combined, that he had chaired three major Senate committees, that he had placed fifth in Senate effectiveness in a recent newspaper poll, that he had won a bronze star in Korea, and that he was the author of legislation controlling drug paraphernalia and setting tough penalties for prison escapees. The list contrasted with the lackluster record of his opponent, John Chichester. Chichester's major claim to fame was having defeated the Equal Rights Amendment in the Virginia Senate a few years earlier.

The masterpiece of Wilder's advertising campaign, however, featured a burly, white cop from Kenbridge, VA, who happened onto a filming session one day and readily lent his support. When Joe Alder rested one beefy arm on the top of his patrol car and witnessed to his support of Wilder for "loo-tin-yant guv-ner," he delivered a body blow to one of the most damaging of racial political stereotypes. Boss Hogg and Archie Bunker might just as well have sent their blessing. Redneck Virginia liked Wilder. Joe Alder and the tagline-"They stand together in the fight against crime"-had put to rest any notion that Wilder might be soft on criminals.