By Lee Bratcher, Dustin Bratcher/OC Monitor
HARTFORD, Ky. — The year 2020 will be remembered for many things, with the COVID-19 pandemic at the top of everyone’s minds. However, for many, if there is one event that can carry as much weight as a deadly pandemic, it may be the 2020 General Election. While there are many down-ballot contests of interest, most of the registered voters are here for the 2020 Presidential Election between incumbent Republican President Donald Trump, with Vice President Mike Pence, and, the Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, with Vice Presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
While the big race may take a few days before we know the official results, in Ohio County there is no doubt, Trump dominated Biden. In fact, in Ohio County, as has been a trend in the last several elections, the Republican candidates all routed their Democratic opponents. Out of the 18,333 registered voters in Ohio County, 11,174 have voted in the General Election. Those results, of course, don’t count any absentee ballots received and counted before or on Nov. 6. So far, Ohio County has had almost 61 percent of registered voters turnout, more specifically, 60.95 percent.
In the race for President, Ohio County went strong for the incumbent the Trump/Pence ticket won 77 percent of the vote. Biden/Harris was way behind as the Democratic ticket picked up just 22 percent of the total vote.
There were three other candidates for president and vice president, as many may have been surprised to see. Libertarian Candidate Jo Jorgensen with Vice Presidential candidate Jeremy Cohen received 0.89 percent of the total vote, Independent candidate Kanye West with his VP pick, Michelle Tidball, won 0.26 percent of the vote and Independent candidate Brock Pierce with VP choice, Karla Ballard finished last in the race with 0.11 percent of the total vote.
In the state of Kentucky, voters felt the same way as Ohio County did as Kentucky was called for Trump about 30 minutes after polls closed in the Eastern Time Zone of Kentucky. As of this writing, with an estimated 94 percent of all votes counted in Kentucky, Trump/Pence received 62.5 percent of the total votes in Kentucky. Biden/Harris received 36 percent of the state’s votes.
In what was the second biggest race in the state of Kentucky, Ohio County went big for incumbent Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell received 69 percent of the total vote and his Democratic challenger Amy McGrath picked up just 25 percent of the county’s vote. Libertarian candidate Brad Barron won 6 percent of the county vote.
Much like the race for President of the United States, Ohio County went as the state went, as McConnell received 58 percent of the state’s vote to McGrath’s 38 percent. This was with an estimated 94 percent of all votes counted in Kentucky.
In the race for United States Representative in the 1st Congressional District, incumbent Republican James Comer won the handily the Ohio County vote. Comer picked up 78 percent of the total county vote to his Democratic challenger James Rhodes’ 22 percent.
Comer went on to win district-wide re-election as Comer received around 75 percent of the votes in the 14th District to Rhodes’ 24 percent.
Incumbent State Representative of the 14th District, Republican Scott Lewis, ran unopposed and will get another term in Frankfort.
In local races, also running unopposed was Jeremy Nance, the Republican candidate for 3rd District Constable. Nance will be installed as the 3rd District’s constable until the end of the current term.
Moving on to the races for Ohio County School Board member, incumbent Karen Boling ran unopposed in the 1st District and will begin a new term in January 2021.
In the 3rd District, incumbent School Board member Dwight Raymond was defeated by his challenger, Anthony Leon Geary. Geary won 61 percent of the total vote to Raymond’s 39 percent.
In the city races, all incumbent Beaver Dam City Commissioners ran unopposed. In January 2021, Charles Patton, Sandy Robinson, Kevin Davis and James Crump will be reinstalled as city commissioners.
In the race for the Centertown City Commission, six candidates ran for office and the top four vote-getters will be installed as Centertown City Commissioners in 2021. Those four top vote-getters were Grace Bishop, Andy McIntyre, Vic Daugherty and Michael Aldridge.
In the Fordsville City Commission race, five candidates ran for office and the top four vote-getters will become city commissioners. Those top 4 vote-getters were Charles E. Mattingly, Jeffrey S. Fuqua, James Dalton and Richard W. Smith.
In the race for Hartford City Council, nine candidates ran for office and the top six vote-getters will become Hartford City Commissioners. The top six vote-getters in Hartford were Beau Wright, Jerry Likens, Tony Renfrow, Stacia R. Cole, Mary Belle Fisher and David C. Coleman.
On Constitutional Amendment 1, Ohio County voted “Yes” with 60 percent of the vote and on Constitutional Amendment 2, the county voted “No” with 63 percent of the vote.
Regarding the races for city commission and city council, vote totals could change depending on any absentee ballots received in the next few days. Any late mailed absentee votes aren’t likely to affect any of the other races.
All results are unofficial until certified by the Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.
Final unofficial results
Ohio County Voter Turnout: 60.95% – 11,174 of 18,333 registered voters
Winners in bold, incumbents noted with an “I”.
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
I-(REP)Donald TRUMP / Michael R. PENCE – 8,577 — 77.13%
(DEM) Joseph R. BIDEN / Kamala D. HARRIS – 2,403 — 21.61%
(LIB) Jo JORGENSEN / Jeremy “Spike” COHEN – 99 — 0.89%
(IND)Kanye WEST / Michelle TIDBALL – 29 – 0.26%
(IND) Brock PIERCE / Karla BALLARD – 12 – 0.12%
UNITED STATES SENATOR
I-(REP) Mitch McConnell – 7,616 — 68.79%
(DEM) Amy McGrath – 2,761 — 24.94%
(LIB) Brad BARRON – 694 — 6.27%
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS – 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
I-(REP) JAMES R. COMER – 8,540 — 78.46%
(DEM) James RHODES – 2,344 — 21.54%
KENTUCKY STATE REPRESENTATIVE – 14TH REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT (COVERING ALL OF OHIO COUNTY AND PARTIAL DAVIESS COUNTY)
I-(REP) Scott LEWIS – 9,778 — 100% (DAVIESS COUNTY – 9,478 – 100%)
CONSTABLE – 3RD MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT
I-(REP) Jeremy NANCE – 1,834 — 100%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 1ST EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT (Nonpartisan)
I-Karen BOLING – 1,870 — 100%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 3RD EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT (Nonpartisan)
Anthony Leon GEARY – 1,143 — 60.57%
I-Dwight Herman RAYMOND – 744 — 39.43%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 4TH EDUCATIONAL DISTRICT (Nonpartisan)
No Candidates
CITY COMMISSIONERS – CITY OF BEAVER DAM – (VOTE FOR UP TO FOUR) (Nonpartisan)
I-Charles W. PATTON – 823 — 28.12%
I-Sandy Johnson ROBINSON – 828 — 28.29%
I-Kevin DAVIS – 649 — 22.17%
I-James “Jim” CRUMP – 627 — 21.42%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – CITY OF CENTERTOWN – (VOTE FOR UP TO FOUR) (Nonpartisan)
Andy McINTYRE – 93 — 20.53%
Michael ALDRIDGE – 65 — 14.35%
Vic DAUGHERTY – 73 — 16.11%
Grace BISHOP – 110 — 24.28%
Chrissy VANCE – 57 — 12.58%
Stephen Douglas GWYNN – 55 — 12.14%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – CITY OF FORDSVILLE – (VOTE FOR UP TO FOUR) (Nonpartisan)
James DALTON – 52 — 16.88%
Charles E. MATTINGLY – 96 — 31.17%
Jeffrey S. FUQUA – 81 — 26.30%
Richard W. SMITH – 50 — 16.23%
Robert H. DRIVER – 29 — 9.42%
CITY COUNCIL – CITY OF HARTFORD – (VOTE FOR UP TO SIX) (Nonpartisan)
I-Mary Belle FISHER – 377 — 10.44%
I-Kenneth DESMOND – 354 — 9.80%
Beau WRIGHT – 646 — 17.88%
I-Jerry SCOGGINS – 294 — 8.14%
I-Tony RENFROW – 388 — 10.74%
Lance SMITH – 319 — 8.83%
Stacia R. COLE – 383 — 10.60%
I-David C. COLEMAN – 360 – 9.97%
I-Jerry LIKENS – 491 — 13.59%
MAYOR – CITY OF McHENRY
No Candidates
CITY COMMISSIONERS – CITY OF ROCKPORT – (VOTE FOR UP TO FOUR) (Nonpartisan)
No Candidates
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 1
Are you in favor of creating a new section of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to crime victims?
YES – 4,921 — 59.93%
NO – 3,290 — 40.07%
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2
Are you in favor of changing the term of Commonwealth’s Attorneys from six-year terms to eight-year terms beginning in 2030, changing the terms of judges of the district court from four-year terms to eight-year terms beginning in 2022, and requiring district judges to have been licensed attorneys for at least eight years beginning in 2022, by amending the Constitution of Kentucky?
YES – 3,062 — 36.59%
NO – 5,306 — 63.41%