By Lee Bratcher/OC Monitor
HARTFORD, Ky. — As has been the trend in quite a few years, Republicans ruled both state and local races this Election Day, however, the biggest story of the day might be how many important local races were decided in the 2022 Primary Election.
Incumbents Ohio County Judge-Executive David Johnston (R), Ohio County Attorney Justin Keown (R), Ohio County Clerk Bess Ralph (D), Ohio County County Coroner Elvis Doolin (R) and Ohio County Surveyer Tracy Crume (R) all faced no opponents and were re-elected.
Two other county races were also decided in the 2022 Primary Election as Adam Wright (R) defeated incumbent Tracy Beatty (R) and Arthur Leach (R) will be the new Ohio County PVA, after running unopposed in both the Primary Election and today’s General Election.
In the race for Ohio County Jailer, Landon Spurlock (R) will take over for long-time Ohio County Jailer Gerry “Rip” Wright (D). Spurlock received 5,617 votes, while his opponent, Terry Wright (D), got 1,661 votes.
— The Ohio County Fiscal Court will look very different for the next term as three new members will join the court. Incumbent Second District Magistrate Jason Bullock (D) and Incumbent Fifth District Magistrate Larry Morphew (R) will return to the court as neither had a General Election opponent.
In the race for First District Magistrate, incumbent Sam Small (D) was defeated by former First District Magistrate Michael McKenney (R). Georgina Mickiff (I) was also a candidate in this race, but finished third.
McKenney received 781 votes to Small’s 403 votes. Midkiff finished in third place with received 206 votes.
In the race for Third District Magistrate, Bo Bennett (R) defeated his opponent Scott Tichenor (D). Bennett received 912 votes to Tichenor’s 725 votes. Incumbent Third District Magistrate Joe Barnes (D) was defeated by Tichenor in the 2022 Primary Election.
The Fourth District will have a new magistrate as well due to the retirement of incumbent Fourth District Magistrate Larry Keown. In the race for Fourth District Magistrate Kenneth Calloway (R) defeated his opponent, Bryn Aud (D), after receiving 1,087 votes to Aud’s 251 votes.
— The races for constable mirrored most of the other local races as four of the five constable races featured only one candidate.
In the First District, incumbent Joe Renfrow (R) had no opponent and will serve as constable for another term. In the Third District, David Himes (R) had no opponent and will be constable beginning in January. In the Fourth District, incumbent Justin Cooper (R) had no opponent and secured another term. And in the Fifth District, Nathan Geary (R) had no opponent and will be sworn in as constable in January.
In the race for Second District Constable, surprisingly, there were two candidates. In that race the Republican, Steve Epley defeated Democrat Paul Lindsey. Epley received 933 votes to Lindsey’s 340 votes.
There were two races for Ohio County School Board seats in this election. In the Second District, incumbent Jeff Evans had no opponent and will continue to represent the First District on the school board.
In the Fifth District, Tim Johnston defeated Jamie Skudlarek to become the representative in the Fifth. Johnston received 715 votes to Skudlarek’s 253.
— In the city races, the Beaver Dam City Council will remain intact for another term as all members have been re-elected.
Incumbent Beaver Dam Mayor Paul Sandefur defeated his opponent, Gary Jaggers, receiving 500 votes to Jaggers’ 270 votes.
Incumbent city commissioners, James Crump, Kevin Davis, Charles Patton, and Sandy Robinson were the only candidates to file for Beaver Dam City Commission. The city commission consists of the mayor and four commissioners. Robinson received 526 votes, Patton received 473 votes, Davis received 457 votes and Crump received 448 votes.
In Centertown, the mayor’s race was won by Mike Aldridge. Aldridge defeated his opponent, Benny Kessinger, by receiving 89 votes to Kessinger’s 21.
The Centertown City Commission will consist of Andy McIntyre who received 73 votes, Grace Bishop who received 63 votes, Dwight Vance who received 56 votes and Vic Daugherty who received 52 votes. The four elected to the commission were the only candidates to file.
The races for mayor in McHenry, Fordsville, and Hartford were all one-person contests. In McHenry, Michael Taylor will be the new mayor, in Fordsville, Jeffrey Fuqua will be the new mayor and in Hartford, Beau Wright will continue to be mayor after taking over from the retiring George Chinn in August.
In the race for Hartford City Council, there were seven candidates, but only six will be elected to the council.
At the end of the day, David Coleman received 387 votes, Stacia Cole received 386 votes, Jerry Likens got 383 votes, Jeff Renfrow got 357, Tony Renfrow received 334 votes and Mary Belle Fisher received 320 votes. Larry Clayton received 281 votes but did not finish in the top six vote-getters.
In the local state race, incumbent State Representative Scott Lewis (R) ran unopposed in today’s election and will remain Ohio County’s representative in the 14th District.
In state races, as was expected, incumbent Senator Rand Paul (R) was re-elected tonight in Ohio County and across the state, Paul received 77% of the vote in Ohio County to his opponent Charles Booker’s 23% of the vote. Statewide, Paul received around 60% of the vote to Booker’s 40%.
In Ohio County’s other federal race, the race for United States Representative in the 2nd Congressional District, incumbent Brett Guthrie (R) was re-elected. Guthrie received 80% of the votes in Ohio County, while his opponent, Hank Linderman (D) received 20%. Those percentages held up across the state, as Guthrie pulled in around 73% of the state’s vote to Linderman’s 27%
In the race for Justice of the Supreme Court in the Second Supreme Court, Kelly Thompson Jr. received 70% of the vote in Ohio County, while his opponent Shawn Marie Alcott received just 30% of the vote. Across the state, Thompson also won receiving 67% of the vote to Alcott’s 33% of the vote.
In the race for Judge of the Court of Appeals in the Second Appellate District First Division, Jeff Taylor received 77% of the Ohio County vote while his opponent David Clement received just 23% of the vote. Statewide, Taylor received 67% of the vote to Clement’s 33%.
In the other race for Judge of the Court of Appeals in the Second Appellate District Second Division, Kelly Eaton was the only candidate and secured the victory.
In the race for circuit judge in the 38th Judicial District First Division, Timothy R. Coleman was the only candidate and will claim the seat.
In the race for circuit judge in the 38th Judicial District Second Division, Daniel Boling was the only candidate and won the judgeship.
In the circuit judge family court race for the 38th Judicial Circuit Second Division, Benjamin McKown was the only candidate and will be the circuit judge in this district.
The rest of the state judge races featured just one opponent.
On Constitutional Amendment 1, Ohio County voters were in favor of the amendment as 3,299 voted yes and 2,875 voted no. Across the state, on this amendment, at the time of this writing, those voting no on the amendment stood at 54%
On Constitutional Amendment 2, 4,282 voted yes, while 2,622 voted no. And, again, across the state on this amendment, at the time of this writing, those voting no on the amendment stood at 53%
At the end of the day, 7,408 Ohio Countians made it out to the polls today or about 41.6% of those registered to vote.
All results are unofficial with winners in bold. Statewide election results are as of this writing. Officially filed write-in candidates denoted with (W).
Ohio County Straight Party Voting Totals
Republican Party — 2,664 – 82.12%
Democratic Party — 580 – 17.88%
Voter Turnout – 7,408 or 41.6% of registered voters in Ohio County
UNITED STATES SENATOR
Rand PAUL (R) — 5,617 – 77.18% — Statewide – 66%
Charles BOOKER (D) — 1,660 – 22.81% — Statewide – 34%
Billy Ray WILSON (W) — 1 – .01%
Charles Lee THOMASON (W) — 0 – 0%
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
S. Brett GUTHRIE (R) — 5,778 – 79.96% — Statewide – 74%
Hank LINDERMAN (D) — 1,660 – 22.81% — Statewide – 26%
KENTUCKY STATE REPRESENTATIVE, 14TH DISTRICT
Scott LEWIS (R) — 6,356 – 100%
PROPERTY VALUATION ADMINISTRATOR
Arthur LEACH (R) — 6,218 – 100%
COUNTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE
David L. JOHNSTON (R) — 6,111 – 100%
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Justin S. KEOWN (R) — 6,316 – 100%
COUNTY CLERK
Bess Tichenor RALPH (D) — 4,855 – 100%
SHERIFF
Adam Lane WRIGHT (R) — 6,359 – 100%
JAILER
Landon SPURLOCK (R) — 5,617 – 77.18%
Terry Lynn WRIGHT (D) — 1,661 – 22.82%
CORONER
Elvis DOOLIN (R) — 6,165 – 100%
COUNTY SURVEYOR
William Tracy CRUME (R) — 5,976 – 100%
1st DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Michael McKENNEY (R) — 781 – 56.19%
Sam SMALL (D) — 403 – 28.99%
Georgina Ann MIDKIFF (I) — 206 – 14.82%
1st DISTRICT CONSTABLE
Joe RENFROW (R) — 1,122 – 100%
2nd DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Jason Wayne BULLOCK (D) — 907 – 100%
2nd DISTRICT CONSTABLE
Steven EPLEY (R) — 933 – 73.29%
Paul E. LINDSEY (D) — 340 – 26.71%
3rd DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Bo BENNETT (R) — 912 – 55.71%
Scott G. TICHENOR (D) — 725 – 44.29%
3rd DISTRICT CONSTABLE
David HIMES (R) — 1,307 – 100%
4th DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Kenneth CALLOWAY (R) — 1,087 – 81.24%
Bryn AUD (D) — 251 – 18.76%
4th DISTRICT CONSTABLE
Justin Wayne COOPER (R) — 1,143 – 100%
5th DISTRICT MAGISTRATE
Larry W. MORPHEW (R) — 1,295 – 100%
5th DISTRICT CONSTABLE
Nathan GEARY (R) — 1,262 – 100%
JUSTICE of the SUPREME COURT, 2nd COURT DISTRICT (nonpartisan)
Kelly THOMPSON JR. — 3,375 – 69.67% — Statewide – 67%
Shawn Marie ALCOTT — 1,469 – 30.33% — Statewide
Judge of the Court of Appeals, 2nd Appellate District, 1st division (nonpartisan)
Jeff S. TAYLOR — 3,511 – 77.37% — Statewide – 67%
David CLEMENT — 1,027 – 22.63% — Statewide – 33%
Judge of the Court of Appeals, 2nd Appellate District, 2nd division (nonpartisan)
Kelly Mark EASTON — 3,960 – 100%
Circuit Judge, 38th Judicial Circuit, 1st Division
Timothy R. COLEMAN — 4,105 – 100%
CIRCUIT JUDGE “Family Court,” 38th Judicial Division, 2nd Division (nonpartisan)
Benjamin D. McKOWN — 4,190 – 100%
DISTRICT JUDGE, 38th Judicial District, 1st Division
Greg Vincent (W) — 22 – 100%
DISTRICT JUDGE, 38th Judicial District, 2st Division (nonpartisan)
Daniel BOLING — 3,821 – 100%
Member Board of Education, 2nd Educational District (nonpartisan)
Jeff EVANS — 832 – 98.81%
Amy BEARD (W) — 10 – 1.19%
Member Board of Education, 4th Educational District (nonpartisan)
Helen Dever (W) — 34 – 100%
Member Board of Education, 5th Educational District (nonpartisan)
Jamie SKUDLAREK — 253 – 26.14%
Tim JOHNSTON — 715 – 73.86%
City of Beaver Dam MAYOR
Gary JAGGERS — 270 – 35.06%
Paul SANDEFUR — 500 – 64.94%
BEAVER DAM City Commissioners (NONPARTISAN) VOTE UP TO FOUR
Kevin DAVIS — 457 – 24%
Charles W. PATTON — 473 – 24.84%
Sandy Johnson ROBINSON — 526 – 27.63%
James “Jim” CRUMP — 448 – 23.53%
City of Centertown MAYOR (NONPARTISAN)
Mike ALDRIDGE — 89 – 80.91%
Benny KESSINGER — 21 – 19.09%
CENTERTOWN CITY COMMISSIONERS (NONPARTISAN) VOTE UP TO FOUR
Dwight VANCE — 56 – 22.95%
Vic DAUGHERTY — 52 – 21.31%
Grace BISHOP — 63 – 25.83%
Andy McINTYRE — 73 – 29.92%
City of FORDSVILLE Mayor
Jeffry S. FUQUA — 55 – 100%
Fordsville City Commissioners VOTE UP TO FOUR (NONPARTISAN)
James K. DALTON — 43 – 35.83%
Charles E. MATTINGLY — 69 – 57.50%
Beatrice Joan EDGE (W) — 8 – 6.67%
City of Hartford Mayor
Beau WRIGHT — 512 – 100%
Hartford City Council VOTE UP TO SIX (NONPARTISAN)
Mary Belle FISHER — 320 – 13.07%
David COLEMAN — 387 – 15.81%
Jerry LIKENS — 383 – 15.65%
Tony RENFROW — 334 – 13.64%
Stacia R. COLE — 386 – 15.77%
Larry CLAYTON — 281 – 11.48%
Jeff RENFROW — 357 – 14.58%
City of McHenry Mayor
Michael Derek TAYLOR — 52 – 100%
McHenry City COMMISSIONERS Vote up to FOUR (NONPARTISAN)
No candidates filed for these seats.
City of ROCKPORT Mayor
No candidates filed for these seats.
Rockport City Commissioners Vote up to four (NONPARTISAN)
No candidates filed for these seats.
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #1 (Allows for state legislature to call itself into session)
YES — 3,299 – 53.43% — Statewide – 49%
NO — 2,875 – 46.57% — Statewide – 51%
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #2 – (Amends state constitution to state no right to an abortion)
YES — 4,282 – 62.02% — Statewide – 47%
NO — 2,622 – 37.98% — Statewide – 53%