By Lee Bratcher/OC Monitor
HARTFORD, Ky. — Though it seems the candidates have been set for the 2024 presidential election for months, there was a primary election held in Kentucky today.
In addition to voting on the presidential candidates, Ohio County had two more primary races to vote on including a candidate for state senator in the 5th District for Republicans and a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District for Democrats.
In the presidential races, the incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden won the state, as well as Ohio County. Statewide, Biden secured 67% of the vote while “UNCOMMITTED” received 21% of the vote. Marianne Williamson and Dean Phillips placed third and fourth respectively with Williamson receiving 7% of the state’s vote and Phillips receiving 6% of the vote.
Ohio County Democrats saw the race the same way with 66% voting for Biden, 19% voted as “UNCOMMITTED,” followed by Williamson with 9% and Phillips received 7%.
In the Republican presidential race, former President Donald Trump took the state receiving 86% of the Republican vote. Nikki Haley received 6%, “UNCOMMITTED” and Ron DeSantis received 3%, Chris Christie received 1%, Vivek Ramaswamy received 1% and Ryan L. Binkley received 0% of the Republican vote.
Ohio County Republican voters were right in line with the rest of the state as Trump won 87% of the county vote to Haley’s 5%, 3% of Republican voters were “UNCOMMITTED,” while DeSantis received 3% of the vote, Christie received 1% of the vote, and Ramaswamy and Binkley both received 0% of the county vote.
Though there are still several primary elections left on the schedule, it is likely Biden and Trump will square off once again for the presidency in November.
The Democrats in Ohio County had one more race to vote on and that was Democratic candidate for Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District U.S. Representative. In that race, Ohio County Democrats chose Hank Linderman as he received 55% of the county vote, while his opponent William Compton received 45%.
Again, the other voters in the 2nd Congressional District felt the same as Ohio County as Linderman received 58% of the district’s votes to Compton’s 42%.
Linderman will face incumbent Republican Brett Guthrie in the General Election.
Republicans also had another race to vote on in this year’s primary, this one for state senator in the 5th Senatorial District.
Ohio County Republicans gave incumbent State Senator Stephen Meredith 65% of their votes while his opponent, Thomas Ballinger received 35% of the county vote.
The rest of the 5th District liked Meredith more than Ohio County as Meredith received 72% of the district’s vote to Ballinger’s 28%.
Meredith will face the Democratic challenger Jamie Skudlarek in the General Election.
All results are unofficial with winners in bold. Statewide election results are as of this writing. Ohio County has 17,258 registered voters.
Voter Turnout – 2,493 which is 14.45% of registered voters in Ohio County. Statewide voter turnout was 12.71%.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – Republican Candidate
Chris CHRISTIE — 0 – 0% — Statewide – 1%
Donald J. TRUMP — 1,663 – 87% — Statewide – 85%
Nikki R. HALEY — 90 – 5% — Statewide – 6%
Ron DeSANTIS — 58 – 3% — Statewide – 3%
Ryan BINKLEY — 5 – 0% — Statewide – 0%
Vivek RAMASWAMY — 8 – 0% — Statewide – 1%
“UNCOMMITTED” — 59 – 3% — Statewide – 4%
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES – Democrat Candidate
Dean PHILLIPS — 38 – 7% — Statewide – 5%
Joseph R. BIDEN JR. — 379 – 66% — Statewide – 71%
Marianne WILLIAMSON — 49 – 9% — Statewide – 6%
“UNCOMMITTED — 38 – 7% — Statewide – 18%
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE in CONGRESS, 2nd Congressional District – Democrat Candidate
Hank LINDERMAN — 295 – 55% — District-wide – 57%
William Dakota COMPTON — 239 – 45% — District-wide – 43%
STATE SENATOR, 5th Senatorial District – Republican Candidate
Stephen MEREDITH — 1,158 – 65% — District-wide – 72%
Thomas BALLINGER — 636 – 35% — Statewide – 28%