By Lee Bratcher/OC Monitor
OHIO COUNTY, Ky. — The polls have closed and Election Day 2024 looks a lot like Election Day 2020 did in Ohio County, as well as the state, as both overwhelmingly voted for the Republican candidate, and former President, Donald Trump over his Democratic opponent.
While the 2024 Presidential Election is the race that brings the people to the polls, there were other races on this year’s ballot including contests for state senate, state representative, U.S. Representative, several local races and two constitutional amendments.
In the race for President of the United States of America, Trump easily won Ohio County receiving 79% of the votes to Harris’s 19%. Robert F. Kennedy, who dropped out of the race, but was still on the Kentucky ballot, received 1% of the votes in Ohio County.
Trump fared just as well across the state receiving around 67% of the vote to Harris’s 32%. Kennedy also received 1% of the votes in Kentucky. Many national news outlets had Kentucky as the first state collected by Trump on the evening.
In addition to the presidential race, Ohio County also had another national race to vote on as Brett Guthrie, the incumbent United States Representative in the 2nd Congressional District, faced off against Democratic challenger Hank Linderman. Like Trump, Guthrie won Ohio County easily, receiving 81% of the votes to Linderman’s 19%.
Across the 2nd Congressional District, Guthrie won 72% of the vote to Linderman’s 28% and will serve another term in Congress.
In the race for State Senator in the 5th District, Republican incumbent Stephen Meredith won 79% of the Ohio County’s votes, his Democratic opponent, Jamie Skudlarek, received 21%. Meredith also collected 79% of the vote in the Fifth District, as he will serve another term in the Kentucky State Senate.
Ohio County native Scott Lewis, the incumbent State Representative for the 14th District, will once again serve in Frankfort for another term, as the Republican received 84% of the Ohio County votes and 81% of the votes in the 14th District. His Democratic challenger, Chanda Garner won 16% of the county votes and 19% of the 14th District’s votes.
This year’s ballot had two constitutional amendments for Ohio Countians and the state to vote on with Amendment 2 garnering the most attention. As for Constitutional Amendment 1, which would prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting in Kentucky elections, 67% of Ohio County voted yes, while 33% voted no.
Ohio County voted no on Conditional Amendment 2, which would allow state funding to be used for private education, with 66% of Ohio County voters voting no and 34% voting yes.
The state voting on both amendments mimicked that of Ohio County, with Amendment 1 receiving around 63% yes votes statewide and Amendment 2 receiving around 65% no votes statewide.
There were also quite a few local races in this year’s election, though many of those races saw only one candidate run for office.
In the race for Commonwealth Attorney of the 38th Judicial Circuit, Republican Blake Chambers ran unopposed and received 100% of the vote. He will serve another term as Commonwealth Attorney in this district.
Ohio County Circuit Court Clerk Shannon Boling Kirtley also was unopposed in the election, receiving 100% of the county’s vote. The Republican will serve another term as circuit court clerk.
The Fourth Distrcit held a special election to replace former Fourth Distrcit Magistrate Kenneth Calloway, who resigned in May. Bryan Daniel was appointed by the state to fill Calloway’s empty seat until today’s General Election.
In the special election for Fourth District Magistrate, Daniel, a Democrat, was defeated by his Republican opponent, Dale Beavin. Beavin received 79% of the Fourth District’s vote to Daniel’s 21%. Beavin will now serve the remaining two years of Calloway’s term and was sworn in by Ohio County Judge Executive David Johnston tonight (Tuesday).
The Third District, too, had a special election, this one for the Third District Constable. Republican Tim Griffin defeated his Democratic opponent Brandon Thomas. Griffin received 63% of the Third District’s vote to Thomas’s 37%. Griffin will serve out the rest of the late David Himes’s term.
Three districts held elections for the Ohio County School Board, but all three had only one candidate running.
In the First Educational District, Cydnee Cook ran unopposed as a write-in candidate, garnering 100% of the vote, in the Third Educational District, Anthony Geary ran unopposed receiving 100% of the vote and in the Fourth Educational District, Helen Dever ran unopposed, and received 100% of the vote.
All the incorporated cities in Ohio County held elections today, several for city commissioners and one for city council.
In Beaver Dam, all the incumbent city commissioners will serve another term as they were the only four who ran for the office. In that race, the top four vote-getters are elected. Sandy Robinson received 30% of the votes, Charles Patton received 25% of the votes, Kevin Davis received 23% of the votes and James Crump received 22% of the votes.
Centertown also saw only four people run for city commissioner, so all will be on the commission for the next term. Andy McIntyre received 29% of the vote, Dwight Vance received 27%, Vic Daugherty received 23% and Misty Doss received 22%.
Fordsville only had two candidates run for city commissioner, so both will serve on the commission for the next term. Charles Mattingly received 60% of the vote and Beatrice Edge received 40%.
McHenry had one candidate run for city commissioner. Misty Riger received 100% of the vote and will serve on the commission the next term.
Rockport had three candidates file for city commission, and all will serve during the next term. Donna Harris received 39% of the vote, Justin Dockery received 35% and Michelle Ates received 26%.
Lastly, Hartford held a race for its city commission. Six candidates filed for office for a city council that seats six.
David Coleman received 19% votes, Sue Puckett received 17%, Stacia Cole received 17%, Tommy Cash received 16%, Jeff Renfrow received 16% and Tony Renfrow received 15%.
All candidates will serve on the Hartford City Council the next term.
All results are unofficial until certified by the Secretary of State’s Office later this week. At the time this story was published 105 of 120 counties had submitted their results to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office.
Unofficial results from the 2024 General Election in Ohio County. Winners in bold. The 11,015 votes cast amount to a 62.86 voter turnout in Ohio County.
PRESIDENT and VICE PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES
Donald J. TRUMP/ J.D. VANCE (R) — 8,879 – 79% — Statewide – 00%
Kamala HARRIS/Tim WALZ (D) — 2,094 – 19% — Statewide – 0%
Jill STEIN/Samson KPADENOU (G) — 23 – 0% — Statewide – 0%
Robert F. KENNEDY JR./Nicole SHANAHAN (I) — 115 – 1% — Statewide – 0%
Shiva AYYADURAI/Crystal ELLIS (I) — 4 – 0% — Statewide – 0%
Chase OLIVER/Mike TER MAAT (L) — 20 – 0% — Statewide – 0%
Claudia DE LA CRUZ/Karina GARCIA (I) – 2 – 0% — Statewide – 0%
UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE in CONGRESS – 2nd Congressional District
Brett GUTHRIE (R) — 8,666 – 81% — District – 0%
Hank LINDERMAN — 2,054 – 19% — District – 0%
STATE SENATOR – 5th Senatorial District
Stephen MEREDITH (R) — 8,399 – 79% — District – 0%
Jamie SKUDLAREK (D) — 2,167 – 21% — District – 0%
STATE REPRESENTATIVE – 14th Representative District
Scott LEWIS (R) — 9,077 – 84% — District – 0%
Chanda GARNER (D) — 1,722 – 16% — District – 0%
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 1 – Preventing non-U.S. citizens from voting in Kentucky elections.
YES — 6,824 – 66% — Statewide – 0%
NO — 3,385 – 33% — Statewide – 0%
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2 – Allowing state funding for private education.
YES — 3,628 – 34% — Statewide – 0%
NO — 6,999 – 66% — Statewide – 0%
COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY – 38th Judicial Circuit
Blake Ross CHAMBERS (R) — 9,095 – 100%
CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
Shannon Boling KIRTLEY (R) — 9,451 – 100%
MAGISTRATE – 4th Magisterial District
Bryan DANIEL (D) — 447 – 21%
Dale BEAVIN (R) — 1,672 – 79%
CONSTABLE – 3rd Magisterial District
Brandon THOMAS (D) — 851 – 37%
Tim GRIFFIN (R) — 1,474 – 63%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of Beaver Dam – non-partisan (Choose up to 4)
Charles W. PATTON — 669 – 25%
James “Jim” CRUMP — 588 – 22%
Kevin DAVIS — 615 – 23%
Sandy Johnson ROBINSON — 803 – 30%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of Centertown – non-partisan (Choose up to 4)
Andy W. McINTYRE — 80 – 29%
Dwight Allen VANCE — 74 – 27%
Misty DOSS — 60 – 22%
Vic DAUGHERTY — 64 – 23%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of Fordsville – non-partisan (Choose up to 4)
Beatrice J. EDGE — 60 – 40%
Charles E. MATTINGLY — 89 – 60%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of McHenry – non-partisan (Choose up to 4)
Misty RIGER — 91 – 100%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of Rockport – non-partisan (Choose up to 4)
Donna HARRIS — 59 – 39%
Justin DOCKERY — 53 – 35%
Michelle ATES — 39 – 26%
CITY COMMISSIONERS – City of Hartford – non-partisan (Choose up to 6)
David C. COLEMAN — 526 – 19%
Jeff RENFROW — 426 – 16%
Stacia COLE — 456 – 17%
Sue PUCKETT — 469 – 17%
Tommy Wayne CASH — 442 – 16%
Tony RENFROW — 408 – 15%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 1st Educational District – non-partisan
Cydnee COOK (write-in) — 75 – 100%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 3rd Educational District – non-partisan
Anthony GEARY — 1,489 – 100%
MEMBER BOARD of EDUCATION – 4th Educational District – non-partisan
Helen R. DEVER — 1,350 – 100%
