- The Boone County GOP primary is effectively the general election, with no Democratic challenger in the race.
- Hand positioned himself as a reform-minded alternative, criticizing career politicians and calling for tighter adherence to the county’s comprehensive plan.
- Moore leaned on his decades-long record, citing tax reductions, infrastructure investment, and public safety improvements as reasons for continuity.
It was a packed house at the Boone County Library in Burlington for the Northern Kentucky Tea Party’s candidate forum on Wednesday night, with candidates from across the region taking center stage to stump for the captive audience.
Although candidates from all three Northern Kentucky counties participated, the Boone County judge/executive primary candidates faced arguably the highest stakes, as longtime incumbent Judge/Executive Gary Moore is being challenged by county Commissioner Chet Hand.
In Kentucky, the judge/executive has the highest executive authority in county government, acting as the chief executive. This role involves overseeing daily operations, preparing the budget, managing staff, and leading the fiscal court – the county’s primary legislative body composed of three commissioners.
In Boone County, the Republican primary in May will effectively decide who occupies the seat starting next January, as no Democrat is challenging either of the two GOP primary candidates. The race is compelling because of the candidates’ familiarity with one another, having served together on Boone County’s fiscal court for the past three years.
Despite sharing a party affiliation, a public working relationship, and similar policy prescriptions such as lower taxes, Moore and Hand contrasted themselves along generational lines, which, in their forum speeches, manifested in differing perspectives on issues such as development, governance and incumbency.
Hand spoke first after winning a coin flip. Each judge/executive candidate was allotted 12 minutes to speak, with an opportunity to answer questions from the public afterward.
Chet Hand
Hand was elected as a county commissioner in 2022 after defeating incumbent Charles Kenner in the GOP primary, then ran unopposed in the general election. In addition, Hand served as the chairman of the Boone County Republican Party from 2021 to 2025.
Professionally, Hand currently works as a corporate risk manager in the private sector. According to his campaign website, Hand also worked as a fire captain in Fairbanks, Alaska, for more than 10 years.
Hand told the audience that his decision to run for judge/executive is motivated by long-term concerns for Boone County’s future. Hand said his policy platform centers on conservative fiscal policy, lower taxes, property rights, support for law enforcement and first responders, and long-range planning.
Hand drew on his experience serving on the fiscal court to highlight examples of his legislative and ideological commitment to his policy platform. This included proposals such as changing Boone County’s zoning code to ease regulations on backyard chickens, rabbits, and bees, as well as leading opposition to a county-owned electric vehicle charging station.
On taxes, Hand said he favors moving away from property taxes toward sales- or usage-based models, though he acknowledged that such changes would require state action.
Hand also addressed incumbency, criticizing career politicians and arguing that, in his view, long tenure may cause officials to prioritize self-interest over the well-being of future generations.
“I don’t agree with career politicians,” Hand said. “I think it goes against what our country originally intended when it comes to citizen-statesmen who step up, serve their community for a little bit and then get out. It’s not my intention to be a career politician. I have no desire to continue beyond this. I think I’m going to get in, do a couple terms as judge, and then get out. I think we can make the course corrections we need in that time.”
Regarding development, Hand said he prefers stricter adherence to the county’s comprehensive plan, rather than frequently approving exceptions, which he argues undermines long-term planning. Hand proposed implementing stricter rules and quantifiable metrics to track growth and development.
To conclude, Hand urged more individuals to participate in local politics, emphasizing that it influences daily life more significantly than federal politics.
“If you look at the political landscape, both locally and nationally, it’s pretty easy to look at and have a dire outlook on the way things are going,” Hand said. “But I think it’s really important the average citizen step up to be involved in local politics, whether that’s contributing to a candidate when they haven’t done that before, whether that is serving on a board or commission, whether that’s running for office, it’s our vote and our actions have more of an impact here at a local level than they ever do at a national level.”
Gary Moore
Moore is the current judge/executive of Boone County, a position he’s held since 1998. Moore said that he still has more to accomplish as judge/executive, remaining focused on projects he considered unfinished.
Moore leaned into his track record as judge/executive, arguing that his experience is a valuable asset and that throughout his tenure, he had earned the trust of Boone County voters.
“It’s an honor to serve as your judge/executive, and I do value it, and I enjoy it, and we’re excited to do new things each and every day,” Moore said. “My staff often comments, here he comes. I wonder what new ideas he’s got today. I’m always loading them up with new projects, and if that ever stops, it probably is time to look at retirement or other things. But that’s not happened yet. We’re not finished yet. There’s more to do.”
Moore cited public safety as a key aspect of his campaign, highlighting the county’s low crime rate and attributing it to ongoing investments in law enforcement throughout his tenure. Moore touted his role in the 2001 merger of the Boone County Police Department and the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, in increasing the number of school resource officers, and in hiring more deputies to keep pace with population growth.
Regarding fiscal policy, Moore said he oversaw a continuous reduction in Boone County’s real property tax rate, which, as of 2025, is at 8.5 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Moore placed particular emphasis on his record in infrastructure and transportation, citing numerous road and interchange projects completed during his tenure. He outlined upcoming projects, including improvements to Turfway Road, Camp Ernst Road, and KY-18, which he said is slated for future safety upgrades.
Another area of focus for Moore was economic development, which he attributed to the growth of occupational tax revenue for Boone County. Moore brought up his role in aiding the transition of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport into a major cargo hub after Delta Air Lines began winding down its hub operations at CVG.
In closing, Moore stressed the value of experience and continuity in leadership.
“I’ve been elected many times, but what that also says is that the tenure that I’ve had, the work I’ve done, the clean audits, all those things, it creates trust,” he said. “People know me. They trust me. They know where my heart is and that I love this county, and that I’m going to do what’s best for it each and every day. That’s why I keep getting reelected, and when we have more to do, and we’re going to continue to move this county forward, I would be honored to receive your vote and your support and to continue to lead this county forward and continue to keep it great.”