Three Northern Kentucky Republican members of the state House of Representatives appear to have lost their seats in Tuesday night’s primary election, according to unofficial results.
Reps. Adam Koenig, of Erlanger, Sal Santoro, of Union, and Ed Massey, of Hebron, all of whom serve as chairmen of different House committees, went down in defeat to candidates running to their political right.
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“Northern Kentucky just made a hard shift to the right politically, plus a big drop in seniority,” said Northern Kentucky University Political Science Professor and Bellevue City Councilman Ryan Salzman. “This will have major consequences for our region.”
Santoro, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, was narrowly upended by his District 60 challenger Marianne Proctor by a vote of 1,955 to 1,824.
There is no Democratic challenger in House District 60.
Koenig also narrowly lost his District 69 race to Erlanger city councilman Steven Doan by a margin of 190 votes. Doan scored 1,369 votes to Koenig’s 1,179.
“My message that we needed change resonated with the people of the district,” Doan said. “I look forward to advancing conservative principles in Frankfort after I win the general election in November. I sincerely thank my wife Chelsea, Congressman Thomas Massie, and my supporters for all of the hard work they put into my campaign.”
Koenig is chairman of the Licensing and Occupations Committee. Both he and Santoro were first elected to the statehouse in 2006.
Democrat Chris Brown awaits Doan in November.
Massey, who has represented District 66 since 2019 and previously served on the Boone Co. board of education, was easily defeated by challenger Steve Rawlings who scored 2,695 votes to Massey’s 1,227.
Massey has served as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
During LINK nky’s live election results broadcast, Rawlings told our reporter Kaitlin Gebby that he and other Boone County challengers, including Proctor, pooled resources in a united campaign to unseat incumbents.
Democrat Tim Montgomery awaits Rawlings in November.
Elsewhere in the three-way Republican primary for House District 68, an open seat, Mike Clines won over challengers Paul Kloeker and Mirna Eads.
“I would like to thank the voters of District 68 and my family and friends,” Clines said. “I can’t think of a personal and professional life that could have prepared me more to be the D68 State Representative than the one I’ve lived. I look forward to representing the Republican Party in the general election.”
Clines garnered 2,827 votes to Kloeker’s 1,640 and Eads’s 791.
Kloeker, a Cold Spring city councilman, thanked his supporters and congratulated Clines. “In the end I did not make it, but gave it my best shot,” he said. “It was great meeting new people in Campbell County and making new friends.”
Democrat Kelly Jones awaits Clines in the November general election.
Incumbents Savannah Maddox, a Dry Ridge Republican representing District 61, and Kim Moser, a Taylor Mill Republican representing District 64, handily took down their primary challengers.
Moser beat Chris Mann by a vote count of 2,007 to 718. She will face Democrat Anita Isaacs in November.
Maddox defeated Jarrod Lykins, 2,944 to 1,187. She faces Democrat Debby Lucas Angel in November.
Senate District 24, also an open seat this year due to incumbent Republican Wil Schroder not seeking reelection, saw a three-way Republican primary as well. Shelley Funke Frommeyer secured the Republican nominated by scoring 4,094 votes. Jessica Neal finished second with 3,797 votes while Chris Robinson was third with 2,731 votes.
“I’m honored to have the support and trust of Republican voters in the 24th Senate District. I want to congratulate Jessica Neal and Chris Robinson on running strong campaigns,” Frommeyer said. “Northern Kentuckians are being crushed by inflation, high gas prices, and rising crime. I’m looking forward to continuing to find solutions to our most pressing issues and fighting for our neighborhoods and families.”
Democrat Rene Heinrich awaits Frommeyer in November to represent the district that encompasses Campbell, Pendleton, and Bracken counties as well as part of Kenton.
In the 20th Senate District, an open seat redistricted to include southern Boone Co., former local lawmaker Gex Williams won the four-way Republican primary with 3,325 votes. Phyllis Sparks finished second with 1,832 votes, while Calen Studler (1,452) and Mike Templeman (1,261) were third and fourth.
Teresa Azbill Barton, a Democrat, will face Williams in November to represent the district, which stretches from Boone to Franklin counties.
This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jessica Neal’s name in Shelley Frommeyer’s quote about the race, and to include the results in the Republican primaries in House Districts 61 and 64.