Northern Kentucky legislative results were slow coming on Election Night, but some races turned out as expected.
Perhaps, the two biggest races were the open Senate seats in the region — Senate District 20 and 24.
Senate District 24 was an open seat this year due to incumbent Republican Wil Schroder not seeking reelection. Republican Shelley Funke Frommeyer faced off against Democrat Rene Heinrich.
With 88% of votes counted, Frommeyer led 61.7% to 38.3%. Highland Heights City Councilwoman Heinrich garnered 16,960 votes, and Frommeyer pulled in 27,346 votes.
In the 20th Senate District, an open seat redistricted to include southern Boone County, former local lawmaker Gex Williams seemed to have defeated Franklin County Democrat Teresa Barton 56.3% to 43.7% with 85% of votes counted.
Rep. Savannah Maddox (R-Falmouth) defeated Democratic challenger Debby Lucas Angel in the 61st District. Maddox led 76.4% to 23.6%, with 80% of votes counted.
In the 64th District, Rep. Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill) was leading Democrat Anita Issacs 65.6% to 34.4%, with 76% of votes counted.
But, the big surprise so far is in the 65th District, where incumbent Rep. Buddy Wheatley (D-Covington) seemed to be losing to Republican challenger Stephanie Dietz. With 83% of votes counted, Dietz led Wheatley 51 to 49%.
Redistricting significantly changed the district that’s been Democratic and mainly contained the City of Covington.
Under the new redistricting maps, Wheatley lost the very urban, northernmost part to the previously more suburban 63rd District represented by Kim Banta (R-Fort Mitchell). Other parts of Covington, particularly its eastern neighborhoods along the Licking River, shifted from the 65th to the 64th, represented by Kim Moser (R-Taylor Mill).
In the 66th District, Republican Steve Rawlings led Democrat Tim Montgomery 70.4% with 29.6 with 94% of the vote counted. Rawlings defeated Rep. Ed Massey (R-Union) in the May primary.
Rep. Rachel Roberts (D-Newport) also faced fierce opposition from Republican challenger Jerry Gearding but defeated him 56% to 44%.
“I’m grateful to the voters of the new 67th district for their faith in me,” Roberts said. “I look forward to continuing the work of moving all of NKY forward.”
In the 68th, Republican Mike Clines seemed to have defeated Democrat Kelly Jones by a tally of 63% to 47%.
Republican Steve Doan led Democrat Chris Brown 60% to 40%, with 58% of votes counted. Doan unseated Rep. Adam Koening (R-Erlanger) in the Republican primary in May.
While some seats were hotly contested, three were uncontested, with Marianne Proctor, 60th, Rep. Kim Banta (R-Ft. Mitchell), 63rd, and Rep. Mark Hart (R-Falmouth), 68th, running unopposed.