Nearly two years after retiring from the Kentucky State Senate, John Schickel is once again vying for public office.
Schickel, a Republican, is running for the District 2 commission seat against Democrat Lianna Nguyen. The seat is currently occupied by Commissioner Chet Hand, who is the Republican nominee for Boone County judge/executive.
A Union resident, Schickel has spent more than 45 years in public service, serving as a police officer, jailer and state senator. He began his career as a Northern Kentucky University police officer, where he worked for two years before joining the Florence Police Department in 1977.
In 1987, Schickel was elected Boone County jailer, overseeing the Boone County Jail and its daily operations until 2001. The following year, President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky, a position he held until he was elected to the Kentucky Senate in 2008.
During his Senate tenure, Schickel chaired the Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee, where he oversaw legislation affecting business regulation, alcohol policy and gaming. Schickel has cited his efforts in helping to modernize Kentucky’s alcohol laws, which supported the expansion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the state’s craft distilling industry, as one of his top legislative accomplishments. He also served as chair of the Northern Kentucky Caucus and co-chaired the Jail and Corrections Reform Task Force.
“I am uniquely qualified for this position through my experience in public service,” Schickel told LINK nky. “I enjoy public service.”
Schickel said managing growth was one of his top campaign priorities, as some Boone County residents have grown increasingly concerned about development encroaching on agricultural land and established residential neighborhoods.
“Boone County is my home, and serving this community has been the honor of my life,” Schickel said during his campaign launch. “With the county growing rapidly, taxpayers deserve experienced leadership that understands public safety, infrastructure and fiscal responsibility.”
A conservative Republican, Schickel has received endorsements from outgoing Boone County Judge/Executive Gary Moore and judge/executive candidate Chet Hand, giving the former legislator cross-generational support from prominent Boone County Republicans.