Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Zimmerman is stepping down from the role.
Zimmerman told LINK nky he will officially leave the office in October to pursue a job opportunity in private practice after working in a public service role for the last 12 years.
Zimmerman has been with the Campbell County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office since 2014. In 2020, then-Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney Michelle Snodgrass appointed him chief assistant Commonwealth’s attorney. He was elected Commonwealth’s attorney on Nov. 5, 2024 and began serving in the role in January 2025.
“That office has been basically my professional life, and for the past 12 years, I’ve done my very best to serve the people of Campbell County with passion and purpose, and my only hope is that I have had some positive impact on the community,” Zimmerman said.
A Commonwealth’s attorney is an elected prosecutor who represents the state in felony criminal cases within a judicial circuit. The office prosecutes crimes such as murder, robbery, sexual assault and other felonies, working with law enforcement and representing the Commonwealth throughout the court process.
What happens now?
Gov. Andy Beshear is responsible for appointing Zimmerman’s replacement.
According to Section 152 of the Kentucky Constitution, which governs vacancies in elected offices, the appointee would serve until a successor elected in November 2027 takes office. The 2027 election would be for the remainder of Zimmerman’s term, not a new full six-year term.
Commonwealth’s attorneys normally serve six-year terms.
There is no timeline for when that appointment must be made. Section 152 establishes how the vacancy is filled and how long the appointment lasts, but it doesn’t give the governor a set number of days. Zimmerman said given the amount of lead time he thinks Beshear would appoint someone prior to his departure, but he has not received any information related to that as of yet.
If no one has been appointed prior to Zimmerman’s exit, KRS 15.715(4) states, “If the office of Commonwealth’s attorney or the office of county attorney becomes vacant, the Attorney General or his designee shall perform the duties of that office until such time as the successor of that Commonwealth’s attorney or of that county attorney shall be appointed or elected as elsewhere provided by law or until the Commonwealth’s attorney or county attorney resumes the duties of his office as provided by law.”
Because Zimmerman is leaving more than 160 days before Kentucky’s 2027 primary election, Republican and Democratic candidates seeking to serve the remainder of his term would be nominated through the May 2027 primary.
The nominees would then face off in the November 2027 general election. The person appointed to temporarily fill the vacancy would not automatically become a party’s nominee and would have to run in the primary to remain in office beyond the appointment.
