Editor’s note: This article originally ran on January 29 but has been updated with information on candidate Donald Nageleisen.
The next Kenton County Attorney will be selected in the May primary because all three candidates are Republicans. No Democrat filed for a shot at replacing Republican Garry Edmondson who is not seeking reelection.
Sharif Abdrabbo of Taylor Mill, Donald Nageleisen of Independence, and Stacy Tapke of Edgewood will face off in the Republican primary on May 20.
News releases from the candidates are below.
Donald Nageleisen
Don has over 25 years of legal experience serving Northern Kentucky. He earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management/Marketing from Northern Kentucky University in 1983 and went on to earn his Juris Doctor from the Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1988. After successfully taking the bar exam, Don was admitted to practice law in Kentucky.
In 1989 Donald was admitted to practice law in the United States Federal Courts and in 1994 he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.
Since becoming an attorney, Don has been fortunate to experience success in and out of the courtroom. Through his work ethic and dedication to his clients, Don has been a part of some of the largest settlements and awards in the history of Kentucky’s correctional facilities history.
Don believes in putting his clients first in his practice and works diligently to ensure justice is rightfully served.
Don has earned many accolades throughout his career. He was singled out in the United States of America Weekly Publication for stopping corruption in the Grant County Detention Center.
His work on this issue resulted in approximately $4,000,000 to be imposed against the system and its officers for their corrupt practices. Also, Donald has actively participated in over 20,000 trials in all areas of law in Kentucky and has been part of many large civil verdicts throughout his career.
Don’s relatives and close friends often describe him as being a family man. Don has been married to his beautiful wife, Christina, for over 21 years and they have 5 children; Kelly, Alexes, Zachary, Erika, and Sara. Their family regularly attends Community Christian Church and Holy Cross and stays active in academic and sporting events within their children’s schools.
Although Don has experienced a great deal of success in his legal career, he is the first to admit he is most proud of his family and their accomplishments.
Sharif Abdrabbo
Sharif Abdrabbo, a lawyer residing in Taylor Mil, has filed to run for Kenton County Attorney in the Republican primary. Abdrabbo is an attorney in private practice who has previously served as a felony prosecutor in Kenton County and has also clerked for a federal judge in Covington.
He is also a US Coast Guard Reserve officer and Judge Advocate General (JAG), holding the rank of commander.
Abdrabbo recently served two years on active duty as the Staff JAG for the Deployable Operations Group in Arlington, Virginia, which was the command that established doctrine and policy for, and equipped, trained, and mobilized twenty-six separate deployable specialized units including all of the Coast Guard’s Tactical Law Enforcement Teams, all of the Coast Guard’s Port Security Units, and the Marine Security Response Team, which is the Coast Guard’s counterterrorism unit.
As a reservist, he is currently assigned to the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.
In private practice, Abdrabbo has focused on the laws protecting military members before, during, and after returning from deployment.
A graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy, Abdrabbo served for eight years on active duty before transferring to the Reserve in order to attend law school. “When we first got married, I made a promise to my wife, who is from Louisville, that at some point in the future, we would return to Kentucky,” Abdrabbo said in a news release.
He and his wife Jennifer have been residents of Kenton County since 2002 when he was accepted into the Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, where he graduated with honors. “Having lived in places like New York City, Baltimore, and New Orleans due to my military service, I am now a proud Kentuckian by choice,” Abdrabbo said. “I am even a Kentucky Colonel!”
As a former prosecutor, Abdrabbo has extensive trial experience, having handled over five hundred cases in the three years that he was an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. “Being a prosecutor was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” he said. “It was an honor to have worked with so many of the finest law enforcement officers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”
Abdrabbo, his wife, and their four children are parishioners at Blessed Sacrament Church in Ft. Mitchell.
“Most of my adult life has been spent in public service. What you see is what you’ll get with me,” he said, “reliance on my Christian values, faithful devotion to my family, and a dedication of service to my community.”
Stacy Tapke
Edgewood Republican Stacy Tapke has filed her nominating petition to run for Kenton County Attorney, after having publicly launched her campaign last spring. The filing officially places Tapke on the Republican ballot for the May 20 primary election.
Signing the nominating petition were Tapke supporters Joyce Edmondson, wife of current Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson, and Dick Tapke, Tapke’s father-in-law. “It was a privilege and honor to sign Stacy’s nominating papers,” Joyce Edmondson said. “I can’t think of a more qualified individual to serve as our next Kenton County Attorney.”
Tapke has experience working in all three divisions of the office, starting first as a case worker in the Child Support Division and later as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division as well as currently heading the office’s Civil Division.
Tapke’s candidacy for Kenton County Attorney will be a reflection of her own values and goals. “I am excited to share my ideas with the voters of Kenton County – and to serve them as their next County Attorney,” she explained. “I’m ready for the challenge of keeping our community safe and prosperous.”
Tapke resides in Edgewood with her husband, Trey Tapke, and their sons, Richard and Teddy.
Information from Donald Nageleisen will be added when received.
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