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Here is the list of candidates for 4th Congressional District and KY House, Senate, from the region


The filing deadline for Kentucky’s 2018 primary and general elections has locked in the ballot lineups for this year, and it was not without last minute drama and excitement.

Forty-six candidates filed for Kentucky’s House of Representatives on the deadline day, and there were several last minute changes involving current legislators. House Health & Welfare Chairwoman Addia Wuchner (R-Burlington) opted not to seek re-election, and former House Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sannie Overly (Paris) has decided not to run for the legislature.

Overly is the former Democratic Party Chairwoman and candidate for Lieutenant Governor. There was much speculation in the halls Tuesday as to what lies next for both Wuchner and Overly.

With 256 candidates on the ballot for state House and 43 candidates for state Senate, it will be a busy election year in Kentucky. Races of note throughout Northern Kentucky can be found below.

Every seat in the Northern Kentucky area for the Kentucky House and Senate will have a primary or a general election.

Senate – 24th District

Senators representing even numbered districts are up for reelection in 2018, therefore only Sen. Wil Schroder (R-Wilder) who represents the 24th Senatorial district is on the ballot.

Senators Chris McDaniel (23rd District), Damon Thayer (17th District) and John Schickel (11th District) will be on the ballot in 2020.

Rachel Roberts, a Democrat from Newport, has filed to run against Sen. Schroder.  Roberts owns The Yoga Bar in Newport and Over-the-Rhine.

Schroder was first elected in 2014 to represent Campbell, Bracken and Pendleton Counties. 

House – 47th District

Rep. Rick Rand (D-Bedford) has represented Carroll, Gallatin, Henry and Trimble Counties since 2003. The former Chairman of the House Appropriations and Revenue committee has drawn a republican challenge in Mark Gilkison, also from Bedford.  Gilkison is the owner of Gilkison Construction, Inc.

House – 60th District

Rep. Sal Santoro (R-Union) will face the winner of the Democratic primary challenge between Jesse Parks (Walton) and Roger Rankin (Union).  Santoro, Chairman of the Budget Review Subcommittee for Transportation has held the seat since 2007.

Parks is a Senior Sales Manager for Jake Sweeney Auto Group and is a private pilot.

Roger Rankin is from Union.

House – 61st District

Rep. Brian Linder (R-Dry Ridge) decided not to run for re-election in 2018.  Linder was elected to the House in 2012.  The 61st District includes all of Grant County and parts of Boone, Kenton and Scott Counties.

Two Republicans and two Democrats have filed to run for this open seat.  Republicans Michael Fletcher will face Savannah Maddox in the May primary.

Maddox, from Dry Ridge, serves as the Grant County Republican Chairwoman.

Fletcher, from Independence, is a physician at iCAN, Integrated Chemical in Crestview Hills.  He serves on the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure, appointed by Gov. Bevin in 2016.

Democrats Darrell Link and Susan Back will face off in the May primary.

Link is the former Grant County Judge Executive and Executive Director of the Kentucky Area Development Districts.  Back is from Morning View in southern Kenton County.

House – 62nd District

Freshman Republican Phillip Pratt (R-Georgetown) will face the winner of a Democrat primary to represent the citizens of Scott and Owen Counties.

Democrats Jennifer Urie will face Adam Paul Sovkoplas in the May primary.

Urie is from Sanders and serves as a non-partisan secretary for four Kentucky State Legislators. She is a social studies teacher at Owen County High School.  Sovkoplas is from Lexington and owns a music arranging and composing business. 

House – 63rd District

Representative Diane St. Onge (R-Fort Wright) will face democrat Josh Blair in the November General Election. St. Onge, Chair of the Small Business and IT Committee, has represented parts of Boone and Kenton Counties since 2012.

Blair, who lives in Erlanger, is an adjunct professor of communications at Northern Kentucky University.

House – 64th District

Freshman Rep. Kimberly Pooser Moser (R-Taylor Mill) will face Larry Varney in the November General Election.  The winner of this election will represent the citizens of parts of Campbell and Kenton Counties.

Varney, from Cold Spring, is a retired software engineer at Cincom Systems, Inc. 

House – 65th District

After 24 years representing the citizens of Kenton County in Frankfort, Rep. Arnold Simpson (D-Covington) has announced his retirement from the House of Representatives.

Covington City Councilman Jordan Huizenga has filed to run for the open seat as a Republican.

Huizenga will face Democrat Charles “Buddy” Wheatley in the general election.  Wheatley lives in Covington and is currently an attorney specializing in collective bargaining negotiations, public sector labor law and employment law issues.  Wheatley is a retired firefighter from Covington.

Huizenga is an executive with Children, Inc. and currently serves on the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. 

House – 66th District

In a last-minute surprise, Rep. Addia Wuchner withdrew her filing papers within two hours of the filing deadline.  Waiting to file in her place was Boone County School Board Chair, Ed Massey.

Massey will face Roberto Henriquez in the November election.

Wuchner, Chairwoman of the Health and Family Services Committee, has represented the citizens of Boone County since 2005.

Henriquez lives in Florence and is former teacher at Ryle High School and is currently an IT specialist with Wynright Corporation. 

House – 67th District

Rep. Dennis Keene (D-Wilder) will face Republican candidate Bob Schrage in the general election.  The House Democratic Minority Caucus Chairman has represented Campbell County since 2005.

Schrage currently lives in Dayton and is retired from the Northern Kentucky Area Development District. 

House – 68th District

Democrat Jason Kilmer will challenge Rep. Joseph Fischer (R-Ft. Thomas) in the general election.  Fischer, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has represented parts of Campbell County since 1999.

Kilmer is also from Ft. Thomas and is a mechanical drafter for Ethicon.

House – 69th District

Ryan Neaves and Col Owens will face off in a Democratic primary in May.  The winner will take on Rep. Adam Koenig (R-Erlanger) in the general election.  Koenig, Chairman of the Licensing and Occupations Committee has represented the citizens of Boone and Kenton counties since 2007.

Neaves is a school teacher at Tichenor Middle School and lives in Florence.

Owens is the former Kenton County Democratic Party Chairman and lives Ft. Mitchell. 

House – 78th District

Republican Mark Hart will face Democrat Gregory EJ Coulson.  Hart is in his first term representing the citizens of Pendleton and Harrison Counties and parts of Scott County.

Coulson is a former public defender from Cynthiana. 

Fourth Congressional District

Congressman Thomas Massie will face the winner of a three-way Democratic primary in November.

Democrats Seth Hall, Christina Lord and Patti Piatt have filed to run against Massie.

Hall is from LaGrange and Lord is from Milton.  Piatt is from Bellevue and most recently worked as director of food nutritional services at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

To view the full listing of candidates on the Kentucky Secretary of State’s website, click here.

Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce


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2 Comments

  1. Jenny Urie says:

    Jennifer Urie is a Social Studies Educator at Owen County High School.

  2. Adam Sovkoplas says:

    Adam Sovkoplas holds a Doctorate in Music Composition and is a college professor at two universities in the state of Kentucky in addition to having a music composition business. He is also the owner and operator of construction and landscaping business.

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