A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

It’s the battle of conservatives among Republicans in the May 17 NKY primary races for KY House


By Jack Brammer
NKyTribune reporter
 
Republican challengers battling Republican incumbents in more and more political primary elections are criticizing their opponents for not being conservative enough.

Such strategy to win is on display in the May 17 Republican primary elections in Northern Kentucky for seats in the law-making Kentucky House of Representatives.

“What is happening in Northern Kentucky’s state House races in the Republican primary clearly mirrors what is happening nationally,” said Ryan Salzman, associate professor of political science at Northern Kentucky University.

“The trend has been going on for several years, with Republicans calling other Republicans ‘RINOs,’ (Republican in Name Only). We’re seeing more of this, especially in Northern Kentucky, from challengers in party primaries who have been leaders elsewhere in their party.”

Salzman refers to the practice as “cannibalism from within.”

“It’s a luxury challengers have. It’s a form of attack that usually is hard to prove:  Who is more conservative than the other,” he said. “They sometimes have no record to run on in the office being sought so they attack their opponents by questioning their conservatism and it can work.”

The strategy has been successful but the advantage still lies with incumbency, especially to ones who have been in office for several years and have worked hard for their district, said Salzman.

Five Republican incumbents from Northern Kentucky in the state House face party challengers in the May 17 primary elections to pick party nominees for November’s general election, and their opponents paint themselves as the true conservatives.

The five Northern Kentucky Republican incumbents seeking re-election are C. Edward Massey of Hebron, Sal Santoro of Union, Adam Koenig of Erlanger, Kimberly Poore Moser of Taylor Mill, and Savannah Maddox of Dry Ridge.

Meanwhile, one Northern Kentucky state House seat is open because its Republican incumbent instead decided to run for the Kentucky Supreme Court.

And four state House members from Northern Kentucky have no primary challengers but two of them face opposition in the November general election.

Here’s a look at the state House races this year in Northern Kentucky.

Contested Republican Incumbents

 
66th House District — part Boone County

Rep. Ed Massey

Rep. C. Edward Massey of Hebron, an attorney, has been a member of the state House since 2019.  He is chair of the House Judiciary Committee and a former member of the Boone County Board of Education.

On his campaign website, masseycountry.com, Massey calls himself “a principled conservative leader.”

Steve Rawlings

Challenging Massey in the GOP primary is Steve Rawlings, a Burlington businessman and attorney, who calls himself “the constitutional conservative Republican candidate,” who will “oppose government overreach and tyranny with every effort.” His campaign website is rawlings4ky.com.

The winner of the GOP primary faces Tim Montgomery of Burlington in the November general election. His campaign website is timmontgomery4ky.com/about-tim.
           
60th House District — part Boone County

Rep. Sal Santoro

Rep. Sal Santoro of Union, a former state trooper and president of Santoro Electric Co., was first elected to the state House in 2007. He is chair of the House transportation budget subcommittee.

His campaign website, santoroforky.com, refers to his as “our strong conservative voice.”

Marianne Proctor

Santoro’s primary challenger is Marianne Proctor of Union, a speech-language pathologist who says on her campaign website, proctorky.com, that she is “a non-politician” who is a conservative. She claims Santoro “leans conservative.” 

69th District, part of Boone, part of Kenton

Rep. Adam Koenig

Rep. Adam Koenig of Erlanger, a Realtor, was elected to the state House in November 2006.  He is chair of the Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations Committee who has been trying to bring sports betting to Kentucky.

Prior to the House, Koenig served eight years as a Kenton County commissioner and three years as a Villa Hills city councilman. His campaign website is adamkoenig.com, and he calls himself “a proven conservative.”

Steven Doan

Challenger Steven Doan of Erlanger, an Erlanger city councilman, says he is the only conservative in the race and touts the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie of Lewis County.

In possibly the most contentious House race in Northern Kentucky, Doan has released ads calling Koenig “a liberal,” referring to his votes on the sports transgender bill and gun legislation.

Koenig said Doan is lying and that he has a conservative record. He said he voted for the transgender sports bill four times and has stood up for the right to bear arms.

Democrat Chris Brown of Elsmere, a human resources official, will face the GOP primary winner in November.  Her website is chrisbrown4ky.com.

Rep. Kim Moser

64th District, part of Kenton

Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser of Taylor Mill won her state House seat in 2016 and chairs the House Health and Welfare Committee. Her campaign website, moserforkentucky.com, says she “works hard to preserve our conservative values with a common-sense approach to government.”

Her primary opponent, Christopher C. Mann of Covington, is a natural product manager. He did not provide information about his campaign. He has not yet reported raising any money for his campaign.

The winner faces Democrat Anita Y. Isaacs of Taylor Mill in November. She also has reported no campaign fundraising.

61st District – part of Boone and Kenton, Grant and Gallatin

Rep. Savannah Maddox

Rep. Savannah Maddox of Dry Ridge has been in the House since January 2019. In her campaign website, www.maddoxforky.com, she describes herself as “a Donald Trump-endorsed, authentic Republican” who has stood up to the “radical left.” She has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2023.

Jarrod Lykins

Her primary opponent, Jarrod M. Lykins of Walton, is a Marine veteran and compliance manager with Motion Industries who says on his campaign website, lykinsforstaterep.com, that he is the Republican candidate who will put the people of the district first again.

The Courier Journal reported this week that Maddox has asked the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance to investigate campaign ads by a mystery group that has questioned her conservatism. The organization behind the ads – Commonwealth Conservatives – has not registered with the election registry.

Mike Clines

Debby Lucas Angel of Corinth is the Democrat who has filed to run against the primary winner in November.
 
Open House Seat in 68th District, part of Campbell

State Rep. Joseph M. Fisher, R-Fort Thomas, has been in the state House since 1999. He is not running this year for re-election, instead running for the Kentucky Supreme Court. That leaves his House district seat open.

Three Republicans and one Democrat are vying for the legislative seat.

One of the Republican candidates is Mike Clines of Alexandria, the former superintendent of Catholic schools in the Covington diocese.

Paul Kloeker

On his campaign website, mikeclines.com, Clines notes that in August 2020, in regards to the coronavirus pandemic, “as superintendent, and in the best interest of the students’ mental and social health, I went against Gov. Beshear’s recommendation to delay the start of in-person instruction by six weeks.”

Other candidates in the GOP primary are Mirna Eads of Fort Thomas and Paul Kloeker.

Eads, a registered nurse and single mom, says on her website, kyhouse68.com, that she is “a patriot American of the Republican Party.”

Mirna Eads

Kloeker, a member of the Cold Spring council, says on his website, www.facebook.com/kloeker4staterep, that he wants to “provide transparency and fiscal conservancy to the residents of the 68th District.”

The Democratic candidate is Kelly Jones of Fort Thomas. She has a Master’s degree in mental health counseling and says she hopes to be in the state House “a voice supporting families and children, mental health initiatives, the disability community, public education, agriculture and small businesses.”


No Primary Contest

Two Northern Kentucky Republican incumbents drew no primary or general election opposition. They are Kimberly A. Banta of Fort Mitchell in the 63rd District that covers part of Boone and Kenton counties, and Mark Hart of Falmouth in the 78th District that covers Pendleton County and parts of Boone, Campbell and Kenton.

Democratic incumbent Charles “Buddy Wheatley of Covington has no primary opposition but faces Republican Stephanie A. Dietz of Edgewood in November for the 65th House District, that covers part of Kenton County.

In the 67th House District that covers part of Campbell County, Democratic incumbent Rachel Roberts of Newport squares off against Republican Jerry C. Gearding of Wilder in November.


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