Primary victories send Wuchner, Schickel back to Frankfort

Two of Northern Kentucky’s representatives in Frankfort are heading back to the state capital after winning their party primary elections Tuesday and drawing no opponents in November.

Republican incumbents state Rep. Addia Kathryn Wuchner and state Sen. John Schickel won primary contests and barring a challenge from an independent candidate will return to office.

Here’s a look at all of the results from Tuesday’s primary elections to represent Northern Kentucky in Frankfort.

66th District state House of Representatives

Wuchner of Burlington, Ky. won a three-way Republican primary race for the 66th District seat she’s held since 2005, besting former Boone County Commissioner Cathy H. Flaig of Hebron, Ky. and political newcomer William E. Woods of Florence, Ky.

Wuchner took 52.9 percent of the vote or 1,995 votes. Flaig had 41.9 percent or 1,580 votes and Woods gathered 5.2 percent or 196 votes. No Democrat filed for the seat which represents part of Boone County.

11th Senatorial District state Senate

State Sen. John Schickel of Union, Ky. had an easy time against challenger Joshua L. Turner of Florence, Ky. in the Republican primary winning with 76.9 percent of the vote or 7,022 to Turner’s 23.1 percent or 2,109 votes. Since no Democrat filed for the office it’s likely Schickel will return to Frankfort to represent the 11th senatorial district as he has since 2009. The district encompasses Boone, Gallatin and a part of Kenton counties. No Democrat filed for the office.

17th Senatorial District state Senate

Incumbent state Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown, Ky. beat Rick Hostetler of Georgetown, Ky. in the Republican primary election.

Thayer, who has held the 17th senatorial district seat since 2003, took 63.2 percent of the vote or 3,687 to Hostetler’s 36.8 percent or 2,147 votes.

Thayer will face Democrat David Holcomb of Georgetown, Ky. in November. The district encompasses Grant, Owen, Scott and part of Kenton counties.

23rd Senatorial District state Senate

Concrete construction company owner Chris McDaniel beat Fort Mitchell City Councilman Will Terwort in the Republican primary election for the 23rd senatorial district seat.

McDaniel of Taylor Mill, Ky., who took 62.2 percent of the vote or 4,028 votes to Terwort’s 37.7 percent or 2,442 votes, will face Democrat James Noll of Villa Hills, Ky. in November.

The seat has been held by Republican state Sen. Jack Westwood who is retiring at the end of the year. The district encompasses part of Kenton County.

61st District state House of Representatives

Republican Brian E. Linder will face Democrat Wanda Crupper Hammons in the November election to decide who will represent the 61st District in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Linder, a magistrate with the Grant County Fiscal Court and resident of Dry Ridge, Ky., beat Scott Bruce, also of Dry Ridge, Ky. in Tuesday’s Republican primary election with 52.5 percent of the vote or 806 votes to Bruce’s 47.4 percent or 727 votes.

Hammons of Dry Ridge, Ky. took 61.3 percent of the ballots cast or 1,755 votes in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to easily top Camilla “Kay” Patton of Dry Ridge, Ky. who took 38.6 percent of the vote or 1,107 votes.

Longtime Democratic state Rep. Royce Adams of Dry Ridge, announced in February he would withdraw from the race.

The district is comprised of Gallatin, Grant and Owen counties.

63rd District state House of Representatives

Former Lakeside Park Councilwoman Diane St. Onge beat insurance salesman Walter A. Starosciak of Crestview Hills, Ky. in the Republican primary election for the 63rd representative district seat which represents part of Kenton County.

St. Onge took 76.7 percent of the vote or 3,366 votes to Starosciak’s 23.2 percent or 1,020 votes.

The seat was vacated by Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington who has held the seat since 2009 and ran unsuccessfully for Congress. No Democrat filed for the office.

78th District state House of Representatives

Democratic incumbent state Rep. Thomas M. McKee beat Bradley T. Copes of Cynthiana, Ky. in the Democratic primary race for the 78th district.

McKee, a Cynthiana, Ky. farmer who has held the seat since 1997, will face Republican Bryan Lutz of Cynthiana, Ky. in November.

McKee took 73.8 percent of the vote or 2,318 votes while Copes drew 26.1 percent or 822 votes.

The district encompasses part of Campbell County as well as Harrison, Pendleton and Robertson counties.