By Jack Brammer
NKyTribune reporter
It’s going down to the mire.
It’s a fierce race for the Kentucky House of Representatives in Northern Kentucky’s 69th District that includes Florence, Erlanger, Elsmere and Ridgeview Heights.
Charges of extremism, intimidation, violence and other unsavory practices have been swirling about the campaigns of Republican Steven Doan and Democrat Chris Brown. Doan defeated the former long-time Republican incumbent Adam Koenig of Erlanger in the May primary.
Meanwhile, in another scandal-plagued House race in Northern Kentucky, the Kentucky Democratic Party unveiled a new website Thursday – jerryforjail.com — outlining various criminal records of Republican Jerry Gearding of Wilder. Gearding is challenging Democratic incumbent Rachel Roberts of Newport in the 67th House District.
“Jerry is dangerous for Kentucky,” it says.
Seven House seats in Northern Kentucky are being contested on Nov. 8.
In three other Northern Kentucky House seats, the incumbents face no opposition.
Here is a look at the House races this fall in Northern Kentucky. The maps of the districts were drawn in this year’s General Assembly.
69th House District: Doan and Brown
The Kentucky House Democratic caucus has been running ads against 10 Republican candidates this fall they call “extremists” because of their views on abortion.
One of them is Doan, an attorney.
“Republicans in Frankfort want to change Kentucky forever by putting big government in charge. It’ll start with abortion with no exceptions, giving rapists and child molesters more rights than women,” Democratic House Leader Joni Jenkins of Louisville said of the ads.
The abortion issue could draw many Kentuckians to the polls this year as Constitutional Amendment 2 is on the ballot. It would provide no state constitutional right to abortions.
Asked what he thinks about being called an extremist and whether he thinks abortion access should be provided in cases of rape and incest, Doan, said he believes human life begins at conception.
He did not elaborate, except to say, “If you want to call me an extremist for that view, call me an extremist,” he said. Information about Doan’s campaign can be found at facebook.com/DoanforKY.
Doan’s Democratic opponent, Brown, a human resources and welfare development professional, said Thursday that Doan is “an extremist who wants to throw mud in this race at me and not talk about his own radical agenda.”
Brown’s campaign website – chrisbrown4Ky.com, said Northern Kentucky is “under attack by a new type of extremism.” She said these extremists want to “control our private medical decisions.”
“I believe we should trust women and Kentuckians to make their own private medical decisions,” said Brown. “My opponent believes the government, not women and their doctors, should be in charge of our private medical decisions.”
Doan’s campaign is calling on Brown to withdraw from the race because of what he called “her criminal history.”
The Doan campaign said it is aware of several criminal records detailing Brown’s conviction for attacking a woman until she was knocked unconscious, charged with theft by deception, and arrested for failing to appear in court.
According to police reports supplied by Doan’s campaign, Brown was arrested in May of 2010 for theft by deception for cold checks. Brown was stopped for a traffic citation and arrested on warrant at that time.
Brown, an Elsmere, native, appears in a separate 2010 police report associated with harassment from an incident where “money and guns” were stolen from her home.
In 2020, Brown is alleged to have attacked a person at a Black Lives Matter rally. According to police records, the victim, in that case, sought a protective order after multiple instances of threatening behavior and violence. The complaint and request for an order of protection were dismissed for lack of evidence.
Brown said her campaign will not be distracted by the outdated claims and that Doan is trying to distract attention “from his radical positions on women’s health and abortion.
The county party also has accused the Doan campaign of using his law firm to acquire unredacted records from the city of Edgewood “under questionable circumstances” and then disseminating them on the Internet. The records included personal identification information of his opponent and three other people.
The party claims this amounts to the crime of doxing, subject to a Class A misdemeanor. Doxing is a crime to disseminate personal identifying information with the intent to intimidate abuse, threaten, harass, or frighten some one.
Doan said he is not sure what the Democratic Party is talking about.
“My opponent has a criminal record and it is public record.”
The Kenton County Democratic Executive Committee said it will continue to review available public information regarding Doan’s use of his law office for political campaign purposes and will turn over any evidence of violations to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
67th District: Gearding and Roberts
Mug shots of Republican nominee Gearding fill the frame of the state Democratic Party’s campaign website against Gearding.
It contains what the party calls public records documenting Gearding’s arrests in 2018 and 2019 for domestic violence, a 2006 arrest for driving under the influence, a 2005 disorderly conduct arrest and a 1996 bankruptcy.
The charges were eventually dropped. Gearding, senior director of Cloud Analytics Architecture for a large national marketing firm, did not return phone calls to his campaign and personal cell phone for comment. A woman who identified herself as his mother said the domestic violence charges stemmed from “a woman with mental problems and Jerry was never convicted of anything.”
The candidates’ websites note the differences between the two.
“It’s time we make Kentucky great again,” said Gearding on gearding4ky.com, using a phrase similar to that a former president made famous.
“Frankfort has abandoned what made Kentucky great. Whether it’s refusing to protect the unborn, putting lobbyists above the people, or selling us out for out of state interests, Frankfort is broken,” said Gearding.
“We need a fighter who will champion our God-Given rights in the State House! Families First. Kentucky First. Simple as that. I am running to send a message that we, the people of Kentucky will no longer tolerate the swamp’s bullying.”
Roberts, a small business owner, joined the House in 2020 as the first woman in the House from that district. On her campaign website, rachelforkentucky.com, she talks about her vision for the state.
“Kentucky should be a national leader in industry and job retention, educational excellence for our kids and affordable health care for the people who call our state home,” she said.
Roberts said her legislative accomplishments include protections for sexual assault victims and election workers, funding for the Brent Spence Bridge project and Northern Kentucky University connector, $70 million for Fourth Street bridge and millions for water and sewer projects in Northern Kentucky.
65th District: Wheatley and Dietz
Democratic incumbent Buddy Wheatley of Covington is being challenged by Stephanie Dietz, another Republican the state Democratic Party has labeled an “extremist.” Both are lawyers.
The Kenton County Democratic Party recently chided Dietz, claiming she did not tell voters where she stands on this fall’s constitutional amendment regarding abortion.
The party said Dietz gave “a mealy-mouthed answer” when the Cincinnati Enquirer asked her if she supported the amendment.
Her printed response was, “I think it’s great that the voters are going to have an opportunity to vote on Amendment 2. I’m interested to see how that’s going to turn out. I know that it’s a difficult issue for everybody, for both sides, to discuss.
“I’m opposed to the government funding of abortion. And I think it’s important that that’s on the ballot, and I think it’s important for the voters to be able to vote on that.”
Dietz did not return a phone call from the Northern Kentucky Tribune.
Her campaign website is facebook.com/dietzforstate rep/.
Wheatley said on his campaign website – buddywheatley.com – that he will continue to fight for “access to quality healthcare and women’s reproductive rights.”to quality healthcare and women’s reproductive rights.
66th District: Rawlings and Montgomery
Republican Steve Rawlings, who ousted incumbent Ed Massey-Union, in the May primary, is running against Democrat Tim Montgomery. Both are of Burlington.
Rawlings on his website, rawlings4ky.com, calls himself “a constitutional conservative” who is pro-life. Montgomery’s website, TimMontgomery4Ky.com, says he is an Air Force veteran and a 33-year member of the Teamsters.
68th District: Jones and Clines
This is an open seat because Republican Rep. Joseph Fischer of Ft. Thomas decided to run instead this year for the Kentucky Supreme Court.
The candidates are Democrat Kelly Jones and Republican Mike Clines.
Jones is a therapist. Her campaign website is kellyjonesforky.com.
Clines is an education consultant. He is former superintendent of the Diocese of Covington’s Catholic school system. His website is mikeclines.com.
64th District: Moser and Isaacs
Republican incumbent Kim Moser of Taylor Mill faces off against Democrat Anita Isaacs.
Moser is chair of the House Health and Family Services Committee and is heavily involved in health issues. Her campaign website is moserforkentucky.com.
Efforts to reach Isaacs and her campaign were not successful.
61st District: Maddox and Angel
Republican incumbent Savannah Maddox of Dry Ridge wants to be governor of Kentucky. But before she conducts her 2023 gubernatorial campaign, she has to defeat Democrat Debby Lucas Angel for the state House this year.
The website for Maddox, who is endorsed by U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Lewis County, is savannahforgovernor.com.
The website for Angel, retired from the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection, is debbylucasangel.com.
60th District: Marianne Proctor
Marianne Proctor is running unopposed. She beat incumbent Sal Santoro, R-Union, in the Republican primary in May.
63rd District: Kim Banta
Incumbent Kim Banta, R-Ft. Mitchell, is running unopposed.
78th District: Mark Hart
Rep. Mark Hart, R-Falmouth, is running unopposed.
The 2022 General election is November 8. Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Early in-person voting is Thursday, Nov. 3, Friday, Nov. 4, and Saturday, Nov. 5. Check your county clerk’s website for details. Get more information about voting here.
