Republican Jeff Niceley defeated Democrat Benjamin Bach in the race for the Kenton County commissioner, District 2 seat, according to unofficial election night results.

Niceley received 28,520 votes, or 53%, to Bach's 25,660 votes, or 47%, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State's Election Night Reporting page. No write-in votes were recorded. The results are unofficial as of election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Candidate

Party

Votes

Percentage

Jeff Niceley

Republican

28,520

53%

Benjamin Bach

Democrat

25,660

47%

Write-In

—

0

0%

Source: Kentucky Secretary of State, unofficial results as of election night, Nov. 3, 2026.

Niceley's win was part of a Republican sweep of all three Kenton County commission seats, LINK nky reported. All three Republican candidates beat their Democratic opponents, maintaining GOP control of the Kenton County Fiscal Court.

The race came after two fiscal court incumbents, Joe Nienaber and Jon Draud, decided not to seek reelection, opening seats on the commission. It also marked the first time Kenton County Democrats fielded candidates for the body in over 20 years, LINK nky reported in May.

What's at stake

County commissioners serve as legislators on the Kenton County Fiscal Court, which handles executive and legislative functions for the county. The county provides infrastructure, road maintenance, parks, jails, animal control and law enforcement dispatch services, according to LINK nky.

Commissioner seats correspond to districts based on where the candidate lives, but the positions represent the county at-large. Any Kenton County voter can cast a ballot in each district race. The positions are usually not full time.

The candidates

Bach, a self-described fifth-generation Kenton County resident, focused his campaign on land use and zoning. He said on his campaign website that he wants county growth centered on making communities, farmland and natural resources safe, strong and thriving for future generations.

Bach was making his first run for elected office. He said he was spurred to run after watching the county's reaction to criticism of the Site Readiness Initiative, a program that aims to catalog land in the county ideal for industrial development, according to LINK nky's coverage of his candidacy announcement.

Niceley, a lifelong Northern Kentucky resident, campaigned on fiscal responsibility. He said on his campaign website that he wants transparent budgeting that respects every tax dollar.

Voters can check updated results on the Kentucky Secretary of State's website.