Republican candidates won all three Kenton County commissioner seats on Tuesday, Nov. 3, keeping the fiscal court entirely in GOP hands.
Incumbent Beth Sewell held her District 1 seat. Jeff Niceley took the open District 2 seat. Richard "Scott" Kimmich won District 3. Each Republican defeated a Democratic challenger by margins ranging from about 1,900 to 2,900 votes, according to unofficial election night totals reported by LINK nky.
The results have not been certified by the Kenton County Board of Elections. The source does not specify what percentage of precincts had reported as of election night.
Results as of election night, Nov. 4, 2026
District 1
Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
Beth Sewell (W) | Republican | 28,107 | 51.8% |
Sarah Froelich | Democrat | 26,200 | 48.2% |
District 2
Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
Jeff Niceley (W) | Republican | 28,520 | 52.6% |
Benjamin Bach | Democrat | 25,660 | 47.4% |
District 3
Candidate | Party | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
Richard "Scott" Kimmich (W) | Republican | 28,084 | 52.1% |
Jordan Baldridge | Democrat | 25,773 | 47.9% |
60/60 precincts reported, as of 2:24 p.m. Nov. 4, 2026.
Judge/Executive Kris Knochelmann, a Republican, ran unopposed for reelection.
The races drew attention because Democrats ran candidates for the fiscal court for the first time in more than 20 years, according to LINK nky's May primary coverage. Two Republican incumbents, Jon Draud and Joe Nienaber, chose not to seek reelection, opening up Districts 2 and 3. That left Sewell, a Covington resident first elected in 2010, as the only incumbent among the commissioner candidates.
Key issues during the primary included economic development, environmental concerns, tax policy and how the county handles its rural land. Several candidates said they ran because of how the county administration handled issues like the Site Readiness Initiative in southern Kenton County, LINK nky reported.
The fiscal court functions as the county's legislative body, passing ordinances and setting the budget. Despite its name, it has no judicial role. Commissioners represent the county at-large, meaning every county voter can cast a ballot in each district race. All three winners will serve four-year terms.
