FORT MITCHELL — Republican State Sen. Jack Westwood overcame a Democratic Party onslaught and the grief of his father's recent death to recapture the 23rd Senate District in Kenton County.

        Mr. Westwood finished with 52.85 percent of the vote with 17,352 to the 47.15 percent of the total, or 15,478 votes for Democrat Jaimie Henson of Independence.

        The Democrats poured money and support into the race. Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton helped Mrs. Henson raise money and appeared with her at political events. And in the last few days of the race, the Kentucky Democratic Party paid for an esti mated $100,000 in radio ads attacking Mr. Westwood's record and effectiveness.

        Over the weekend Mr. Westwood's 81-year-old father, John Westwood, died after a long illness. His funeral service was Tuesday evening.

        “It's bittersweet tonight,” Mr. Westwood said at a GOP victory party in Fort Mitchell. “My first priority today was being with my family.

        “This was a tough race,” he said. “They came at me hard ... but I had a huge amount of support and volunteers who worked hard for me, (campaign manager) Marc Wilson ran a brilliant campaign, and we stayed on message and tried to do the right thing.”

        In Northern Kentucky's other state Senate race, Sen. Dick Roeding, the Republican incumbent from Erlanger, beat Fort Mitchell Democrat John Stephenson.

        Mr. Roeding won with 73.72 percent of the vote or 34,876 votes to 26.28 percent or 12,435 for Mr. Stephenson. The district includes all of Boone County — where Mr. Roeding won 21,246 to 8,351 — and the heavily Republican suburbs along Dixie Highway in Kenton County, which the incumbent carried with 13,630 votes to 4,084 for Mr. Stephenson.

        “The people of Northern Kentucky recognize and appreciate my leadership,” Mr. Roeding said at the Republicans victory party at the Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell.

        “(Republicans in Frankfort) have held the line on taxes, brought parity funding to Northern Kentucky University and community projects to all of Northern Kentucky,” he said.

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