BURLINGTON — Boone County Judge-executive Gary Moore won't be making any endorsements in what looks to be a contested Republican Party primary in next year's county commission race.

        Judge Moore says comments made last week by one of the candidates — Boone County GOP Chairman Ed Moore — have been construed by some people to mean that he is making an endorsement in the election.

        “I'm an incumbent (Republican). And with what appears to be a contested primary, I'm not endorsing any of the candidates at this time,” Judge Moore said Tuesday.

        Last week Ed Moore — who is not related to Judge Moore — announced that he will run next year for the Boone County Commission seat being vacated by Robert Hay, a Florence Republican not seeking re-election.

        During an interview, Ed Moore said he received a phone call from Judge Moore the night Mr. Hay announced his intentions not to run for office in 2002.

        “Judge Moore called me

        and said I might be interested in doing this,” Ed Moore said last week.

        Judge Moore said people have taken that comment as an indication that he is endorsing Ed Moore.

        “People I have seen at functions and on the street, and people have called me, saying they heard I was supporting Ed,” Judge Moore said. “It did give that impression.”

        Judge Moore said he called Mr. Moore that evening not to encourage or recruit him, but to “give him a heads-up as chairman of the party” that Mr. Hay would not be running for re-election.

        “I was stunned at Robert's announcement. And when I told Ed ... he said he was interested and that he was going to go ahead and file for the race,” Judge Moore said.

        Judge Moore said he knows of at least one other Republican, Burlington insurance agent Tim Alexander, likely to get into the race — in addition to another potential candidate he would not name.

        Mr. Alexander could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

        But Marc Wilson, a GOP political and media consultant from Florence, said he has also spoken with Mr. Alexander and expects him to enter the race.

        Ed Moore said Tuesday he did not take Judge Moore's comment as an endorsement of his candidacy. He had no other comment on the potential of a primary for the fiscal court seat.

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