COVINGTON — The Kenton County Republican Party is staging a November political rally to show unity in a party that has displayed periodic signs of dissension since taking over the courthouse three years ago.

        With no elections in Kentucky this fall, the combination rally-party-fund raiser will be Nov. 6 — Election Day — at the Drawbridge Inn in Fort Mitchell. Most of the party's elected officials have been involved in planning the event and will help promote it, including selling tickets for $30, party chairman Greg Shumate said.

        “Our role as a party is to bring people together,” said Mr. Shumate, a Villa Hills lawyer. “We are also the unifying force. Campaigns come and go. We're the constant.”

        Organizers hope the event, also designed to tout the leadership of Republican elected officials, raises up to $20,000. The money will be used to help fund the party's campaign activities in next year's countywide election.

        Mr. Shumate said just about every Republican office holder in Kenton County is involved, including:

        • All four fiscal court members, Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd and commissioners Dan Humpert, Adam Koenig and Barb Black.

        • Sheriff Chuck Korzenborn.

        • Commonwealth Attorney Bill Crockett.

        • Jailer Terry Carl.

        • State lawmakers Dick Roeding, Jack Westwood and Jon Draud.

        • Coroner Dr. David Seutholz.

        Because Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson — who was elected in 1998 as a Democrat but switched parties last year — already has a primary opponent, both he and challenger Eric Deters are being asked to sell tickets and help plan the event.

        The Republicans, particularly the fiscal court, have had some difficult times since taking power in the GOP-dominated 1998 county elections.

        Democrats and even many Republicans have battered the fiscal court for raising taxes four times and for being unable to settle on a new county jail site.

        “They are trying to put forward a face to the public that says they are unified,” said Kenton County Democratic Party spokesman Nathan Smith of Fort Mitchell.

        “They're unified all right. Unified behind tax increases, behind not knowing where the jail will go, behind not being able to make decisions,” Mr. Smith said. “They're united by nonleadership.”

        Mr. Shumate said the court has shown leadership by making tough financial decisions, including raising taxes.

        “I don't like paying taxes anymore than anyone else,” Mr. Shumate said. “But it took guts to go in there and make that tough decision.

        “A lot of the negative things have gotten a lot of press, but the Republican leadership in this county has done a lot of good things, and we're going to get that message out,” he said.

        But there have been displays of dissension among GOP elected officials.

        The fiscal court has continually spurned Mr. Korzenborn's request for more funding for his department. And Mr. Carl has disagreed with some of the handling of the jail site selection process. Mrs. Black has made it clear that she did not support all of the taxes her colleagues enacted.

        Mr. Smith points out that Mr. Korzenborn, Mr. Koenig and possibly Mr. Humpert could face challenges from fellow Republicans in next May's primary.

        “That's on top of the county attorney primary,” Mr. Smith said. “That's a lot of primaries and about as far from unification as I've ever seen.”

        Mr. Shumate said if there are contested primaries, the party will come together for the general election.

        “We can disagree on issues,” he said. “I think the citizens want that. If you people agree on the same things all the time, that's not good representation.

        “But when it comes time to supporting the Republican candidates in the fall (of 2002) everybody will be on board, period.”

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