COVINGTON — First-term Kenton County Commissioner Adam Koenig won the Republican primary for the third district Tuesday, despite unprecedented spending by opponent Michael Plummer.

        Mr. Koenig, a full-time Kenton County commissioner from Villa Hills, had 2,667 votes to Mr. Plummer's 2,215. Mr. Koenig, 31, was the only member of the first-term, all-Republican Kenton Fiscal Court facing a primary race Tuesday.

        Mr. Koenig attributed his victory to hard work, a positive campaign and the fiscal court's “record of accomplishment.”

        “I think it was a referendum not just for myself but for the whole fiscal court,” Mr. Koenig said. “We're happy for the victory and look forward to carrying our message forward in November.”

        Mr. Plummer, 38, a first-term member of Fort Mitchell City Council, estimated he spent between $30,000 and $35,000 on his race. Mr. Koenig said he spent about $19,000.

        Mr. Plummer, a graduate of Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law, practices law at Plummer and Associates.

        Mr. Plummer said he “could have beat Adam one-on-one,” but added he could not defeat him when the Republican party threw its backing behind the incumbent.

        “Adam ran a great race, but this became a referendum on (Kenton) Judge(-executive) Dick Murgatroyd's performance,” Mr. Plummer said.

        Mr. Murgatroyd, 64, of Villa Hills, faces his own race this fall against Democrat Patrick R. Hughes, 33, of Fort Wright.

        Mr. Koenig cited upgrading of the 911 system, installation of the county's first storm warning system and completion of the county recreation plan as some of his achievements.

        “I think I sent a message to the Republican party that there are some conservatives out there that are not happy with the direction the party's taken, and hopefully they'll seek a more conservative approach to the issues facing the county,” Mr. Plummer said of his race.

        In the general election on Nov. 5, Mr. Koenig will face Michael B. Baker, 25, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday by a vote of 2,414 to 1,550 over Tim Quigley, 52.

First District

        In the first district race this fall, incumbent Kenton County Commissioner Dan Humpert, 51, will face Democrat Sue Sampson, 63. Both are from Covington.

Second District

        In the second district, incumbent Barb Black, 49, will face opposition from Stephen Douglas Wright, 28, of Covington, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday by a vote of 2,178 to 1,818 over lawyer Nicholas M. Nighswander of Erlanger.

        The position of Kenton County commissioner pays $33,297 a year.

Covington City Commission

        In Covington, voters reduced the field of nine candidates to eight on Tuesday, eliminating challenger Charles Fann.

        This November, eight candidates will be seeking four two-year terms on the Covington City Commission.

        They include incumbents Jerry Bamberger, John “J.T.” Spence, Craig T. Bohman, and Alex Edmondson.

        Challengers are Diane L. Brumback, who has worked for the Covington Independent school system for 20 years; Howard B. Hodge, Covington's former housing development director; Bernie Moorman, a former Covington mayor and city commissioner; and Jerry Stricker, a former city commissioner and longtime businessman.

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