By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

CRESCENT SPRINGS - A group of prominent Northern Kentucky women active in political and business circles are pushing a female candidate to replace Kenton County Judge-executive Dick Murgatroyd.

They are promoting Crescent Springs Republican Alice Sparks - a long-time education, community and political activist - for the top elected office in Kenton County government.

"It really had not entered my mind until it was suggested to me," Sparks said Monday. "But I find it a challenge to consider. This really just came up (Sunday), so I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. But I do believe I'm qualified."

Murgatroyd is expected to vacate the office by next week to take the position of Deputy Transportation Cabinet Secretary in the administration of newly elected Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

Under state law, Fletcher will appoint Murgatroyd's replacement. Murgatroyd has asked Fletcher to appoint his deputy judge-executive, Scott Kimmich, on an interim basis. Elements on the Kenton County Republican Executive Committee have requested that homebuilder Ralph Drees get the appointment.

A decision from Fletcher is expected by next week, Kenton County GOP Chairman Greg Shumate said Monday. Either way, Drees is likely to be the party's candidate in November to fill out the remaining two years of Murgatroyd's term.

Kimmich has said repeatedly that if appointed on an interim basis, he will step aside to let Drees run.

Todayis key in the entire process of filling Murgatroyd's seat. Since Murgatroyd did not step down by today, there will be no primary for the fall election to fill his seat.

Instead, the county Democratic and Republican executive committees will vote on the candidates who will face off in November.

Sparks said her supporters would lobby Fletcher to appoint her to the office. They may also ask the GOP executive committee to name her the candidate, but given her past political activities, that effort may not go very far.

Though she is a Republican, Sparks has been a supporter of many Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Ken Lucas of Boone County. She is also working on the campaign Kathy Groob, the Fort Mitchell Democrat running against Republican state Sen. Jack Westwood, R-Crescent Springs.

Sparks is in a manufactured housing business - SSK Communities - with Kenton County Democratic Party Chairman Nathan Smith. And she was not a Fletcher supporter.

"Alice is a go-getter who has done an incredible amount of work in the community," Shumate said. "I just wish she was with us Republicans all those years when she was out supporting Democrats."

Sue Cassidy, a lawyer backing Sparks, said Sparks should get the appointment and she has "electablilty and competence."

"She knows everybody, she has been active in education and a number of other causes and would be a great judge-executive," said Cassidy, a Democrat.

"I know they'll talk about what I've done politically," Sparks said of the Republicans. "But this should be about the most qualified person, and I believe I'm qualified."

Among her other supporters are Sara Sidebottom, a former Kenton County judge who works as a lawyer for Northern Kentucky University; Elissa Plattner, who like Sparks is a University of Kentucky Regent; and Ruth Doering, operator of Charles Seligman Distributing Co.

They were among 13 women who met with Sparks Sunday at Chez Nora, a Covington restaurant.

Sparks is also a regent at Thomas More College, is a former regent at NKU and is a member of the Pritchard Committee for Academic Excellence.

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E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com