Kenton County Republicans have for years been gaining converts from the ranks of Democrats.

Democrats still lead Republicans in terms of total registered Kenton County voters, 43,530 to 40,159 as of Monday, according to the secretary of state's Web site.

But the GOP recently attracted some high-profile Democrats who have switched parties. Records at the Kenton County Clerk's Office show these former Democrats are now Republicans:

• Kenton County Circuit Judge Patricia Summe.

• Bill Robinson of Erlanger, managing partner at the Covington law office of Greenebaum Doll & McDonald. Robinson is the ultimate Northern Kentucky insider, who seems to know everyone and everything. He has flirted in the past with running for elected office and may be thinking about doing so again.

• Mark Arnzen of Fort Mitchell. One of Northern Kentucky's top lawyers, Arnzen is close to Kenton County's new Republican judge-executive, home builder Ralph Drees.

P.S., NEVER MIND: Back in December, when former home builder Bill Erpenbeck was awaiting sentencing for his bank fraud conviction, several Northern Kentucky residents wrote letters on his behalf to U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott.

Erpenbeck's case has since been turned over to Judge Arthur Spiegel, but at the time, most of the letter-writers - which also included members of Erpenbeck's family, including his kids - described Erpenbeck as a great guy, a good friend and a loving father who just made mistakes.

Of course, the letters were written before Bill and his father, Tony, were arrested and jailed on obstruction of justice charges. The FBI claims the pair was caught on tape trying to pressure Lori Erpenbeck - Bill's sister and Tony's daughter - into taking the fall for Bill. And there were also taped comments that Lori's life would be in danger if she didn't cooperate.

Now some of those letter-writers regret their actions - not only because Erpenbeck faces more charges, but also because they were told by members of the Erpenbeck family that the letters would never be made public. The media got hold of the letters after they were made part of the official court file.

"The deception continues," said Fort Mitchell lawyer Eric Deters, who wrote one of the letters. "I wonder, how many people would have written letters if they knew the letters were going to be made public?"

Or if they knew Erpenbeck was going to face more charges.

THEY SAID IT: "I know what it's like to be on the other side, and it feels pretty good to be on this side." Democrat Ben Chandler, who won Tuesday's special congressional election in Central Kentucky's 6th District. Chandler lost the governor's race in November to Republican Ernie Fletcher.

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com