Chet Hand will be the next Boone County judge/executive after winning 63% of the vote in Tuesday's general election.

Hand, a Republican and current Boone County commissioner, collected 24,962 votes to defeat independent Timothy Dean Johnson and write-in candidates, according to unofficial results from the Kentucky Secretary of State's election night tracker. Johnson received 14,000 votes, and write-in candidates received 495 votes. No Democrat ran in the race.

Candidate

Party

Votes

Pct.

Chet Hand

Republican

24,962

63%

Timothy Dean Johnson

Independent

14,000

35%

Write-In

—

495

1%

Source: Kentucky Secretary of State unofficial results, Nov. 3, 2026.

Hand celebrated at Smokin' This & That BBQ in Florence alongside other Northern Kentucky Republicans, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

"I think the primary election results were a very clear message from the voters. We're looking for some fresh leadership," Hand told the Enquirer. "We're looking for maybe a different strategic direction for the county."

What comes next

Hand will serve a four-year term beginning Jan. 4, 2027, according to LINK nky. As judge/executive, he will preside over the Boone County Fiscal Court, which adopts the county budget, approves spending and oversees county services and infrastructure. The role has no judicial power.

Hand was first elected to the Boone County Fiscal Court in 2022 after defeating incumbent Commissioner Charles Kenner. He previously served as chairman of the Boone County Republican Party.

How Hand got here

The race was decided in the May 19 Republican primary, when Hand unseated longtime Judge/Executive Gary Moore, who was first elected in 1998, as WCPO reported. With no Democratic candidate on the ballot, Hand entered the general election as the heavy favorite.

Growth and traffic congestion shaped the campaign. Hand argued that the county's rapid development had come at the expense of longtime residents and called for stricter adherence to the county's Comprehensive Plan. Moore, on the campaign trail, pointed to close to $500 million in transportation improvements completed during his nearly three decades in office.

Johnson, an independent who has lived in Boone County for more than 50 years, entered the race May 29. William Woods, a 38-year-old Florence resident and small business owner, filed as a write-in in late June. Terry Roberts also ran as a write-in.

High early turnout

Boone County Clerk Justin Crigler told WVXU before Election Day that early voting turnout had reached presidential-election levels. About 10.1% of registered voters cast ballots early, either by mail or in person.

The results remain unofficial pending certification by the Boone County Board of Elections.