Two years ago, state Rep. Kimberly Poore Moser squeaked out a win in the Republican primary with just 84 votes over her opponent – about 51% of the vote.
Moser has faced primaries before, but the relatively unknown Republican challenger, Karen Campbell, gave Moser her toughest primary since she took office about a decade ago.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that close,” Moser said.
In this year’s May 19 primary election, Moser is up against Army veteran Scott Berger, who’s running an aggressive campaign against her.
The two face off in the primary election May 19. Whoever wins will likely go on to win the general election for the state’s 64th District, which has been a Republican stronghold for more than two decades.
Here’s more about the two candidates in the race:
Kimberly Poore Moser: ‘People are still really fed up.’
When Moser first ran for office, she was director of the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy. That was during the height of the heroin epidemic in the country.
“I was working on local policies and working with stakeholders and individuals who needed help,” she said. “So the transition to the legislature was really natural.”
Since then, she’s worked to get at least 50 laws passed – many about health or healthcare – and said she thinks of herself as a committed “problem solver.”
She also supports President Donald Trump’s policies – though not always his rhetoric – and has a history of fiscal conservatism.
Key issues Moser has supported
Moser was the leading advocate behind a maternal health bill nicknamed the “Momnibus” bill in 2024.
The law ensures pregnant Kentuckians have health insurance; provides education for mothers about issues, like the benefits of breastfeeding and safe sleep habits; and establishes a new mental health program called Lifeline for Moms, among many other things.
The legislation passed in a state where the maternal mortality rate is among the worst in the country, with about 31.4 deaths per 100,000, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Over the years, Moser had also fought to pass a bill to install AED devices in public schools and increase access to early lung cancer screening.
More information about Moser can be found at her website and social media.
Scott Berger: A ‘liberty conservative.’
Why he’s running
Berger didn’t plan to run for office. He planned to support Karen Campbell, who attends the same church as Berger. Campbell was set to run against Moser again this year, but a family emergency derailed her plans less than a week before the candidate filing deadline.
Berger said Campbell approached him about running. Somebody – she wouldn’t say who – suggested he’d be a good candidate.
Berger said he already disagreed with Moser about a few key issues – like the fact that she voted against a bill to ban gender-affirming care for minors, something Moser said she did because the bill gutted mental health aspects she thought should have been included.
He took about two days to think about it, consulted with his family, and made the decision to run for office.
“State politics affects us so much more than that federal nonsense where they can’t even decide how to open a pop can together,” he said.
Key issues for Berger:
“I would identify myself as a liberty conservative,” Berger said. “I’m a firm believer that we need less government not more.”
He is a Trump voter who’s pro-life, wants lower taxes, and supports the release of the Epstein files.
Political issues he highlighted include:
More information about Berger can be found at his website and social media.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: GOP incumbent won by 84 votes in 2024. Now she faces new challenger
Reporting by Jolene Almendarez, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
