Kenton County will have a new sheriff in town.
Former Kenton County Police captain Larry Shelton won a nasty Republican primary where both candidates hurled insults and accusations at each other.
Shelton ousted appointed Sheriff Jude Hehman, 60% to 40%.
Shelton will face the Democrat, former Newport Police Chief Tom Collins, in the general election. In a heavily Republican county, Shelton will be seen as the favorite.
Shelton, 50, of Independence, is an attorney who retired in 2018 from the Kenton County Police after 20 years.
The primary campaign got rough. Shelton accused Hehman and his followers of getting his campaign Facebook page shut down, an accusation Hehman denied.
Hehman’s contentious divorce and Shelton’s 2020 arrest for fighting outside a bar in Florida also became campaign fodder. The charges were later dropped against Shelton.
Hehman has served as the interim sheriff since January after longtime sheriff Chuck Korzenborn retired.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kenton County sheriff primary goes to Shelton after tough campaign
Reporting by Scott Wartman, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
