4th District Update: Moore announces; Sen. Stine, Rep. Koeing and Lance Lucas considering it

Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore made his run for Congress official Tuesday afternoon while several other officials continue to consider it and one non-official with a familiar name is looking at it too.

Moore, who has served as Boone County’s judge-executive since 1999, made his run official in a statement Tuesday afternoon after telling others he was in earlier today, as cn|2’s Pure Politics first reported.

Moore said in his announcement:

“There is a big difference between talking about issues and living them,” said Judge Moore. “I know what businesses need because I’ve been a businessman and a friend of business as County Judge Executive. I know that government can be run more efficiently because we’ve done it in Boone County. There won’t be any other candidate in this campaign with that kind of experience.”

Moore joins state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington of Fort Wright in the Republican primary for the 4th District in the race to replace four-term Congressman Geoff Davis, R-Hebron. Davis announced Thursday he wouldn’t seek a fifth term.

Several other Republicans are still looking at running.

State Sen. Katie Stine of Southgate told Don Weber that she is “praying over it”

She said she considered running the last time the seat was open in 2004:

Rep. Adam Koenig, R-Erlanger, said in Frankfort Tuesday that he is considering the race and is trying to figure out if the fundraising support would be there for him this time. In 2003, he ran for state treasurer and said he didn’t take that into account and was significantly out-spent.

He also said he will watch carefully about who else gets in the race. Koenig is good friends with Webb-Edgington and he said he doesn’t look forward to facing her in a primary.

And a political newcomer with a big political name also confirmed to Pure Politics on Tuesday that he is considering the race.

Republican K. Lance Lucas, a Florence-based lawyer and son of former Democratic Congressman Ken Lucas, said in a phone interview that he is considering jumping in the Republican primary.

“Public service has always been something in our family,” Lucas said. “And I think people are looking for something very different.”

As the co-owner of the firm Lucas & Dietz, Lucas said he brings business experience as well as a military background having served as an Air Force pilot in the first Gulf War.

That’s a background similar to Davis, an Army Ranger and consultant before he won the 4th District in 2004 upon Ken Lucas’ retirement.

Like many Republicans, Lance Lucas said he assumed Davis would be in Congress for years to come.

- Additional reporting and video from Southgate by Don Weber