Roberts trounces Massey in contentious race for 66th House District in N. Ky.

In a contentious race to replace Rep. Steve Rawlings, R-Burlington, to serve Boone County’s District 66 in the Kentucky House of Representatives, attorney and Republican political operative T.J. Roberts defeated former state representative Ed Massey in Tuesday’s GOP primary election.

He’ll face Democrat Peggy Houston-Nienaber in November.

Roberts said in an interview Tuesday night that, in spite of “the most outlandish smear campaigns,” he had tried to “run an issue-based campaign.”

He said his platform was centered on “preservation of life, liberty and prosperity.”

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to have the trust of the voters of Boone County,” he said. “For so long, the people feel as if their voices haven’t been represented. That needs to change.”

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Roberts, 26, who billed himself as the more conservative candidate, got about 74 percent of the vote in a particularly divisive race.

Massey criticized Roberts for reportedly using antisemitic lingo and social media posts, while Roberts complained of Massey’s past political donations to Democrats and support from teachers’ groups.

Less than a month ago, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported, a candidates forum came to a quick conclusion after Massey said he’d heard rumors that Roberts had a profile on Grindr, a dating app associated with the LGBTQ community, an allegation Roberts denied.

In January, the Boone County Republican Party censured Massey, saying he had given “long-standing support for left-wing politics, politicians, and policies.”

Massey, an attorney from Hebron, previously represented the district from 2019 until early 2023. He was defeated by Rawlings in 2022.

“There were several personal attacks levied against me,” Roberts said. “I think the voters resoundingly rejected it.

“No one is going to agree with anyone 100% of the time,” he said. “Kentucky deserves better than the politics of personal destruction.”