(LEX 18) — Kentucky’s primary election is less than two weeks away and the race for commonwealth’s attorney for Bourbon, Scott, and Woodford Counties is heating up.
On nearly every corner, you’ll find campaign signs for the three candidates vying for the position. Keith Eardley and Kelli Kearny hope to dethrone Sharon Muse Johnson for the 14th Judicial Circuit’s top prosecutor.
The signage itself has garnered attention. Last week, Muse Johnson was sued by Kearney over the wording used in campaign materials.
The dispute stemmed from each candidate’s endorsement from different FOP lodges.
Ultimately, the case was dismissed, but the race has more layers than some campaign signs and subsequent lawsuits.
LEX 18 sat down with each candidate to discuss the race.
“I've tried more felony cases than Muse and Kearney put together. I've tried more murder cases than Muse and Kearney put together. I've got the highest sentence at trial in our verdict. I'm running on my record,” said Eardley.
Eardley currently works as an assistant commonwealth attorney for Jessamine and Garrard Counties. Once the assistant commonwealth attorney for the office he’s running for now, he touts high-profile cases. He has prosecuted the likes of Lewis Ballard, who killed a 6-year-old boy, and Anthony Gray, who murdered his parents.
If elected, he wants another name on that list – Steven Sheanshang, the man charged with the murder of Scott County Deputy Caleb Conley.
Last June, the Attorney General’s office took over the Sheanshang case after Judge Jeremy Mattox of the 14th Circuit made the request.
“Caleb Conley was a deputy sheriff in Scott County and he was killed in Scott County, and I think Scott County prosecutors who are elected by the people of our circuit should be prosecuting that case,” said Eardley.
In response, Muse Johnson said, “I don't want to accuse someone of being unethical, but it's an open murder investigation of someone who got ambushed and executed, and I think it's disgusting to try to use it in a campaign, so I will not talk about that.”
Muse Johnson considers the talk of Caleb Conley political fodder. When asked why the case would have been taken from her office, she felt it couldn’t be based on experience.
“It could not have possibly been requested because of a lack of faith in my skills because that particular judge has watched me win trial after trial and get the maximum,” said Muse Johnson.
Candidate Kelli Kearney admits her background differs from that of her opponents. She’s currently an assistant in the Scott County Attorney’s Office, but with an endorsement from Attorney General Russell Coleman, she feels her ability outweighs the differences in her experience.
“I do prosecute crimes. They all have the same burden of proof, same rules of evidence, same criminal procedure, and yes, the penalties and stakes aren't as high, but that doesn't mean I'm not just as capable as the others to do it,” stated Kearney.
Kearney told LEX 18 she’s already planning her priorities if elected.
“The commonwealth's attorney office needs more full time prosecutors, and that would be one of my priorities, getting more prosecutors in there on a full time basis that can get these cases through the system effectively,” said Kearney.
Like Eardley, Kearney feels Muse Johnson has had her chance to make a difference in the 14th Judicial Circuit and failed.
“They've had some good jury verdicts, but they've also had some issues. One would be the grand jury presentations,” recalled Kearney.
In 2022, the Office of the Attorney General investigatedafter allegations that too many grand jurors were representing for incident proceedings.
“The issue was that I did not have attendance sheets that reflected who left after roll call, so there was never an accurate count that someone going back could look at, so I offered, 'Hey, if that's an issue, I can re-indict,’ and I changed how I kept attendance,” said Muse Johnson.
The AG’s office recommended many of the indictments be dismissed, and Muse Johnson agreed to re-present each affected case for re-indictment, which her opponents say took time and tax dollars.
To that claim, Muse Johnson said, “This is 'Hey voters, look over here, I don't want you to look at a really great record and a really lacking record.'"
In a final comment on the state of Muse Johnson’s office, Eardley and Kearney both questioned the employment of her family members.
“Something else I find discerning is how she employs her husband and stepson at the office,” said Eardley. “I think the practice of nepotism is outdated, I think it is corrupt, and I don't think it should be used by any state government body.”
Muse Johnson told LEX 18 that she sought guidance from the Prosecutors Advisory Council before hiring her stepson. In an email, executive director Bobby Stokes confirmed that Muse Johnson could hire a family member.
Muse Johnson calls each claim a distraction from what she’s accomplished, which she says is best viewed through the eyes of victims she’s fought for.
“You can add Kelli and Keith and multiply by 10, they cannot touch the results I've gotten in trial. Consistently, not every single trial, but almost every time I go to trial I walk out with the absolute max allowed by law for every single charge,” said Muse Johnson.
If there’s anything the three candidates agree on, it’s the drama that’s ensued in the race – each candidate pointing the finger at another.
In a final plea before the primary, they each ask voters to ignore the noise.
Kentucky’s primary election will be held Tuesday, May 21. Because each candidate is running on the Republican ticket, the winner of the primary will become Commonwealth’s Attorney of the 14th Judicial Circuit.
You can learn more about the candidates on their campaign websites below:
