Andy Beshear will get the chance to appoint Campbell County's next prosecutor after a newly elected Republican announced he'll step down from the office in October. (The Enquirer/Patrick Reddy)" id="91510874007">
Gov. Andy Beshearwill get the chance to appoint Campbell County's next prosecutor after a newly elected Republican announced he'll step down from the office in October.
Republican Michael Zimmerman was elected Campbell County commonwealth’s attorney in 2024 after working in the office for about a decade under Democrat Michelle Snodgrass.
He worked as assistant commonwealth's attorney in Campbell County and later as chief assistant commonwealth's attorney before taking office in 2025 after Snodgrass retired, his website states.
Zimmerman's
departure comes less than two years into a six-year term.
He did not immediately respond to The Enquirer's request for an interview.
But he told LINK nky, “That office has been basically my professional life, and for the past 12 years, I’ve done my very best to serve the people of Campbell County with passion and purpose, and my only hope is that I have had some positive impact on the community."
Who takes office now?
According to state law, Beshear is now tasked with appointing someone to the office, which pays $157,129 per year, until the 2027 election.
The Enquirer has requested more information from Beshear's office about the appointment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Among the names that have surfaced: Newport City Commissioner Aaron Sutherland, a Democrat, and Denise Trauth Durbin, a Republican.
Sutherland is an attorney who was elected to the Campbell County Board of Education in 2020 and served for three years before being elected as one of four Newport city commissioners in 2024.
He told The Enquirer he loves being a city commissioner and has not spoken to Beshear about the position.
But he added, "If the governor asked, it would be something I would have to strongly consider."
Durbin works as an attorney under Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman.
She announced on social media that she's vying for the position.
"Politics belong nowhere near a prosecutor’s office. The people of this county deserve a serious, competent, and professional prosecutor," she wrote.
She went on to say she spent eight years as a prosecutor in Campbell County and five years at the attorney general's office.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who will Andy Beshear appoint as Campbell County's next prosecutor?
