Bob Conley edges out Chris Harris for open Supreme Court seat in Eastern Kentucky

Eastern Kentuckians chose Circuit Judge Robert “Bob” Conley as their Kentucky Supreme Court justice in the 7th District, beating out State Rep. Chris Harris.

Conley has been a circuit judge in Greenup and Lewis counties for 13 years and previously was a district judge for 12 years.

Harris, a Democrat, has been a state representative for the 93rd District in Martin and Pike counties since 2015.

The race was nonpartisan.

Conley campaigned on his dedication to being open minded and fair to all in judicial decisions. Conley said he wanted to take his experience and Eastern Kentucky values to Frankfort to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Harris criticized Conley’s temperament in attack ads.

“You’ve seen how my opponent treats people,” Harris said in an ad. “His contempt for ordinary people is real and the corporate special interest backing his campaign has an agenda that doesn’t include you or me.”

Conley responded by saying Harris is a career politician who doesn’t understand what it means to be a judge.

“Am I passionate about collecting child support and restitution? Yes, I am,” Conley said in a response to the ad. “Do I sometimes put defendants in jail who have repeatedly, month after month, year after year, failed to make payments, lie or otherwise disrespect the court? Yes, I do. Children and crime victims depend upon me as a circuit judge to collect what is owed to them. The defendants are in front of me because they already committed a felony by not paying and my job is to push them to do so.”

Prior to being a state representative, Harris was a Pike County magistrate. He also has been an attorney for 25 years at his own law firm.

Conley won in his home county of Greenup with 79% of the vote.

He will represent Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Menifee, Montgomery, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Powell, Rowan and Wolfe counties.

Supreme Court, 7th District

• Robert B. Conley 87,382
• Chris Harris 72,015

(92.84% of the expected vote reported.)