Republican Turnout Sets Off-Year Record

This year’s Republican primary drew the largest number of voters ever in a non-presidential year, likely due to the strongly contested race for county judge.

Unofficial reports from the county election administrator’s office show 5,797 votes cast in the GOP race for governor and 5,794 in the county judge race.

The only time Republicans cast more ballots in a primary was in 2016, when Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and others were seeking the GOP presidential nomination. A total of 6,338 ballots were cast in that election – with Cruz leading the ticket in Fayette County.

Four years ago, when there was a strong contest for an open county judge’s office, the Republican total was 5,133, well below this year’s nearly 5,800.

Total primary turnout this year, including both Democratic and Republican voters, was 36.89% of the 17,559 registered voters – which is the county’s highest registration ever.

Two years ago, a presidential year, the turnout was slightly higher, at 37.58%. Four years ago, the last county judge race, the turnout was 35.83%. The highest recent year was 2016, when Trump, Cruz and others were battling for the Republican nomination and Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were seeking the Democratic nomination. That year, 45.71% of Fayette Co. registered voters cast ballots.