2022 General Election Analysis

You can see all election results HERE.

This year, county elected offices on the ballot included:

• Judge/Executives
• Magistrates/Commissioners
• Sheriffs
• Jailers
• County Clerks
• County Attorneys
• Coroners
• Property Valuation Administrators

Two other elected county offices – Commonwealth’s Attorneys and Circuit Court Clerks – are elected to six-year terms. Although there are a few of those offices on the ballot this year, most will next be on the ballot in 2024.

There were a total of 1,893 county candidates on the ballot, with 54.3 percent of candidates running as incumbents. Among all candidates, 59.6 percent were Republican, 38.4 percent were Democrats, and approximately 2 percent were Independent/other.

County winners

Among the winners Tuesday night, 937 incumbents held onto their seats with 479 winners being non-incumbents. The overall turnover rate for county officials was 33.8 percent.

A strong majority – 70.8 percent – of winners are Republican, and 28.6 percent are Democrat.

Republicans will make up a majority of officials for every county office, ranging from 57 percent of Property Valuation Administrators to 78 percent of Judge/Executives.

2022 General Election Stats - Winners by Office

Results by Office

Judge/Executives

Among Judge/Executive election winners, a large majority – 78 percent – are Republicans. The office of Judge/Executive is the most heavily Republican among all county offices. Democrats make up 21 percent of winners with 2 percent Independent/others. When the next term begins, 45 out of 120 judges will be newly elected with 37.5 percent of Tuesday's winners who are not incumbents.

Magistrates/Commissioners

The most significant amount of turnover among county offices occurred for Magistrates and Commissioners, with non-incumbents winning 41.5 percent of those positions. Nearly half of all new county officials – 49.3 percent or 236 out of 479 – are Magistrates or Commissioners. More than three-quarters (77 percent) of Magistrate/Commissioner winners are Republican, 23 percent are Democrats, with 2 percent Independent/others.

Sheriffs

Fewer than a third of Sheriffs that take office next term – 37 out 120 – are newly elected to the office, with 69 percent of incumbent sheriffs holding onto their offices Tuesday. Republicans account for 73 percent of the Sheriff winners.

Jailers

In total, 71 percent of Jailers elected Tuesday are Republican, 28 percent are Democrats and 1 percent is Independent/other. When the next term begins, 36 out of 118 Jailers will be newly elected – 31 percent of winners Tuesday are not incumbents.

County Clerks

Fewer than a quarter of County Clerks who take office next term – 27 out 120 – are newly elected, with 69 percent of incumbent County Clerks holding onto their offices Tuesday. About two-thirds (66 percent) of the winners for County Clerk on Tuesday are Republican.

County Attorneys

A little more than one-third, or 36 percent, of County Attorneys who won Tuesday are Democrat, and 64 percent of winners are Republican. When the next term begins, 34 out of 120 County Attorneys will be newly elected – 28 percent of winners Tuesday are non-incumbents.

Coroners

One in four Coroners who take office next term will be newly elected, with 75 percent of incumbent Coroners keeping their offices Tuesday. Nearly 62 percent of Coroners who won Tuesday are Democrat. Two counties – Ballard and Carlisle – did not have a Coroner on the ballot.

Property Valuation Administrators

When the next term begins for PVAs, a quarter will be newly elected – 25 percent of winners Tuesday are non-incumbents. PVAs have the highest percentage of Democrats in office among the county offices: 43 percent of election winners are Democrat, and 57 percent are Republican.