Linda Belcher (D) won the special election in Kentucky’s House District 49, a seat that Donald Trump carried by a stunning 72% to 23% margin in the 2016 presidential election, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports.
The seat was vacated after Rep. Dan Johnson (R) died by suicide two days after a story was published saying he had been accused of molesting a 17-year-old girl.
Kentucky state Rep. Dan Johnson (R), who was under investigation for alleged sexual molestation of a teenage girl, died of a “probable suicide,” WDRB reports.
He left what appears to be a suicide note on Facebook.
Although leaders from both political parties called on him to resign, Kentucky Rep. Dan Johnson (R) said that an allegation he sexually assaulted a teenage girl four years ago “absolutely has no merit,” WLKY reports.
Johnson is accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at a New Year’s Eve party while he was acting as her preacher.
The alleged victim detailed her story to Louisiana Public Media.
Taegan Goddard
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.
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