Picture of Byrne with his wife and son on Election Night
Victory assured following completion of absentee and affidavit ballot counting
Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne declared victory in his campaign for reelection following the completion of counting all absentee and affidavit ballot counting brought his lead to 332 votes – a margin that cannot be overcome by any outstanding ballots. Byrne secured a second term amid a historically difficult election environment for Republicans and a three-way race that included a Conservative Party candidate, which had created the potential to split the center-right vote.
“I am deeply grateful to the people of Putnam County for placing their faith and trust in me for another four years,” said Byrne. “Throughout this campaign, we made our case based on our record, our results, and our vision for Putnam’s future. The voters have spoken, and I am honored to continue serving the county I have called home my entire life. I thank my wife, Briana, and our family for their love, patience, and fortitude throughout this entire campaign. Running for office requires sacrifices from the people closest to us, I could not do this without them.”
Byrne campaigned on his administration’s work to reduce taxes, strengthen essential services, improve infrastructure, and make county government more transparent and responsive to residents.
“This victory belongs to the volunteers who knocked on doors, the supporters who helped share our message, and every voter who believes Putnam County deserves a government that puts taxpayers first,” Byrne said. “We built a coalition that brought together residents from different backgrounds and political parties around a shared commitment to our county’s future. The numbers bear out that we clearly got crossover support from a significant number of democrats to secure this victory.”
Byrne also thanked the Board of Elections staff, those who worked to administer the election, complete the ballot count, and his opponents.
“I appreciate everyone who worked diligently throughout this process. I also want to thank my opponents for stepping forward to run. While we disagreed on many issues, it takes courage to step into the arena and put yourself before the voters.” Byrne said. “With the counting now complete, our focus is on the work ahead and delivering for the people of Putnam County.”
Looking toward his second term, Byrne pledged to continue protecting taxpayers, maintaining fiscal discipline, supporting public safety, and improving services for residents.
“Whether you voted for me or supported another candidate, I am your County Executive, and will work every day to serve and earn your trust,” Byrne said. “We have made meaningful progress together, and there is more to accomplish. I’m ready to keep working to make Putnam County more affordable, accountable, and accessible for all.”