Deputy Coroner Korynne Young

Deputy coroner Korynne Young won the Republican nomination for county coroner in Tuesday’s primary and could face a Democratic opponent in the November general election.

Young, cousin of retiring Coroner William Young III, defeated two other candidates for the Grand Old Party nomination, according to unofficial election results reported in Butler County Bureau of Elections summary reports.

Young received 7,007 votes; John C. Hanovick, chief deputy coroner, received 6,537 votes and Braden Fox, funeral director at Fox Funeral Home in Saxonburg, received 4,758 votes.

“This has been an extraordinary opportunity for me to meet the people that vote in Butler County,” Young said. “I would love to thank all my family and friends for their support and constant encouragement. I’m honored to be chosen by the voters of Butler County to serve them in their time of loss. My Lord and Savior has blessed me on this journey through his guidance.”

Hanovick thanked voters for their support and congratulated Young.

“Congratulations to Korynne for a great job. I hope to continue working for the coroner’s office,” Hanovick said.

“I want to thank all my supporters,” Fox said.

No Democratic candidates entered the primary, but Democratic voters cast 1,063 write-in votes, according to the unofficial results. The bureau will tally write-in votes later this week.

The coroner’s annual salary is $86,710 and the office has a budget of nearly $800,000. The office has about six salaried employees and about six active special deputies who are paid per call.

William Young III, who was first elected in 2000, is retiring at the end of the year.