Gary Abernathy

Gary Abernathy (born 1956

Early life and education Abernathy grew up on a farm in Hamer Township, Highland County, Ohio (between Fairview and Danville). He graduated from Lynchburg-Clay High School in 1974.

In January 1998, Abernathy became the Ohio Republican Party's communications director. In October 2001, Abernathy was appointed as the West Virginia Republican Party's executive director. He was dismissed in 2004 after alleging that the party's chairman, Kris Warner, had overspent on his brother Monty's gubernatorial campaign. He returned as executive director in 2008. Through his Dayton-based consultancy, Abernathy Strategies, he also served as an advisor to John McCain, West Virginia State Senator Russ Weeks, and Senate candidate John Raese. He has also worked for U.S. Senators George Voinovich and Rob Portman and an Ohio congressman. In 2017, The Washington Post added Abernathy as a contributing columnist to diversify its editorial pages with a conservative viewpoint from outside the Beltway. He began writing two to three columns a month, which the Washington Post Writers Group distributes to hundreds of newspapers across the U.S.

On July 2, 2018, the Highland County Republican Central Committee appointed Abernathy to replace Shane Wilkin on the Board of County Commissioners. Abernathy resigned as publisher and editor of the Times-Gazette to serve as a commissioner. He was confirmed in a general election later that year. He resigned on October 2, 2020, to move to the Cincinnati area.

Personal life Abernathy lives in Loveland, Ohio, with his wife, Lora. Abernathy has four children.

Several years ago, Abernathy occasionally performed with a band as an Elvis tribute artist, sometimes at political functions. He became a fan after watching the Elvis Comeback Special in 1968.