Candidates file at a slow pace

Posted January 3, 2014 at 2:36 pm

The number of candidates for local office has not changed for the past couple of weeks, as 35 persons are seeking office in the May 2014 primary in Clinton County thus far–32 Republicans and three Democrats.

No new candidates have filed recently for local election.

Filing also continues to be somewhat slow for state and federal seats, as well as some judicial races, but three additional persons had filed with the Secretary of State in Frankfort over the past few weeks.

Among those who filed for re-election was 40th Judicial District Judge of Division Two, incumbent James M. “Mike” Lawson of Albany. He and fellow Clinton Countian Scarlett Latham, who is incumbent District Judge in Division One, are yet to be opposed to this point.

Another judicial related filing was announced on the Secretary of State’s website earlier this week, as incumbent Court of Appeals Judge in District 3/Division 2, Michael O. Carpenter, filed for re-election for that judgeship.

Also filing since last report in Frankfort was Tom Recktenwald, a Democrat of Louisville, who became the first official candidate for U.S. Senate in Kentucky. Two Republicans have so far filed for the seat currently held by long-time incumbent Republican and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

There were still no official candidates listed on the Secretary of State’s site for either state House of Representatives or State Senate and as of the end of December, First District Congressman Ed Whitfiled, the GOP incumbent, was the only candidate in either party for that seat.

There are a total of 10 candidates who have filed in Frankfort whose names will appear on the Clinton County ballot this spring, bringing the total number that will appear–with the local candidates–to 45 going into the final four weeks of filing.

All judicial candidates run on a non-partisan basis.

Of the 45 total candidates–local and otherwise, 35 are Republican, only four are Democrat and six are seeking judicial related seats.

The filing deadline for all primary candidates is Tuesday, January 28 at 4 p.m.