It’s Your Turn!

Posted November 5, 2018 at 1:15 pm

Following months of heavy campaigning, seeing wall-to-wall political signs and media advertisements, the people of Clinton County, Kentucky and in fact, across the U.S., will make their own decisions when they go to the polls next Tuesday, November 6 for general election day.

Although there are only a handful of actual contested races on the ballot in Albany and Clinton County, including state, federal and judicial races as well as local, voter turnout is expected to be moderate to above average next week due to the local contested races that will appear.

There will be two county-wide contested races, including the county’s highest office of Clinton County Judge / Executive, which will see current magistrate Ricky Craig, the Republican nominee, taking on local businessman Keith Dalton, the Democrat candidate.

There will also be a race for County Court Clerk.

Dan Thomas is the Democrat nominee, and although the late Shelia Braswell-Booher’s name will still appear, a vote for her will not count. However, Booher’s nephew, Nathan Collins, a deputy clerk who has been appointed interim County Clerk, and is running an active “write-in” campaign.

The deadline to declare as a write-in candidate was last Friday, October 26 at 4 p.m. and according to the County Clerk’s office, no other local candidate, other than Collins, had declared as a write-in candidate.

City of Albany races are expected to draw a lot of voters to the polls, as all city seats, including mayor and council members will be elected next week, all on a non-partisan basis.

Four candidates are in the running to take the mayor’s chair, now held by Nicky Smith, who chose not to seek re-election. Those candidates include current assistant police chief Lyle Pierce, local attorney David Cross, Sara McWhorter, a current city employee in the water department, and businessman Travis Denney.

Some 13 candidates are in the running for the six seats that make up the Albany City Council, including five incumbents. Incumbent Carl Ferguson also chose not to seek re-election.

The mayor serves a four-year term, which is a full-time position, while council members serve two-year terms.

The only other contested race is one school board seat in the Hayes-Maupin and South Albany precincts, currently served by incumbent Goldie Stonecipher. She is being opposed by newcomer Bobbi Ann Young Bair.

The only other school board member who was up for election this year, Kevin Marcum, is unopposed.

School board members also serve on a non-political party basis.

There will be a contested First District Congressional race, with GOP incumbent James Comer, in his first term, being opposed by Paul Walker.

A non-partisan 3rd District Supreme Court Justice seat will also be on the ballot, with Debra H. Lambert and Dan Ballou in a run-off race.

Several candidates will be unopposed in the general election, including incumbent Republican 83rd District State Representative Jeff Hoover of Jamestown.

Although 16th District State Senator Max Wise, also a Republican, will have no ballot opposition, Nicole Britton has declared and is campaigning as a write-in candidate for that state senate seat.

Several local candidates county-wide, all Republican, will have no opposition on the ballot next week, including:

40th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth Attorney Jesse Stockton; Circuit Court Clerk Jake Staton; PVA (Property Valuation Administrator) Pat Campbell; Clinton County Attorney Michael Rains; Sheriff, Jeff Vincent; Jailer, Tracy Thurman; and Coroner, Steve Talbott.

Both 40th Circuit District judges, which are non-partisan, are unopposed and both from Albany, including James M. “Mike” Lawson and Scarlett Latham.

All six magistrates who make up the Clinton County Fiscal Court, all Republican, are also unopposed, including: First District, Mickey Riddle (incumbent); Second District Ray Marcum; Third District, Terry Buster (incumbent); Fourth District Gary Ferguson; Fifth District, Jerry Lowhorn and Sixth District, Johnny Russell (incumbent).

All six constables in the county are also unopposed Republicans, including James Adkins in the first district; David “Sidewinder” Cross in district two; Gilbert Daniel in district six; Chris Conner in district three; Ronnie G. Thrasher in district four and Jerry Craig in district five.

There will also be an already legally challenged Constitutional Amendment question on next Tuesday’s ballot, which asks the question: “Are you in favor of providing constitutional rights to victims of crimes, including the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and the right to be informed and to have a voice in the judicial process?”

County Clerk Nathan Collins also reminds voters that paper absentee balloting is still underway and ballots must be received in the clerk’s office by 6 p.m. on election day.

Those who vote by paper absentee including, but not limited to, people who will not be in the county on election day, deployed military personnel, college students who will not be in the county, and those with medical conditions that would prevent them from coming to a polling place on election day.

Walk-in voting, for those who will be out-of-the county only, is also underway at the clerk’s office. Persons may vote by walk-in weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon through next Monday, November 5.

The deadline for any potential candidate to declare as a write-in candidate was last Friday, October 26.

Collins urges all voters to exercise their right to vote for the candidates of their choice next Tuesday.

(The Clinton County News will have detailed, precinct by precinct coverage and totals in the November 8 edition next week.)