Eager candidates continue to file in droves

Local News

November 11, 2009

By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus The Commonwealth Journal Wed Nov 11, 2009, 08:40 PM EST

Candidates for local offices have filed at the rate of more than one an hour since the Pulaski County clerk’s offices began accepting candidacy papers at 8 a.m. November 4. As of 1 p.m. Tuesday –– 37 hours after filing began –– a total of 40 candidates had plunked down $50 and filed their papers.

The initial flurry of filings was during the first few hours as candidates apparently wanted bragging rights that “I was the first to file.” Since then the pace has been steady with the office of magistrate and its $33,600 annual compensation attracting the most attention.

A total of 23 magisterial candidates for the five seats on Pulaski Fiscal Court had filed by 1 p.m. Tuesday –– five in District 1, nine in District 2, four in District 3, three in District 4 and 2 in District 5. Many more are expected before the 4 p.m. January 26 deadline.

Incumbent magistrates are Kenny Isaacs in District 1 (Isaacs is running for judge-executive); Mike Wilson in District 2 (Wilson has filed for reelection); Tommy Barnett in District 3 (Barnett has filed for reelection); Glenn Maxey in District 4 (Maxey has filed for reelection); and Mike Strunk in District 5 (Strunk has filed for reelection).

Despite projections of a host of candidates for county judge-executive, none had filed when this article was written. Prospective candidates are incumbent Barty Bullock, former judge-executive Darrell BeShears, former Pulaski County School Superintendent Bert Minton, Nancy resident Jimmy Dalton and Somerset City Councilor Steve Kelley, all registered Republicans. Kenny Isaacs, the only Democrat member of Pulaski Fiscal Court, also is campaigning for judge-executive.

Former Somerset Mayor JP Wiles has filed to regain his office and Larry Wesley, a former Somerset police chief and currently chief deputy sheriff, also has filed for mayor. Incumbent Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler has not filed but has said he will seek another term.

Incumbents in countywide offices are a little slow to file, although they obviously have plenty of time. County Clerk Ralph Troxtell was the first to file, exactly at 8 a.m. November 4. Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) T.W. Todd and Coroner Richard New also have filed for reelection.

Candidates for offices in the city of Somerset are involved in the May primary if there are more than two candidates for mayor or more than two candidates in any of the city’s 12 wards. If a primary is necessary in any ward, the vote is citywide and, as in a mayoral primary, the two top vote-getters advance to the November general election.

Independent and school board candidates as well as candidates in Ferguson, Burnside, Science Hill and Eubank have until August 10 to file.

Following is a list of candidates who have filed as of 1 p.m. Tuesday (The Commonwealth Journal currently plans to update the filings at least once a week):

COUNTY CLERK

Ralph Troxtell (Republican)

PROPERTY VALUATION ADMINISTRATOR

T.W. Todd (Republican)

COUNTY ATTORNEY

Martin Hatfield (Republican).

CORONER

Richard D. New (Republican)

JAILER

David Moss (Republican)

MAGISTRATE -- DISTRICT 1

Jason Turpen (Republican)

Larry Light (Republican)

Jimmy Wilson (Republican)

Chris Bingham (Republican)

Roger B. McClendon (Republican)

CONSTABLE DISTRICT 1

Denny Allen Britt (Republican)

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT 2

Richard Gossett (Republican)

Darrell Wayne Haste (Republican)

Earl Owens (Republican)

Bobby Wesley (Republican)

Mike L. Wilson (Republican)

Tim Hall (Republican)

Larry Hines (Republican)

Eugene Harness (Republican)

Daron Young (Republican)

CONSTABLE DISTRICT 2

Clyde Molen (Republican)

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT 3

Claude J. Acton (Republican)

Jimmy Wheeldon (Republican)

Tommy Barnett (Republican)

James Cothron (Republican)

CONSTABLE DISTRICT 3

Richard Gene Palmer (Republican)

William W. Link (Republican)

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT 4

Glenn H. Maxey (Republican)

Charlie Acton (Republican)

Darwin Harris (Republican)

CONSTABLE DISTRICT 4

Anthony W. Deprato (Republican)

Audie Brock (Republican)

MAGISTRATE DISTRICT 5

Shane Francis (Republican)

Mike Strunk (Republican)

CONSTABLE DISTRICT 5

Michael W. Wallace (Republican)

Larry Cook (Republican)

Kenneth Ray Hembree (Republican)

MAYOR OF SOMERSET

JP Wiles (nonpartisan)

Larry Wesley (nonpartisan)

SOMERSET CITY COUNCIL

WARD 3

Charles (CL) Whitaker (nonpartisan)

Text Only

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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