SALYERSVILLE – Magoffin County voters took to the polls on Tuesday for the Primary Election, with 31.92% of registered voters casting their ballots to decide who they will see on the ballot this fall.
The Numbers
A total of 2,905 ballots were cast in the Magoffin County Primary Election, with 1,703 Republican ballots and 1,202 Democrat ballots. In total, 9,102 people are registered to vote in Magoffin, 4,255 registered Republican, 4,556 registered Democrat and 291 nonpartisan. As is fairly typical, Magoffin’s voter turnout of 31.92% was higher than the state’s, which was 25.67%, with Republicans taking to the polls more locally at 40.02% voter turnout, compared to the Democrat voters at 26.38%, which stands to reason with the tightest race being on the Republican ticket.
As far as specific election returns, broken down into precincts, unofficial Election Night results can be found on page A7.
Federal and State Races
Mirroring the state returns, Andy Barr (R) swept the Republican nomination locally and at the state level for U.S. State Senator. Amy McGrath (D) held Magoffin, but Charles Booker (D) ultimately carried the state for the Democratic nomination, with Barr and Booker going head-to-head this fall for longtime Senator Mitch McConnell’s seat.
Congressman Hal Rogers (R) secured his 24th consecutive bid for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Representative in Congress for the 5th Congressional District, to go up against attorney Ned Pillersdorf (D), who ran unopposed in the Primary, in November.
The race for the Kentucky State Senator 30th Senatorial District was decided in Tuesday’s election, with incumbent Brandon Smith (R) securing his seat against current State Representative Bill Wesley.
County Races
The closest race for Magoffin County was the Republican county judge/executive race, with only 13 votes total separating former Judge/Executive Charles “Doc” Hardin, 746, and Tommy Howard, 733. Tommy Howard has already alerted the SI that he is requesting a recanvass of the votes.
By state law, the recanvass will be held next Thursday, May 28, at 9 a.m. in the Magoffin County Fiscal Court room of the Magoffin County Court House Albert Patrick Building. A recanvass is a retabulation of the election returns, with the clerk re-reading the results for the requested races for the County Board of Elections and the totals recalculated to make sure they were correct. Recanvasses must be requested from the county clerk’s office by 4 p.m. on the Tuesday after the primary.
As it stands, we’ll see Hardin go up against former Judge/Executive Matthew Wireman (D).
Incumbent Sheriff William “Bill” Meade (R) and former Sheriff Randall “Bob” Jordan (D) both swept their respective races, to go head-to-head in the General Election in November.
The biggest lead from Tuesday’s election goes to Incumbent Jailer Bryan Montgomery (D), who won by 753 votes, and will be fighting for his seat this fall against Robbie Russell (R), who ran unopposed for the primary.
The Magistrate District 1 race was decided on Tuesday, with incumbent Magistrate Darrel Ray Howard (R) securing his seat for another four years, with no one running on the Democratic ticket for the position.
Magistrate District 2 Incumbent Eddie Jenkins (R) ran unopposed in the primary and will now go up against Josh Watson (D) for the General Election.
Magistrate District 3 will be down to Franklin Ray Bailey (R) and Joe Bailey (D) this fall.
The Constable District 3 race will also be down to Danny C. McCarty (R) and Richard Rex Love (D)
Races Skipping the Primary
Several candidates ran unopposed for the Primary, so they weren’t on the ballot Tuesday but will be this fall. For county clerk, Incumbent Renee Shepherd (D) will go up against Isaac Minix (R) this fall, and for coroner, Incumbent Mark Jenkins (D) and Johnnie Lovely (R) are vying for that position.
Constable District 1 will be James E. Rudd (R) vs. Eric Trusty (D) and Constable District 2 will be Wade Collinsworth (R) vs. Jeff Perkins (D).
Already Decided Races
As they have ran completely unopposed, the following have already won their reelections: PVA Rebecca Allen (R), County Attorney Travis Joseph (D), County Surveyor Kerry K. Howard (D), State Representative John Blanton (R), and District Judge Dennis B. Prater (nonpartisan).
Nonpartisan Races for the General Election
This fall city council, mayor, soil and conservation and school board races will all be on the ballot, as well, with the filing deadline for those races set for June 2.
Right now, current Mayor Stanley Howard and former Mayor James “Pete” Shepherd have filed for mayor. So far, the following have filed or city council, with six seats available: Colin Ray Jackson, David Gardner, Brandy Lain, Phyllis Howard, Don Montgomery and Darrell G. Arnett.
Soil and water conservation will also be on the ballot this fall, with four seats available, and so far, Dwayne Skaggs and Avavan Arnett Deaton have filed.
So far, Rodney Ward has filed for School Board District 1.
Election Fraud Hotline
As is also fairly typical, the state attorney general’s office received a total of 16 calls from Magoffin, broken down as follows:
Pre-May 19 Complaints:
1 election official
1 electioneering
2 legal questions
3 vote buying/selling
Election Day Complaints:
1 electioneering
3 legal questions
1 procedural question
1 residency
After Polls Closed Complaints:
3 electioneering
Voters who suspect election law violations are urged to call the Attorney General’s Election Fraud Hotline at (800) 328-VOTE or make a report online at https://kyoag.highq.com/kyoag/renderSmartForm.action?formId=1bb730f0-2234-4c76-9ce4-57491e6205cd.
