The Whitley County Fiscal Court is getting one new member in the form of a new first-district magistrate and there will be a new constable in the third-district, who is a familiar face, following Tuesday’s Republican May Primary Election in Whitley County.
A total of 26 percent of Whitley County voters went to the polls to cast their ballots in this year’s election, which is the exact same percentage that went to the polls four years ago.
Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis had initially hoped for a 30 percent turnout but said she was pleased with the 26-percent turnout.
First-District Magistrate
With incumbent First-District Magistrate Scottie Harrison seeking the Whitley County Clerk position this year, there was a five-way race to be the new first-district magistrate with voters giving the nod to Lloyd Carter who beat his next closest competitor, C.J. Clark, by a 48-vote margin.
Third-District Constable
Former Third-District Constable Jim Thornton won the job again Tuesday beating incumbent Jordan Davis by a 408-vote margin.
Thornton was the third-district constable in 2022, but instead of seeking re-election, he made an unsuccessful bid for sheriff in the 2022 May Primary Election coming up approximately 500 votes shy.
Thornton then made an unsuccessful bid as a write-in candidate for Third-District Constable in the 2022 November General Election where he received 777 votes to Jordan Davis’s 1,174 votes.
Other magistrate results
Incumbent Third-District Magistrate Michael Jarboe and incumbent Fourth-District Magistrate Raleigh Meadors each won re-election Tuesday.
Jarboe defeated second place finisher Ricky Grubb by a 118-vote margin and third place finisher Noah Mahan by a 402-vote margin.
Meadors faced only one opponent Tuesday and defeated Eugene Smith by a 311-vote margin.
Second-District Magistrate Mondo Cima was unopposed in his bid for re-election as was Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr.
No democratic candidates filed to run in any of the Whitley County elections this year meaning the Republican nominee in each race will be the next office holder come January provided no one runs as a write-in candidate.
