With the election filing deadline set for 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9, several political races in Whitley County are beginning to take shape as multiple non-incumbent candidates have filed to run for Corbin City Commission and Williamsburg City Council.
In addition, there will officially be contested races for Whitley County Sheriff, Whitley County Clerk, First-District Magistrate and Fourth-District Magistrate on this year’s primary election ballot.
Incumbent Whitley County Sheriff Bill Elliotte filed Tuesday seeking re-election and will square off against the second-place finisher in the race for sheriff from four years ago, Willard Scott Bunch.
During the May 2022 Primary Election, Elliotte received 2,060 votes to Bunch’s 1,513 votes and then Constable Jim Thornton’s 1,495 votes. There were three other candidates in that race.
Elliotte and Bunch are both retired Kentucky State Police officers. Elliotte rose to the rank of lieutenant before he retired and Bunch was a trooper. Bunch currently serves as a school resource officer at Williamsburg Police Department and previously served as a school resource officer for the Whitley County School District.
So far, two of the four incumbent Corbin City Commissioners have filed to run for re-election, including Brandon Shepherd and James Gambrel. In addition, former Corbin City Commissioner David Grigsby Hart has filed seeking office in addition to Walter Pennington. Incumbents Allison Moore and John Baker have not yet filed to run for re-election.
In the race for Williamsburg City Council, incumbents Loren Connell, Erica Broome Harris, Richard Foley, and Chelsey Karr Tyree have all filed to run for re-election. Non-incumbents Adam Troy Siler and Glen Hall have also filed. So far, incumbents Laurel Jeffries and Mary Ann Stanfill haven’t filed to run for re-election but have previously indicated that they plan to run for re-election.
Tyree was appointed earlier this year to fill out the remainder of Patty Faulkner’s term in office after Faulkner resigned to become the new assistant tourism director and the city’s recreational director.
The Williamsburg City Council and Corbin City Commission races are non-partisan races meaning that candidates do not run as Republicans or Democrats. There are six seats on the Williamsburg City Council and four seats on the Corbin City Commission. If there are not more than 12 candidates for Williamsburg City Council or more than eight candidates for Corbin City Commission, neither of those races will appear on the ballot until the November General Election.
Incumbent Corbin Mayor Suzie Razmus and Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison are both unopposed in their bids for re-election.
There is currently a two-way race to replace Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis, who is retiring at the end of next year and not seeking re-election.
First-District Magistrate Scotty Harrison has filed to run for Whitley County Clerk along with Mike Harris.
So far three candidates have filed seeking Harrison current First-District Magistrate seat, including: Bobby Parker, Lloyd Carter and C.J. Clark.
Incumbent Fourth-District Magistrate Raleigh Meadors has filed to seek re-election and will face off against Eugene Smith in the primary election.
Elliotte, Bunch, Harris, Harrison, Parker, Carter, Clark, Meadors and Smith are all seeking the Republican nomination in their respective races.
The following incumbents have already filed to seek re-election in their respective races and are currently unopposed, including: 82nd District Rep. Nick Wilson, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr., Whitley County Jailer Jason Wilson, Whitley County Attorney Bob Hammons, Whitley County PVA Ronald Moses, Second-District Magistrate Mondo Cima, Third-District Magistrate Michael Jarboe, First-District Constable Lonnie Foley, Second-District Constable Ron “Bubba” Bowling, Third-District Constable Jordan Davis, and Fourth-District Constable Andrew Moses, are all seeking the Republican nomination in their respective races.
On March 18, 2022, Fifth District U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers became Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives as the longest-serving member in the House. If Rogers wants to keep that title, he will have to win his 24th consecutive term in Congress this year and faces opposition in both the primary and general election.
On Dec. 4, Benjamin Hurley filed to seek the Republican nomination and will square off with Rogers in the 2026 May Primary Election. So far, only Prestonsburg attorney Ned Pillersdorf has filed to run as a Democrat in the race. If no other Democrat files to run for the position, he will square off in the 2026 November General Election with the winner from the Republican primary, and Billy Ray Wilson, who has filed to run as a write-in candidate.
Incumbent 34th Judicial District Division One Judge Cathy Prewitt and Division Two Judge Fred White have both filed to run for re-election and are currently unopposed. Judicial positions are non-partisan races.
