Former Sheriff Ancil Carter said he plans to file for office in January

The race to decide who will be the next Whitley County Sheriff will soon be getting a little more crowded.

Retired Kentucky State Police Detective Colan Harrell has already filed to run for the county’s highest elected law enforcement office. Incumbent Sheriff Lawrence Hodge is expected to file late next month.

Former Sheriff Ancil Carter picked up filing papers at the Whitley County Clerk’s Office Monday morning, and says he plans to file Jan. 4, which is the first day county offices will be open in 2010.

If all three file for sheriff, it would set up a three-way May Republican Primary.

Carter said that he made the decision to file about six weeks ago, and has been approached by several people about running.

"I think I have a real good chance. Everything is looking real good. It is almost scary," Carter said Tuesday afternoon. "I feel that I can do as good as or better job than anybody.

"I am aware of what that office is, how it works, how taxes work and all that. I have heard people say I’m a lawman and not a bookkeeper. If you are not both, you don’t ask for the job."

When Carter took office in 1999, Whitley County was nearly two years behind on property tax collections, which he had caught up when he left office, Carter noted.

Carter said he is the only sheriff in recent history that he is aware of that has ever had a balanced budget when they left office.

"From what I am reading, I don’t believe it is going to be this time," he said. "I am saying I can work within my budget, and I proved that. That is what Whitley County needs bad, and that is what people are telling me throughout the county."

Carter said that when he laid off deputies at the close of his term in office, many called it "bad management" even though other sheriffs, including his predecessor and successor both also laid off deputies.

Carter said that even if the fiscal court sets the sheriff’s budget at $10 million, people don’t realize that a sheriff has to generate much of his own budget.

"If you don’t make it, you can’t spend it. You have to be able to live within your budget, and I have already proven that I can do that," he said. "The sheriff is only as good as his fiscal court and I think we have a good fiscal court in there and will have after the election too that I can work with."

Carter said that he isn’t taking anything away from Harrell.

"I like Colan Harrell as a person. We are just going for the same job," Carter said. "I’m not in this to put anybody down, but I am in it to win."

Carter said that contrary to some rumors, if elected, he doesn’t plan to go in and clear out all the deputies.
When he was sheriff, Carter noted that some people complained that his deputies were out of hand.

"They are all still in law enforcement but one, but I was the only one who was bad about it," he said. "How many lawsuits do you know of me having? Not one. I never cost the county anything in law suits."

The first time they faced in 1998, Carter garnered 2,213 votes to Hodge’s 1,796 votes in the six-person May Primary.
The second time they faced in the two-man 2002 May Primary election, Hodge bested Carter by a vote of 4,475 votes to 3,621 votes.

Other election filings so far this year include:

¥ Corbin Mayor – Willard McBurney.

¥ Corbin City Commission – incumbents Bruce Farris, Phil Gregory, Dennis Lynch, Joe Shelton and former city commissioner Ed Tye.

¥ Whitley County Surveyor – Robert Moses.

¥ 82nd District Representative – Charles Siler and Dewayne Bunch.

¥ County Attorney – Paul Winchester.

¥ County Clerk – Kay Schwartz.

¥ Coroner – J. Andrew Croley.

¥ Whitley County Jailer – Ken Mobley and Les Moses.

¥ Division One District Judge – Jason Price.

¥ Williamsburg Mayor – Roger "Roddy" Harrison.

¥ Williamsburg City Council – Chet Riley and Laurel Jeffries West.

¥ Judge-Executive – Pat White Jr.

¥ Magistrate District 1 – Roger Wells.

¥ Magistrate District 3 – James Billy Blaylock Sr., Jamie W. Fuson, Robert L. Jones, Fred Lovitt, and Cleston "Joe" Moses. Charlie Bob Harp filed Tuesday to run for the seat as a Democrat.

¥ Magistrate District 4 – Glen Ayers, Mike Baird, Robert "Robbie" Brown, and Rick Hayes.

¥ Constable District 1 – Lonnie Foley and Troy "Tazz" Thomas.

¥ Constable District 2 – Keith Mays.

¥ Constable District 3 – Will Leach.

¥ Constable District 4 – Jim Kubat, Andy Moses, Carl Neal, Charles Perkins, Bob Sulfridge and Bill Wilder.

¥ U.S. Representative – Hal Rogers.

Republican and Democratic candidates have until January 26 at 4 p.m. to file for office. Independent or political group candidates, excluding federal offices, must file a statement of intent by April 1. All independent or political group candidates have until Aug. 10, to file their petitions.

Candidates will either appear on the May 18, primary or November 2, general election ballots.