Voters will cast ballots for sheriff, jailer and judge in contested races

Voters across Whitley County will have three locally contested races to vote on when they go to the polls to cast their ballots next Tuesday on Election Day or during early voting Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

In addition, there will also be three other locally contested races where some other Whitley County voters will get the chance to cast their ballot.

In the race for Whitley County Sheriff, Republican nominee Bill Elliotte, who garnered 2,060 votes and 30.67 percent of the total vote in the six-way May Primary Election, will take on not one, but two write-in candidates, including Jim Walden and Harvey Alder.

Elliotte is a retired Kentucky State Police Lieutenant, who is currently works as a school resource officer for the Corbin Police Department. Walden is one of the owners of the Williamsburg Vendor’s Mall and a truck driver. Alder is currently employed at the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department.

In the race for Whitley County Jailer, Republican nominee Jason Wilson, who garnered 2,057 votes or 30.69 percent of the total vote in a six-way May Primary Election, will take on Independent Troy Thomas.

Wilson is currently director of Whitley County E-911. Thomas is currently the assistant chief at the Williamsburg Fire Department.

In the 34^th Judicial District, which includes Whitley and McCreary counties, incumbent Cathy Prewitt faces challenger Seth Reeves.

Prewitt has served as district judge for 19 years. Reeves is currently a Corbin City Commissioner and has served as the domestic relations commissioner in Whitley County for more than two years.

Corbin voters will cast their ballots as five candidates are running for four seats on the Corbin City Commission, which will be getting at least two new members next year.

Incumbents Brandon Shepherd and Allison Moore face opposition from John Baker, Lisa Garrison and James Gambrel.

Shepherd is a fourth grade English teacher. Moore is a local realtor. Baker is director of the Corbin Public Library. Garrison works at a healthcare company. Gambrel is a manager of imaging services in the radiology field.

Reeves opted to run for district judge and incumbent Corbin City Commissioner Trent Knuckles withdrew from the race in July. Knuckles name will still appear on the ballot, but his votes won’t count.

There are three candidates running for two seats on the Corbin Independent Board of Education, including incumbents Carcille C. Burchette and Kimberly Sasser Croley along with new comer Paul Taylor.

Burchette is a retired teacher. Croley is a pharmacist. Taylor is a Corbin business owner.

Voters in the third-constable district have two candidates to pick from even though only one candidate’s name will appear on the ballot.

Jordan Davis, who is an EMT and firefighter, won the Republican nomination in a six-way May Primary Election that saw him garner 386 votes or 23.54 percent of the total vote.

Davis will face off against incumbent Third-District Constable Jim Thornton, who is running as a write-in candidate. Thornton ran for Whitley County Sheriff in the May Primary Election where he finished third with 1,495 votes.

There are also some national races that will appear on the local ballot.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul is the Republican nominee and is seeking a third term in office. He will face off against Democrat Charles Booker.

Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers, who is the Republican nominee, will face off against Conor Halblieb.

Several other local officials are on the ballot running unopposed.

Whitley County Clerk Carolyn Willis said that her office hasn’t received a lot of phone calls about the upcoming General Election.

“I have been somewhat surprised at people just not seemingly being interested in this November election,” she said.

Willis attributes this, in part, to there being few contested races on the ballot.

“A lot of people have a bitter taste about that 2020 Presidential Election. They feel that their vote just doesn’t matter or think it is not that important to cast their vote any more. I don’t know how we will get that vote back. Hopefully in the future we will get people more motivated to cast their vote,” Willis added.

Willis is hoping for a 30 percent voter turnout for the upcoming election, but admits she won’t be surprised if the turnout falls below that level.