FRANKFORT, Ky. — Those wishing to run for office have until 4 p.m., today, to file their papers. But so far, there has been little action on the ballots.
In the biggest shakeup so far, Prestonsburg Mayor Les Stapleton, who had filed to run for state senator in the 29th District back in November, announced Thursday that he was withdrawing from the race. That left current Republican Sen. Johnnie L. Turner, of Baxter, as the only candidate in that race with just hours to go before the deadline. Doug Hopkins, of Wayland, filed a statement of intent to run with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance back in July, but so far has not submitted his candidacy forms with the Secretary of State’s Office.
In the region’s other state senate race, incumbent Republican Sen. Phillip Wheeler is so far unopposed in his bid for re-election.
Turning to the other side of the state Capitol, the only race as of Friday morning was in the 95th District, which includes all of Floyd County and a portion of Pike. There, Democratic incumbent Rep. Ashley Tackett Laferty, of Martin, is facing a challenge from Republican Brandon Spencer, of Prestonsburg. If those two candidates remain unopposed once the deadline passes, that would set up a November rematch of the 2022 race, when Tackett defeated Spencer by a 60-40 margin.
However, Spencer may have one hurdle to cross, as David Pennington, of Prestonsburg, has filed a statement of intent with the Registry of Election Finance on Thursday, but still hadn’t appeared on the Secretary of State’s roster of declared candidates as of Friday morning. If Pennington does get on the ballot, that would be a repeat of the 2022 Republican primary in that district, which Spencer won by a 58-42 margin.
In the 94th District, Republican incumbent Rep. Jacob Justice, of Elkhorn City, still wasn’t on the Secretary of State’s list of candidates as of Friday morning, but if he does run, he is facing primary opposition from Mitchum Addison Whitaker, of Fleming-Neon. However, Justice has filed a statement of intent to run.
Two other Republican incumbents, 92nd District Rep. John Blanton, of Salyersville, and 97th District Rep. Bobby McCool, of Van Lear, have both filed for re-election and have no opposition so far.
