MADISONVILLE, KY (1/31/12) – The primary election players are set for Hopkins County. It came to no one’s surprise that David Massamore is unchallenged for Commonwealth Attorney and Karen McKnight is unchallenged for Hopkins Circuit Court Clerk.
There are surprises, however, in the Madisonville City Council races. There are surprises in both who filed and who did not file.
Ward 1: Democrats, James Daniels and Frank Gaither will face off in the democratic primary. The winner will face incumbent republican Mark Lee in November. Lee was just chosen to fill the unexpired term of Dallas Cunningham.
Ward 2: Dr. William Smith filed as a republican and is unopposed. This seat is currently held by Rudy Stone and Stone did not file for re-election. Stone could file as an independent but must file a letter of intent to run by April 1st.
Ward 3: Nora Stewart has challenged Raymond Marion to get her seat back in the democratic primary. The two faced off in 2010 only to end up in a tie vote. The tie was broken with a coin toss. Marion won.
Ward 4: Hannah Myers is the incumbent democrat and is unopposed.
Ward 5: Rick Campbell is challenging Bob Simmons for his seat. Campbell ran as a republican in 2010 and is running as a democrat this year and will face Simmons in the democratic primary which is limited to the registered democrats in Ward 5. The winner will face republican Frank Stevens in the general election which will be city-wide and open to all registered voters in Madisonville.
Ward 6: Mark Cunningham is challenging Billy Smith for his seat in the democratic primary. Cunningham is the son of former councilman Dallas Cunningham and is, like his father, a retired firefighter. The winner of that election will face republican Edward Melton in the city-wide general election.
The filing deadline for partisan elections was January 31st, 2012 to qualify to run in the republican or democrat primary. Independent candidates running for the same seats must file a Statement of Intent by April 1st and file by August 14th. All non-partisan races such as other city councils and school boards must file to run by August 14.
Voters wishing to vote in the democratic or republican primary must have registered as a democrat or republican no later than December 31st 2011. In the general election in November, all voters can vote in all races for the city or county plus the presidential election. Voters will have the choice of the winners of the republican and democratic primaries plus independents that run.
Ron Sanders
SurfKY News
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