Lawmakers extend candidate filing deadline to Jan. 25

A bill extending the filing deadline for candidates in the May primary election by nearly three weeks was passed in the Kentucky General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Andy Beshear last week.

The deadline is now Tuesday, Jan. 25. The extension, which is only in effect for 2022, was necessary due to the House and Senate redistricting bills that received final passage Saturday which redraws the district lines. House Bill 172 moves back the deadline so that political candidates will know what districts they will be running to represent. The new date not only applies to state candidates but all races scheduled to appear on the May 17 primary ballot.

Candidates who have filed as of 10 a.m. Tuesday in 2022 local races, according to the Ohio County Clerk’s Office are:

Judge-Executive - David L. Johnston (R)

Sheriff - Tracy J. Beatty (R) and Adam Wright (R)

Jailer - Landon Spurlock (R) and Terry L. Wright (D)

County Clerk - Bess Tichenor Ralph (D)

Coroner - Elvis Doolin (R)

County Attorney - Justin S. Keown (R)

Magistrate District 1 - Angela J. Rhye-Farris (R), Sam Small (D) and Michael Ray McKenney (R)

Magistrate District 2 - Jason Wayne Bullock (D)

Magistrate District 3 - Joe Barnes (D), Scotty G. Tichenor (D) and Bo Bennett (R)

Magistrate District 4 - Helen G. Dever (R), Kenneth Calloway (R)

Magistrate District 5 - Larry W. Morphew (R), Dewayne Johnson (R), Keith Nelson (R) and Timothy Johnston (R).

Constable District 1 - Ronakia (Ronnie) Schroader (R) and Joey L. Renfrow (R)

Constable District 2 - Steven Epley (R) and Darnell Noble (R)

Constable District 3 - Jeremy Nance (R) and David Arrel Himes (R)

Constable District 4 - William Jacob Culbertson (R) and Justin Cooper (R)

Constrable District 5 - Anthony L. Abney (R)

Surveyor - William Tracy Crume (R)

Hartford Mayor - Beau Wright

Centertown Mayor - Mike Aldridge

Beaver Dam Mayor - Paul Sandefur

Beaver Dam Commissioner - Charles Patton, Sandy Johnson Robinson, James “Jim” Crump and Kevin Davis.

The city races are non-partisan races.

On the state level, Rep. Scott Lewis (R) has filed for re-election in House District 14. As of Tuesday, no candidate has filed to run for Senate District 5 (Ohio County’s new district as of the new redistricting).