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With the primary election approaching, so is the state’s deadline for registering to vote. 

 

The last day to register for the primary election is Monday, April 22. 

 

Kentuckians must register before Monday to be eligible to vote in person or with an absentee ballot. 

 

Go to https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb/ to register to vote or to check if you are registered. 

 

December 31, 2023, was the last day to change political party affiliation and be eligible to vote in that party’s upcoming primary election, which will be Tuesday, May 21.

 

Who’s running?

 

The Jessamine County Circuit Court Clerk, Nicholasville City Commission, and the seat for the Commonwealth Attorney of the 13th District are all local offices up for reelection this year. 

 

At the state level, all four state house district seats are also up for reelection.

 

Nicholasville City Commission: 

 

Like all local Jessamine County and Nicholasville seats, the Nicholasville City Commission is nonpartisan. Each commissioner is elected at-large, requiring each candidate to gain the support of the majority of voters. The following names are candidates for Commission seats. 

 

Jessamine County Homeless Coalition Director Johnny Templin has run before for City Commission, and is running again this year. In the Journal’s January article about who is running, we made a mistake and forgot to mention Templin. 

 

Incumbent Patty Teater is also the current mayor pro-tempore and has been a city commissioner since the 2016 election.  

 

Incumbent Bethany Brown has been a city commissioner since the election in 2018.

 

Incumbent (Dexter) Charles Knight was elected in 2022. He is a former Principal of the Jessamine Career and Technology Center. Betty Black served as city commissioner from 2013 to 2022. After not getting enough votes to make it into a commissioner seat in 2022, she is back for her seat.  

Also running is Ronnie Rothwell, a safety and security officer for CHI Saint Joseph Health – Saint Joseph Jessamine.

 

State House races  

 

All four of Jessamine County’s State Representative incumbents are running against other candidates. According to Sarah Michels with Bluegrass Live, these four Jessamine County seats are a part of the only 20 state representative seats in Kentucky that will face a challenger.  

 

39th District: Incumbent Matt Locket (R) faces Ryan Stanford (D). Neither has a primary challenger.  

 

45th District: Incumbent Killian Timoney (R) faces Thomas Jefferson (R) in a primary challenge. The winner will face Adam Moore (D) in the general election. 

 

55th District: Incumbent Kim King (R) faces James Toller (R) in the primary. The winner faces Katrina A. Sexton (D) in the fall.  

 

56th District: Incumbent Daniel Fister R-Franklin (part), Jessamine (part), and Woodford (part) will face either Dencia Branscum (D) or Chantel Bingham (D) in the general election.  

 

Uncontested seats  

 

This year, Jessamine County will have two uncontested races. Uncontested races will not be included in the primary ballot; instead, they will appear on the ballot in November. 

 

The first uncontested race is for circuit court clerk.  

 

Incumbent Doug Fain is running for reelection, and since he is uncontested, he will continue as circuit court clerk after the election in January 2025. He was elected as a clerk in November 1998 and has been reelected since then. Prior to serving as circuit court clerk, Fain served five years as mayor pro-tempore for the city of Nicholasville. He also worked for the county clerk’s office in 1980.  

 

The second uncontested race is for the commonwealth attorney, 13th District seat for Jessamine and Garrard counties. 

 

Incumbent Andy Sims is running uncontested and will continue to serve until the next reelection in 2027. Sims started in 2005 as an assistant to the county commonwealth’s attorney office. He has been the elected commonwealth attorney since 2016.