Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

It’s time for the general election. Here is information on the local and state elections on the Jessamine County Ballot. You can bring any materials you need, including this article, to the polls to inform your vote. 

Local Elections

Soil and Water Conservation nonpartisan office

According to the Jessamine County Clerk’s office, because three officials’ terms in this office aren’t up until 2026, and all incumbents have no other opponents with enough to fill the open positions, this office will not be on the ballot. Doug Marshall, Kay Demoss, Doug Teater, and Gary Burdine will be in office for another four years. George Dean, Douglas McLaran, and Ronald Ray have terms expiring in 2026.

Nicholasville City Commission nonpartisan office

Voters can vote for up to four City Commissioners. 

Incumbent Patty Grose Teater – patty.teater@nicholasville.org

Teater has been on the City Commission since 2015. She is retired from the Jessamine County Board of Education, where she served as the student data specialist. As a commissioner and the Vice Mayor, she said, “My individual administrative departments are the Electric Department and the Meter Department.” If reelected, Teater said she will continue the “hard work” that she has put in since her first term. She said maintaining and improving infrastructure is always essential, but she also wants to focus on capital projects such as walking and biking trails, beginning the construction of the new city hall, breaking ground on the community center, downtown revitalization, and continuing the improvements to Nicholasville parks. 

Incumbent Charles “Dexter” Knight – dexter.knight@nicholasville.org

Knight has been on the City Commission since 2022. If reelected, he said his priorities would be to continue his work on the Destination Development Committee to revitalize downtown and support infrastructure initiatives to “provide the best services to the citizens of Nicholasville.” He said he will work with Parks and Recreation to improve and maintain parks, sports facilities, and other youth development programs. “We will be looking to grow opportunities for public use in the recent acquisition of the Lone Oak Club property,” Knight said. His previous contributions include working with Parks and Rec, County Officials, Tourism, and the Chamber of Commerce to “improve the downtown experience.” He also contributed to efforts to provide payroll incentives to fire personnel and police officers, improve sewer infrastructure, and continue to support the work on the East and West Jessamine County bike and pedestrian trails.

Incumbent Bethany Davis Brown – Bethany.brown@nicholasville.org

Brown has been on the City Commission since 2020. This past term, Brown has been a part of several changes implemented by the city, such as completing renovations to Riney B Aquatics Center; splash pad and bathroom installation at Lake Mingo Park; turf field installation and bleachers at John Preece Park; Water Treatment Plant expansion on Short Shun; step pay scale for Nicholasville public safety departments; purchase of Lone Oak Golf Course for “use of green space and future park development”; and the installation of pickleball courts at City-County Park. If re-elected, Brown will continue active work on architectural plans for the community center, further park revitalization, look into the paving quality of streets, and lastly, she said she will push for positive industrial development in the heart of Nicholasville to “improve our quality of life.” 

Incumbent Pete Sutherland – pete.sutherland@nicholasville.org

Sutherland was previously Nicholasville Mayor from 2014 to 2022 and has been on the Nicholasville City Commission since 2022. In his time on the commission, he said he had been a part of building the new police station, the new fire station, increasing minimum pay for starting city employees to $15, increasing pay for police and fire, the splash pad at Lake Mingo, the Riney B Pool revamp, pickleball courts at City-County Park, and the purchase of a lone oak golf course for green space. If re-elected, Sutherland said his priorities would be “getting the community recreation center off the ground,” including indoor volleyball courts that can be converted to basketball or pickleball courts and an indoor walking path. Other priorities include getting a restaurant in Lone Oak and continually prioritizing growth while trying to be as “responsible as we possibly can.”

Betty Black 

Black was on the City Commission from 2008-2022. She is a Christian with a printing business she’s owned for over 40 years. “As a city commissioner, I brought the alcohol tax to light. Even though I’m not a drinker, that gave money to police and fire for stuff they needed. That’s the only thing it can be used for. We used that money to help build the police department and get new fire trucks and a new fire station.” In her time on the commission, she helped implement the program to allow retired police officers to return with higher pay because they already have benefits. If elected to return to the commission, Black wants to put a mausoleum into the cemetery to save land, and ensure that city workers continue to be treated equally. She also said she wants to be a “voice for all the people. When people in the city call, I want to be able to help them. If I can’t help them solve something, I want to give them an avenue where they can get it done. I love this community. I love the people.” Black said she is concerned about the availability and pricing of affordable housing in the city and bringing more business growth to the south side of Nicholasville

Ronnie Rothwell 

Rothwell is retired from auto sales but said he is now working for a security company. If elected, Rothwell said his priorities would be to completely support law enforcement and firefighters, move forward with the community center, and push for a more vibrant downtown. He also said he would actively address the homeless population in the city, “It’s a problem that needs to be addressed.” He is an active member of the Jessamine County Fair Board, and formerly served with the Jessamine County Election Officers. 

Johnny Templin –Johnnytemp89@gmail.com

Templin previously ran for City Commission in 2022 and ran as a write-in candidate for Mayor in 2018. He is the Executive Director of the Jessamine County Homeless Coalition and has been since he started it in 2015. His priorities, if elected, would be to address housing affordability and homelessness so that every resident has “a safe place to call home,” to boost economic development and attract new businesses, to push to move forward with the community center, and to ensure transparency and accountability from the Nicholasville City Commission. He also said that he plans on supporting the Nicholasville Police Department’s successful initiatives to be well-equipped for the needs of those “fighting mental and behavioral health issues.”

Wilmore City Council nonpartisan office

Voters can vote for six City Council Members.

Incumbent David R Riel – driel@wilmore.org

Riel has been on the Wilmore City Council since 2016. He is the Director of Clinical Experiences and an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Asbury University. As part of the City Council, Riel currently serves on the Wilmore Community Development Board, and previously, the Wilmore Webpage Committee. Outside of the City Council, he is a Board Member of the Kentucky United Methodist Foundation. 

Incumbent Kim Deyer – kdeyer@wilmore.org

Deyer has been on the Wilmore City Council since 2000. She is currently the lead visual designer at Williams-Sonoma Inc. and was formerly the Director of Food Service at Wesley Village Senior Living in Wilmore from 2009 to 2021. In her past, Deyer wrote and photographed local happenings for the Wilmore Newsletter. She has served on the Wilmore Community Development Board, the Nicholasville Jessamine County Parks and Recreation, the YMCA Board, and the Comprehensive Plan Update Committee. She has also painted the Paint the Town banners for Wilmore. 

Incumbent Jim Brumfield – jbrumfield@wilmore.org

Brumfield has been on the Wilmore City Council since 1990. He also holds the title of controller, responsible for financial management, at Asbury Theological Seminary. As part of the City Council, Brumfield has served on the Finance Committee, the committee that selects the new sanitation provider and parks and recreation. Outside of council, Brumfield currently serves on the board as Treasurer of the Wilmore-High Bridge Community Center, and is on the leadership team as Treasurer of Wilmore United Methodist Church. 

Incumbent Wesley Metcalfe – wmetcalfe@wilmore.org

Wesley Metcalfe has been on the Wilmore City Council since 2022. Metcalfe is a small business owner and previously served on the Wilmore/Jessamine County Board of Adjustments as well as the Wilmore/Jessamine County Planning Commission. Metcalfe has served on the Wilmore Webpage Committee, has met with architects for the Historic Granary Preservation Project, and currently serves on the Wilmore Comprehensive Plan Update Committee.

Sharon Moore – mooresharon1988@gmail.com

Moore previously worked for the city for 16 years, spending seven years as a utility clerk and the last nine years as Wilmore City Clerk. MSheis currently an administrative assistant at Wesley Village. She served on the Community Development Board, was the Secretary for the Community Services Center Board, was in charge of the Wilmore Arts and Crafts Festival for several years , and currently serves on the Executive Board of Wilmore Business Association and is coordinator of the Wilmore Night Markets. 

Incumbent Andy Bathje – abathje@wilmore.org

Bathje has been on the Wilmore City Council since 2018. He was formerly a dean at Asbury University. He is now a realtor with The Agency. Before being voted into council, Bathje was on the connector pathway committee. While on the council, he served on the Wilmore Webpage Committee, the Homelessness Committee, and he helped create and is currently the chair of the Wilmore Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee. He also assisted the owners of the new Downtown Wilmore Los Altos Mexican Restaurant and the Cakes by Bebe sweet shop with opening their businesses by assisting with landlords and with business paperwork. 

Incumbent Leonard Fitch – lfitch@wilmore.org

Fitch owns Fitch’s IGA, the only grocery store in Wilmore, which has served the community since 1956. He has also been a council member for 52 years and a Vice Mayor for several years. He was part of the council team that worked with the mayor to renovate the old Wilmore Elementary School into a City Hall and community center. 

Commonwealth’s Attorney – 13th Judicial Circuit

Andy Sims Republican Party 

Sims has been the 13th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney since 2016, and the assistant commonwealth’s attorney since 2005.

Circuit Court Clerk

Doug Fain Democratic Party

Fain has been the Circuit Court Clerk since 1998, and previously had worked in the County Clerk’s office since the 1980s. 

State Elections

State Representatives

39th Representative District

Matt Lockett Republican Party – https://www.lockett4ky.com/about_matt

Ryan Stanford Democratic Party – https://stanford4ky.com/

45th Representative District

Thomas Jefferson Republican Party – https://www.tjforky.com/

Adam Moore Democratic Party – https://www.kydeservesmoore.com/

55th Representative District

Kim King Republican Party–  No website

Katrina A Sexton Democratic Party – https://www.katrina4ky.com/home

56th Representative District

Daniel A Fister Republican Party – https://danfister.com/

Chantel Bingham Democratic Party – https://www.binghamfor56.com/meet-chantel

Civiclex has a voters guide at lex.vote that provides free information on the Justice of the Supreme Court 5th-Supreme Court District race between Pamela R Goodwine and Erin Izzo, and the two Constitutional Amendments on the ballot.