RICHMOND —
A crowd of nearly 200 came to the Madison County Fairgrounds on Thursday night for a meal provided by the Republican Women’s Club and to the party’s candidates speak.
The candidates said they were encouraged by the turnout and their perception that many Democrats are disenchanted with their party.
Registered Democrats out number Republicans in Madison County 28,112 to 19,363.
The Republicans have fielded an almost full slate of local and candidates. Only one constable’s race lacks a Republican hopeful this year.
State Senate candidate Jared Carpenter, a former Democrat, said he appreciated his acceptance by the party and that others with “conservative, common sense” values would be receptive to the Republicans’ message.
“I’m a community banker who comes from a small business background,” he said. “When you have less money, you spend less. You’d think everybody would understand that.”
If elected, Carpenter said he would work to stop “out-of-control spending” by state government.
Carpenter said state Senate President David Williams had promised to give him “impressive” committee assignments, if elected.
Because as a Republican he would be a member of the state Senate majority, Carpenter said he would have more influence than a first-term senator from the minority party.
Tiffany Nash, candidate for 81st District state representative, said she wanted to take her accounting and auditing experience to Frankfort.
“In business, when you have less revenue, you spend less,” she said.
A seventh-generation Kentuckian, she said she and her husband had picked Madison County as a place to live and raise their family.
When she got in the race, Nash said the state had a “$1.5 billion deficit, and we still haven’t fixed our problem. We need someone with a financial background to cut out wasteful spending.”
Cutting taxes would help create jobs, she said.
Donna Mayfield, 73rd district legislative candidate, said as a former administrator for the U.S. Marshall’s office, she was responsible for an $8 million budget.
Unlike the state legislature, she said, “We couldn’t go a penny outside of our budget because they threatened us with prison if we did.”
Mayfield said she would love to bring “common sense” rather than partisanship to Frankfort.
The 36th legislative district candidate, Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, was introduced by Garrard County Judge/Executive John Wilson.
“I know that incumbents are not popular this year,” Wilson said, “but Lonnie Napier is one incumbent you want to keep.”
Napier said, “Experience does count.” His seniority had won him seats on the appropriations/revenue, transportation and state government committees, he said.
“Those are the top committees, and you don’t get on them as a new man,” Napier said.
Because of his seniority, Napier said he had been able to bring road, water and sewer projects worth “millions and millions of dollars” to Madison and Garrard counties.
“I’m 100 percent pro-life, pro-gun and pro-family,” he said.
Countywide candidates included Kenny Barger, county clerk; Charlie King, jailer; and Irving Whicker, sheriff.
Whicker said he would keep the staff and continue the policies of Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell, but would “be more respectful.” He dispelled a rumor that he had dropped out of the race in favor of another candidate.
King said he would operate the jail as his father had done.
“He told me that you treat everybody the way you would want to be treated,” King said. “No matter what a prisoner has done, they’re still somebody’s son.”
Barger said his 10-and-a-half years in management at Mikron, a local manufacturing plant, “Improving efficiency, quality and service,” qualified him to be clerk.
Daniel Quick, Republican candidate for judge/executive did not appear.
The party’s magisterial candidates, Greg Lakes, first district; Roger Barger, second district; Billy Ray Hughes, third district; and Greg King, fourth district, also spoke.
Lakes cited his experience as a small business owner and member of the Berea City Council as qualifications.
Hughes said, “Qualifications matter. You check the qualifications before you pick a doctor or lawyer.”
The factory he manages has a budget similar in size of Madison County government, he said.
Although he gets along personally with his Democratic colleagues, Barger said he often is a lone “no” vote on the court.
“If it’s not right, then it’s not right,” he said of his opposition to proposals before the fiscal court. He pledged to campaign by “stating the facts and speaking the truth.”
King said the greatest influence in his life had been his father, who was a preacher. He promise to “put God first” and bring a high level of morality to public life.
Constable candidates Raymond VanWinkle, third district, and Robert Anderson, fourth district, spoke, but Steven Kelly, second district, candidate did not.
Anderson and VanWinkle, who both work in private security, said they would be actively involved in law enforcement and working with neighborhoods to prevent crime.
The two candidates in the non-partisan race for family court judge, Ira Newman and Nora Shepherd, were invited to speak.
Both said they were natives of eastern Kentucky who rose from humble beginnings.
Newman, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Judge Jean C. Logue, said he already had heard more than 3,000 cases and had helped a “countless” number of families, concentrating on the court’s effect on children.
As an attorney, Newman said he was obtaining restraining orders against domestic abusers long before Kentucky created emergency protective orders as a separate legal category.
Newman said his father was a coal miner who was killed in the mines “when I was 3 years old.” He came to Madison County to attend Berea College and has lived here since.
Shepherd said she “had been preparing for this job all my life.”
The daughter of two high school drop-outs, including a teenage mother, Shepherd said she “had as rough a start in life as you can imagine.”
Her parents, however, had always put her and her brother first, she said, and both had grown up to be successful.
As judge, she would put families and children first, Shepherd said.
Non-partisan candidates for Richmond City Commission, Bill Strong and Mike Brewer, and Mayor Connie Lawson attended the rally.
They were recognized but not invited to speak, nor was O’Donnell.
O’Donnell, who lost a close race in the Democratic Primary, has launched a write-in campaign.
The Republican Women presented Jerilyn Dyer with the Mary James Political Activist of the Year Award.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
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