Short ballot for Tuesday’s primary election

By TONY FYFFE
BSN Editor

Next Tuesday is Election Day in Kentucky, but it will be anything but a traditional event.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the state’s primary election, usually held in May, was rescheduled to June 23 and the state’s absentee-voting laws were suspended to allow all eligible voters to safely cast ballots prior to Election Day. Although all eligible voters are permitted to vote by absentee ballot, in-person voting will also be available on Election Day at select locations in each county.
In-person polling places include:
• Lawrence County: Lawrence County High School, Fallsburg Elementary School, Blaine Elementary School and Emmanuel Baptist Church in Louisa.
• Johnson County: Paintsville Elementary School and the Johnson County Clerk’s Office by appointment.
• Floyd County: Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg.
• Martin County: Martin County Courthouse.
No matter how eligible residents exercise their right to vote, the ballot for Tuesday’s primary is a short one that includes federal and state legislative positions as well as Eastern Kentucky’s seat on the state Supreme Court. Races for U.S. president and U.S. senator appear on Republican and Democratic ballots in all counties, while the three-candidate Supreme Court contest is exclusive to the 22-county 7th District in Eastern Kentucky. While the presidential races have basically already been decided, with President Donald Trump taking on former Vice President Joe Biden in November, eight Republicans and 10 Democrats are seeking their parties’ nominations for the U.S Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell.
McConnell is one of the GOP candidates along with C. Wesley Morgan, Naren James, Kenneth Lowndes, Nicholas Alsager, Wendell Crow, Paul John Frangedakis and Louis Grider.
The Democratic candidates are Amy McGrath, Charles Booker, Mike Broihier, Mary Ann Tobin, Andrew J. Maynard, Eric Rothmuller, John R. Sharpensteen, Bennie J. Smith, Jimmy C. Ausbrooks and Maggie Jo Hillard. Incumbent Hal Rogers faces Gerardo Serrano in the Republican primary for U.S. representative for the 5th District. Incumbent Sam Wright is being challenged by state Rep. Chris Harris of Pike County and Judge Robert Conley of the 20th Judicial Circuit of Greenup and Lewis counties in the nonpartisan Supreme Court race, with the top two vote-getters advancing to November.
Voters in some counties in the Big Sandy region will choose nominees for state legislative seats next Tuesday. Republicans in the 98th District of Lawrence and Carter counties will pick their nominee for state representative. Running in the GOP primary are Rita Yates of Louisa and Patrick Flannery of Olive Hill. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Kathy Hinkle of Louisa in the general election.
Democratic voters in the 31st District of Lawrence, Pike, Martin, Elliott and Morgan counties will choose their nominee for state senator. Seeking the nod are Glenn Martin Hammond of Pikeville and Scott Sykes of Elkhorn City. The winner will face incumbent Republican Phillip Wheeler of Pikeville in the fall election.
Johnnie L. Turner of Harlan and Matthew Wynn of Evarts are seeking the GOP nomination for state senator in the 29th District of Floyd, Harlan, Knott and Letcher counties. The winner will face Democratic incumbent Johnny Ray Turner of Prestonsburg in the November election. Voters in one precinct in Lawrence County will have a “moist” question to answer in Tuesday’s election. Voters at Fallsburg will decide whether they are in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages at “a small winery or wineries” in their precinct. The issue applies to Savage Farms, which makes wine but cannot sale it at its business due to Lawrence County’s dry status.