Local Races Take Shape As Candidates File To Run
April Ellis
Herald Staff
With the 2026 election cycle underway, candidates in Mercer County have filed to run for local offices ahead of the May 19, 2026, primary election. The official candidate filing deadline for contests requiring primary nominating papers was Jan. 9, 2026, and the Mercer County Clerk’s office is now maintaining records of those filings.
Local residents who have filed so far include Circuit Court Clerk Jennifer B. Edwards, Republican. She is running to complete the term of former circuit clerk Allison Buchanan, who retired before her term expired.
For Mercer County Judge-Executive, incumbent Sarah Gray Steele, Republican, has filed to run again, along with Chris Walker, Democrat.
Chris Horn, Democrat, in the office of county clerk; Ted Dean, Democrat, in the office of county attorney; C. David “Sonny” Ransdell, Republican, in the office of coroner, and Jessica Elliott, Republican, in the office of PVA, are all running unopposed.
For the office of sheriff, Chief Deputy Sean Brown and Paul W. Parks are running for the Republican nomination, and Tim Gambrel is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
For the Mercer Fiscal Court Magistrates, District 1 representative Stephen “Pete” Elliott, Republican; District 2 representative Tim Darland, Republican; District 3 representative Julie Peyton Popplewell, Democrat; District 5 representative Kevin D. Hicks, Republican and District 6 representative Dennis Holiday, Republican, are all running unopposed. In District 4, two Republicans will face off in the primary: incumbent Susan Thompson Barrington and Donnie Cocanougher.
In the constable race, of the six districts, only two have candidates who have filed. District 1, William McFerron, Democrat, and District 4, Donald C. Smith Jr., Democrat.
For the Mercer County jailer, incumbent Brett “Chambo” Chamberlain is not running. For the Republican nomination, the candidates are Garland Christopher and Bryan T. Cheak.
In the City of Harrodsburg, incumbent Mayor Bob Williams has not filed for reelection, and Terri Bradshaw is the only candidate to have filed for the office.
There are four seats for City Commissioner and two incumbents have filed, Marvin “Bubby” Isham and Jack L. Coleman. Current commissioners Kerry Anness and Charlie Mattingly have not filed for reelection. New candidates for the commission are Tommy Shirley, Roger Johnson, Jakob Slankster, Kayla Walker, Joseph Mason Hood, Sky Maddox and Doug Baker. Voters will cast a ballot for four candidates.
The offices of mayor and commissioner are non-partisan offices.
For the 55th District House of Representatives incumbent Kim King is running unopposed in the Republican primary. In the democratic primary Nathan Saucedo and Katrina A. Sexton, both of Mercer County, will be running.
For the District 6th Kentucky Senate seat incumbent Republican Amanda Mays Bledsoe is running again. She will face Democratic Tyler K. Dean in the general election.
Kentucky’s 6th District U.S. Congressional seat, currently being vacated by Andy Barr, who is running for U.S. Senate, has five Republican running for the primary: Ralph Alvarado, Ryan Dotson, Adam Arquette, Greg Plucinski and Steve Shannon. Six Democratic candidates have filed: Jimmy Ausbrooks, Harvey Carroll Jr., Zach Dembo, Corey Edwards, David Kloiber, Erin Petrey and Cherlynn Stevenson. Pete Lynch has also filed as an Independent candidate.
Republican Senator Mitch McConnell announced his retirement and several have filed for the vacant spot. The Republican primary candidates are: U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Nate Morris, Anissa Catlett, James Duncan, Michael Faris, Valerie Fredrick, Jonathan Holliday, Jimmy Leon, Andrew “Nick” Shelley, George Washington and Donald Wenzel. There is only one Democratic primary candidate, State Rep. Pamela Stevenson. The Independent candidate is Charles Booker.
Write-in candidates have until Aug. 24, by 4 p.m., for the general election.
Important Election Dates
• Register to vote before April 20 for the primary and before Oct. 5 for the general.
• Primary election is May 19.
• Last day to register to vote for the primary is April 20 by 4 p.m.
• General election is Nov. 3.
• Last day to register or update your registration for the general election is Oct. 5, by 4 p.m.
• For both elections, Kentucky law generally requires voter registrations to be submitted at least 29 days before Election Day, if registering by mail or online.
• Deadline to change your political party affiliation to vote in the May 2026 primary was Dec. 31, 2025.
• Deadline to file nomination papers for primary candidates was Jan. 9.
• To file for nonpartisan or independent candidates for the Nov. 3 general election is June 2 by 4 p.m.;
• To declare as a write-in candidate, the deadline is Aug. 24 by 4 p.m.
• General election is Nov. 3, with polls available 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Absentee Voting
Primary Election
• Online mail-in absentee requests is April 4 to May 5.
• Excused in-person absentee voting is May 6–8 and May 11–13.
• No-excuse early in-person voting is May 14–16.
Absentee Voting
General Election
• Online mail-in absentee requests is Sept. 19 – Oct . 20.
• Excused in-person absentee voting is Oct. 21–23 and Oct. 26–28.
• No-excuse early in-person voting is Oct. 29–31.
