The county clerk’s race will have a contested Republican primary with two announced candidates, both of whom have experience working in the office.
Erica Newby, who said she previously worked in the Christian County Clerk’s Office for seven and a half years, announced her candidacy in a Facebook page earlier this month. Also in the race is Melinda Humphries, who announced her plans to run during a Christian County Republican Party rally Friday night. Humphries has worked in the clerk’s office for 20 years.
Newby’s Facebook page lists improvements she proposes to make in the clerk’s office.
“I would like to update the website to be more interactive and informative,” she writes. “I feel that it should tell you ALL of the things you will need in order to complete your transaction in one trip. There is nothing more frustrating than taking time out of your day to come to the courthouse, only to be turned away because you needed additional paperwork or information.”
Newby is a 1994 graduate of Christian County High School. She attended Eastern Kentucky University.
The clerk’s office has 15 full-time and five part-time employees. They process vehicle registrations and renewals, manage property deeds, issue marriage licenses, process passport applications and oversee elections.
In Kentucky, county clerks are elected to four-year terms. The primary is May 17.
The incumbent county clerk, Democrat Mike Kem, is not seeking re-election. He told Hoptown Chronicle he will be retiring from office.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
