The Hopkinsville-Christian County League of Women Voters’ candidate debates are slated for Monday, Oct. 14, Monday, Oct. 21, and Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Hopkinsville Municipal Center, 715 S. Virginia St.
The league has announced the following schedule.
| Date | Scheduled Debates |
|---|---|
| Monday, Oct. 14 | Christian County Board of Education |
| Monday, Oct. 21 | Hopkinsville City Council (Wards 1 & 9) |
| Thursday, Oct. 24 | Kentucky House of Representatives Hopkinsville City Council (Wards 10 & 12) |
Christian County Board of Education
Candidates in three contested races for Christian County Board of Education, which are nonpartisan offices, are slated for the following times on Monday, Oct. 14:
- 5-5:30 p.m. — District 1: Challenger David Webster and incumbent Erin Westerfield (Watch ▶️)
- 5:45-6:15 p.m. — District 2: Challenger Margo Pickens and incumbent Ambrea Watkins (Watch ▶️)
- 6:30-7 p.m. — District 4: Challenger Caleb Ballard and incumbent Rebecca Pepper (Watch ▶️)
Christian County has five school members and the district races appear on the ballot on a rotating basis so that the entire board is never on the ballot in the same year.
School board members serve a four-year term and are elected by the voters in their geographic district, not by a countywide vote.
Hopkinsville City Council
There are four contested races for Hopkinsville City Council, which are partisan offices.
Hopkinsville City Council has 12 members who are elected by wards. In the general election, voting is conducted citywide, meaning all voters living in the city limits may cast a ballot in each of the 12 wards. Council members serve a two-year term.
If any of the candidates decline or don’t respond to the invitation to debate, their opponent will still have the opportunity to answer questions, the league said in a Facebook post.
Wards 1 & 9
Candidates for the Ward 1 and Ward 9 seats are scheduled to debate on Monday, Oct. 21:
- 5-5:30 p.m. — Ward 1: Markeeta Wilkerson (D), Vance Smith (R) and incumbent write-in candidate Natasha Francis (R) (Watch ▶️)
- 5:45-6:15 p.m. — Ward 9: Angelique Victor (D), Brittanie Bogard (R) and Duane Shepard (I) (Watch ▶️)
Wards 10 & 12
Candidates for Wards 10 and 12 are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 24:
- 5:45-6:15 p.m. — Ward 10: Mike Velez (R) and Andra Gold (D) (Watch ▶️)
- 6:30-7 p.m. — Ward 12: Elizabeth Draude (R) and Samual Goodman (D) (Watch ▶️)
Kentucky House of Representatives
The candidates for Kentucky House of Representatives are slated for Thursday, Oct. 24:
- 5-5:30 p.m. — District 9: Incumbent Myron Dossett (R) and challenger Twyla Dillard (D) (Watch ▶️)
Kentucky House District 9 is comprised of a portion Christian County, including much of the southeastern area of the county. House members are elected to a two-year term.
Where and when to vote
Election Day
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5, and polls will be open that day from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at these 13 polling places in Christian County:
- James E. Bruce Convention Center, 303 Conference Center Drive
- Christian County Courthouse, 511 S. Main St.
- Christian County Senior Citizens Center, 1402 W. Seventh St.
- Oak Grove Community Center, 1705 Thompsonville Lane
- Inspire Early Learning Academy, 313 Blane Drive
- New Barren Springs Church, 5012 Dogwood-Kelly Road
- New Palestine Baptist Church, 9997 Dawson Springs Road
- Sinking Fork Baptist Church, 5800 Princeton Road
- Pembroke Baptist Church, 144 S. Main St.
- Crofton Tornado Safe Room, 13511 N. Old Madisonville Road
- South Christian Elementary School, 12340 Herndon-Oak Grove Road
- Boys and Girls Club of Hopkinsville-Christian County, 1600 Walnut St.
- Indian Hills Elementary School, 434 Koffman Drive
Early voting
In Kentucky, voters with a qualifying reason can request a mail-in absentee ballot through Oct. 22 or vote during in-person excused absentee voting days. In Christian County, those will be conducted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 23 to 25 and Oct. 28 to 30, at the clerk’s office in the Christian County Courthouse.
Voters without a qualifying reason also can vote early in-person — from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at the James E. Bruce Convention Center, Christian County Senior Center or the Boys & Girls Club.
The Christian County ballot can be downloaded here.
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.
