Christian County voters will have an opportunity to hear candidates for mayor, city council, school board and a state legislative race in a series of debates put on Tuesday and Thursday by the League of Women Voters of Hopkinsville.
The first debate, at 10 a.m. Tuesday, will be for the Hopkinsville mayoral candidates — Republican James R. Knight Jr., Democrat Wendell Lynch, who is the incumbent, and Independent Walter Shamble.
Following the mayoral candidates, Tuesday’s slate will include debates in seven city council races and the 8th District state house race. Thursday’s forum will include two school board races, which are nonpartisan, and three city council races.
The forum will be in city council chambers at the Hopkinsville Municipal Center both days. However, because of coronavirus safety restrictions, there won’t be a live audience present, said league representative Carolyn Self.
A livestream video of the debates will be available on the Facebook pages for the league and the city of Hopkinsville, and those will remain available for viewing later, said Self.
Here’s a full schedule of the debates:
Tuesday
10 a.m. — Mayor’s race
11 a.m. — City council, Ward 1 (Republican challenger Natasha Sophia Francis, Democratic incumbent Darvin Adams)
1 p.m. — City council, Ward 2 (Democratic incumbent Kimberly McCarley, Independent challenger Ron Hicks)
1:45 p.m. — City council, Ward 4 (Chuck Crabtree and Bradley Garabrandt, both Independents; the incumbent, Paul Henson recently withdrew from the race because he is being treated for lung cancer)
2:45 p.m. — City council, Ward 3 (Democrat Alethea West and Independents Jarred Mathis and Karen Bass; incumbent Don Ahart is not seeking re-election)
3:45 p.m. — State House, 8th District (Incumbent Republican Walker Thomas and Democratic challenger Pam Dossett)
4:45 p.m. — City council, Ward 5 (Incumbent Republican Amy Craig and Independent challenger Don Pemberton)
5:30 p.m. — City council, Ward 6 (Incumbent Republican Travis Martin and Democratic challenger Paula Knight)
6:15 p.m. — City council, Ward 11 (Incumbent Republican Jason Bell and Democratic challenger Steve Hoover)
Thursday
4 p.m. — School board, District 1 (Jeff Moore and John Bruce)
4:45 p.m. — School board, District 2 (Nichole Eastman and Tiffany Mumford Brame)
5:30 p.m. — City council, Ward 12 (Republican challenger Matthew Handy and incumbent Democrat Phillip Brooks)
6:15 p.m. — City council, Ward 10 (Republican challenger Steve Keel and incumbent Democrat Jimmy Dossett)
7 p.m. — City council, Ward 8 (Incumbent Republican Tom Johnson and Democratic challenger Twyla Dillard-Parris)
Two city council wards are not slated for a debate. In Ward 7, Republican challenger Richard Covington declined to participate in the debate, said Self. His opponent is incumbent Democrat Terry Parker. In Ward 9, incumbent Democrat Patricia Waddell-Bell has no opponent.
There is also an open seat for District 4 on the school board. Michael Walker is the only candidate in the race.
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.
