Assistant Christian County Attorney Lincoln Foster confirmed on Friday that he’ll seek the county attorney’s position in the 2022 election.
Foster’s likely candidacy had been all but stated Thursday when his boss, County Attorney John T. Soyars, announced he would not seek re-election after serving one term. He said he planned to endorse Foster for the office.
A 2012 graduate of the Mississippi College of Law, Foster will run as an independent candidate, he told Hoptown Chronicle. State election law requires independent candidates for county offices to be registered as independent voters. Foster said he intends to change his party affiliation from Democrat to independent relatively soon.
Foster hopes to secure the office that his father, Democrat Mike Foster, held for more than 30 years before his retirement following Soyars’ election in 2018.
“It has been my privilege to serve as Assistant County Attorney for the past 10 years under the guidance of my father, Mike Foster, as well as his successor, John Soyars. I could not ask for two greater mentors in terms of properly serving the public and the agencies that depend on the advice of the Christian County Attorney,” Lincoln Foster said in a press release. “I have a working knowledge of all aspects of the County Attorney Office including criminal and traffic prosecution, Fiscal Court representation, child support collections and advice to all county offices. I know the challenge of doing this job properly and the best ways to meet that challenge. Simply stated, I would hit the ground running if I am fortunate enough to be elected as your next County Attorney.”
He added, “I learned from my father that it is important to have a well-earned reputation for legal competence. However, it is even more important to have a well-earned reputation for integrity, a great work ethic, and the willingness to be available to all of the citizens of Christian County who may need our help or assistance. I love this community. As your County Attorney, I will work as hard as I know how to make our community an even better place to live and raise our children.”
Foster serves on the boards of the Hopkinsville Industrial Foundation, St. Luke’s Free Clinic and the Hopkinsville Community College Foundation. He’s a former president of the Christian County Bar Association.
In Kentucky, county attorneys serve a four-year term. They prosecute cases in district court and advise county officials on legal matters.
Running as an independent, Foster would not be on a ballot for the May primary. If any Democrats or Republicans run for the office, Foster would face the primary winners in the November general election.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
