Political newcomer James R. Knight Jr.’s lopsided win in the race for Hopkinsville mayor was just the start of things for Republicans in Tuesday’s general election. The party also captured all 12 Hopkinsville City Council seats, giving Republicans unprecedented control of city government.
Knight defeated Democratic nominee Alethea West — 5,018 to 3,233, according to preliminary election results. West currently represents Ward 3 on the council but gave up a potential reelection bid for that office so she could run for mayor.
“We’ve got a strong Republican council now with a Republican mayor,” Knight told a crowd of supporters at the Memorial Building. “Y’all watch out. Hopkinsville’s going to grow leaps and bounds.”
Knight told Hoptown Chronicle that he wants to invest in city government’s workforce — first by meeting the obligations to properly fund retirement benefits and then by increasing wages for current workers. He pledged to do both without raising taxes.
“We’ve got plenty of money there,” he said. “We’ve just go to figure out how to move it around. I figure the finance team down there and us can put our heads together and figure out how. It might not be a great big raise, but we’ve got to gradually start making their pay a better living for them.”
Knight said he’ll also work to raise the community’s expectations for what it can achieve.
“We’re going to quit expecting less,” he said. “We are going to expect more. Every time we come and want something, we want the best. We don’t want the minimum.”
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- RELATED: See election results for all Christian County races
Knight will follow Democratic Mayor Wendell Lynch, a retired banker and former city councilman who did not seek reelection. Lynch was appointed mayor for one year and then elected for two years when Republican Carter Hendricks left office early to become the county’s chief industrial recruiter.
The mayor serves a four-year term.
Hopkinsville City Council
The city council that takes office with Knight in January will include six new members. The group will be less diverse racially. There are currently six Black council members; the new council will have three Black members.
Council members serve a two-year term.
The city council results by ward were:
City Council – Ward 1
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Natasha Sophia Francis* (R) | 4,244 | 54.6% |
| Vance D. Smith (D) | 3,529 | 45.4% |
City Council – Ward 2
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Bruce Smiley (R) | 5,687 | 100% |
City Council – Ward 3
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Donald Marsh (R) | 4,246 | 53.9% |
| Karen Bass (D) | 3,634 | 46.1% |
City Council – Ward 4
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Chuck Crabtree* (R) | 5,619 | 100% |
City Council – Ward 5
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Amy Craig* (R) | 5,633 | 100% |
City Council – Ward 6
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Travis W. Martin* (R) | 4,823 | 60.2% |
| Nichelle “Niecy” Hillis (D) | 3,191 | 39.8% |
City Council – Ward 7
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Doug Wilcox (R) | 4,650 | 59.1% |
| William L. Coleman (D) | 3,221 | 40.9% |
City Council – Ward 8
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Robert Terry Meek (R) | 4,512 | 57.5% |
| Twyla Dillard (D) | 3,338 | 42.5% |
City Council – Ward 9
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Jamie Lynn Lienberger (R) | 4,371 | 55.5% |
| Patricia A. Waddell-Bell* (D) | 3,508 | 44.5% |
City Council – Ward 10
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Steve Keel* (R) | 5,640 | 100% |
City Council – Ward 11
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Jason Bell* (R) | 5,202 | 66.5% |
| Jose Quinonez (D) | 2,625 | 33.5% |
City Council – Ward 12
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| ✔ Matthew Handy (R) | 4,157 | 52.9% |
| Phillip Brooks* (D) | 3,695 | 47.1% |
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.
