Christian County Judge-Executive Steve Tribble, a Democrat who has been in office since 1994, will seek an eighth term, he said Friday in a press release.
The 2022 race already has a rare contested primary for the Republican party with announcements last week from two GOP candidates — Jerry Gilliam, a county magistrate, and Katie Moyer, a hemp businesswoman.
But Tribble, the only Democratic candidate who has publicly stated plans to run for the office, downplayed party affiliation in the release.
“My philosophy is pretty simple,” Tribble said in the release delivered by email from Mike Foster, the former Christian County attorney. “I have committed myself to avoid political grandstanding. The people I talk to on a daily basis are tired of political bickering and partisanship. I have learned that most problems facing local government do not have a Democratic or Republican solution. These problems have a commonsense solution. It takes a combination of hard work, common sense and a sense of cooperation to find responsible solutions.”
Tribble cited several priorities, including economic development, expansion of broadband internet, funding law enforcement and county road maintenance.
After seven consecutive election victories, Tribble is currently the longest-serving elected official serving in a countywide office. The last time Tribble faced a Republican challenger was in 2002, when he won in a race against Rachel McCubbin.
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.
