Local incumbent candidates fail in effort to win election to another term
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 — Republican candidates performed well in other races in Nelson County, expanding the number of elected Republicans who will be serving in the county.
PVA. Jason “Jay” Williams, whose campaign ads called on voters to “Vote Jay for PVA,” was successful in his bid to unseat Democrat Tracey Bonzo, who had served in the PVA office for 17 years, and was appointed PVA after the retirement earlier this year of then-PVA Barbara Tichenor.
JAILER. Republican Justin Hall’s ad campaign involved all forms of ways to get out his message — including a tractor-trailer. He ended up earning 68.94 percent of the voting at the end day, serving as the first Republican elected to the office of county jailer.
His Democrat opponent, Steven Campell, received 31 percent of the votes cast.
NON-PARTISAN SCHOOL BOARD RACES. David Norman, the former District 1 county school board representative who had to resign because of his county job came back to win big in his race against Adam Gossom. Norman received more than 68 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election.
DISTRICT 4. Incumbent county school board member Ashley Jones Hollingshead lost in a four-way race to remain on the school board. Though there were four candidates, only one candidate drew most of the votes — Amanda Rogers Deaton, who receives more than 65 percent of the votes.
AMENDMENTS FAIL. Both of the constitutional amendments on Tuesday’s ballot failed to carry Nelson County.
Amendment No. 1 would have allowed the Kentucky General Assembly to call itself into session without the approval of the state’s governor. More than 53 percent of Nelson voters casts votes against Amendment No. 1.
Amendment No 2 would have placed langange in the Kentucky Constitution that there is no constitutional right for an abortion. Millions of dollars in print and TV ads lobbied voters on both sides of this issue.
In Nelson County, the amendment failed by just 216 votes.
In Kentucky, both amendments failed to pass.
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