Jobe expect large turnout for next week’s Presidential election
LOUISA, Ky. — In a year of living dangerously in U.S. politics with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trading insults and dirty tricks from one side of the country to the other, Louisa and Lawrence County has little competition to offer on the local level.
The 96th District State Rep. race between two Carter Countians vying for the right to represent Carter and Lawrence Counties in the state legislature, incumbent Republican Jill York faces newcomer Josh McGuire, a professional race car driver. And in the only other Kentucky race incumbent Republican Rand Paul is being challenged by former Lexington mayor Democrat Jim Gray.
And that’s about it besides the race for U.S. President in which Trump has captured the mindset of most eastern Kentuckians, including Lawrence Countians mostly because of the decline in the coal business which has been blamed on President Barack Obama and now candidate Hillary Clinton. Trump is expected to win easily in the region.
Lawrence County Clerk Chris Jobe said his office is anticipating a large turnout for the election despite the lack of contested local races. He said he expects the turnout could be up to 70% based on the number of absentee ballots cast so far. In the last presidential race the turnout was just over 60%, Jobe said.
There are 12,427 total registered voters in Lawrence County including 6,237 Democrats and 5,392 Republicans, up 701 from 2012. There are 808 registered Independent voters.
Louisa City Council has six candidates for six seats and the Lawrence Co. BOE has three seats open and three candidates for the jobs so no competition there. Louisa mayor Harold Slone has two more years on his term before he runs for re-election.
