Pikeville attorney Phillip Wheeler will carry GOP banner in March 5th Special Election for 31st District State Senator in Pike, Martin, Lawrence, Elliott, and Morgan counties
PIKEVILLE, KY. — Republican Party local leaders from Pike, Martin, Lawrence, Elliott, and Morgan counties gathered Monday and unanimously chose Pikeville attorney Phillip Wheeler as their nominee for State Senator, 31st District in the March 5th Special Election to be held in the five counties that comprise the district.
Wheeler, 40, has practiced law in Pike County since 2004, focusing on representing coal miners and other workers who are injured on the job. Wheeler, and his wife, Crystal, and their son, Weston, reside in Pikeville. Wheeler is a graduate of Pikeville High School, Transylvania University, and the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is the current President of the Kentucky Workers Association, a statewide association of Workers Compensation legal professionals who are dedicated to defending the rights of injured workers in Kentucky. Wheeler previously served a term on the statewide Workers Compensation Nominating Committee, appointed by former Gov. Ernie Fletcher to help select Workers Compensation Administrative Law Judges in Kentucky.
Wheeler officially filed his candidacy papers with the Secretary of State at the Capitol in Frankfort on Tuesday. Wheeler then participated in extensive discussions with Senate President Robert Stivers and other Senate Majority leaders, who pledged their full support for Wheeler’s campaign to become the 29th member of the Republican Supermajority in the Kentucky State Senate. Of the 38-member Senate, only 9 seats are currently held by Democrats.
Wheeler said his top priorities if elected would be expanded economic development opportunities through job creation, improving transportation and Broadband Internet infrastructure, and addressing the opioid epidemic.
“I will be a conservative fighter for East Kentucky in the State Senate—I’ll stand up for working families and for our mountain values in Frankfort,” Wheeler said.
“I’m a Donald Trump Republican who puts people first,” he said.
Wheeler said he was “proudly pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-Christian values.”
“I have spent my entire professional career as an advocate for working people on a daily basis. If the people see fit to elect me as their senator, I will continue that crusade,” said Wheeler.
The vacancy for 31st District State Senator was created upon the resignation of former Sen. Ray Jones (D-Pikeville) who was elected Pike County Judge/Executive last November. All polling place precincts in Pike, Martin, Lawrence, Elliott, and Morgan counties will be open for voting as is usual in regular elections on Tuesday, March 5th from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.
I know he will work to help his home county. But what will he do for Martin County? We need politicians to work for our county, too.
Right now, we have an airport, four lane roads, railroad, good schools, churches, three courthouses, but no INFRASTRUCTURE that will draw businesses on a large scale.
Mr. Wheeler, we need a large lake that will produce plenty of water to all the county and enough to interest companies to locate here. With a large lake ( we have three hollows that head together to produce a big lake from three waterways.) With a big lake on these three hollows, we could have boating, fishing,, camping, zip lines and trails that would connect with Pike, Floyd, Johnson, and Lawrence counties and their tourist sites. We need to build a sewage/garbage plant and draw business from other counties, Mingo and Wayne counties to pay our county for usage. You see Mr. Wheeler, we have good potential, we just don’t have good Representatives that want to build up Martin County.
We have so much to offer, we just don’t have those who will speak and work for us at Frankfort.
Can and will you do that? Will you work to help us? For years our county worked the coal mines and our tax dollars were spread out all over Kentucky. It is time Kentucky helps us. We don’t need another courthouse or a bigger school, we need businesses that will put our unemployed back to work. Welfare is not the answer. Jobs are. Thank you for reading this.
A potential voter. Thank you, E. CASSADY
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