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Deputy Secretary of State explains rules of unusual write-in Senate contest

State Sen. Johnnie Turner, the author of SB 32, represents five eastern Kentucky counties and has been an attorney for more than four decades.
LRC
Eleven write-in candidates are in the race to replace the late state Sen. Johnnie Turner.

Eleven write-in candidates will compete for the 29th District state Senate seat. The deadline to file for the race as a write-in was last Friday, three days after the death of incumbent Johnnie Turner. Deputy Secretary of State Jennifer Scutchfield said voters in Bell, Floyd, Harlan, Knott and Letcher counties can ask to be shown a list of write-in candidates.

“It’s not something that they hand out. It's not something that you know, they put by the sign-in, but it is something they have to have available in case somebody would ask.”

Scutchfield said to vote in the 29th District race, people must check the write-in box and at least the last name of their preferred candidate. She said votes for Turner and another candidate who dropped out a few weeks ago will not be counted, and offered this advice:

“if you're in the 29th, get on our website and check out who the write-in candidates are. You know, they've had a very short period of time in order to campaign. And you want to make sure that who represents you is who you want to represent you.”

Scutchfield said misspellings won’t invalidate votes as long as the intent of the voter is clear.

29th District write-in candidates

Paul Williams, Prestonsburg

James Tyler Ward II, Whitesburg

Andrew Saylor, Wallins Creek

Justin Noble, Emmalena

Scott Madon, Pineville

Valerie Horn, Whitesburg

James Hesterburg, Prestonsburg

Leonard Hendrickson, Pine Top

Willie Crase, Garrett

John Clem, Cranks

Craig Blackburn, Prestonsburg

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John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience.
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