The field is set!

Candidates for May '26 primary finalized

Posted Friday, January 9, 2026 4:40 pm

MANCHESTER, Ky. — The field is officially set for the upcoming May Primary election in Clay County. The deadline passed on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.

County Judge-Executive: Tommy Harmon (Incumbent); Jeffrey Todd Croutcher (D); Scotty Smith (R).
Sheriff: Patrick Robinson (Incumbent).
County Clerk: Beverly Craft (Incumbent, R); Jackson Gates (D).
Jailer: Linda Smallwood (Incumbent); Mark Jackson (R); Darrell Mills (R).
County Attorney: Joseph White (Incumbent).
County Coroner: Jason Abner (Incumbent); Michael Caudill; Kathy Couch-Hicks.

PVA: Paul Durham (Incumbent)

Magistrates:

District 1 – Russell “Rabbitt” Smith (Incumbent); Earl “Country Earl” Owens
District 2 – Sonya Hoskins-Gray (Incumbent); Chris Reid; William “Bill” Scalf
District 3 – Sonny Gay (Incumbent); Ben Burkhart; Glenn Smith
District 4 – Chris Smith (Incumbent); Jamie Jackson; Michael Smith; Marty Davis; Cecil Wagers
District 5 – Jerry Combs (Incumbent); Glenn Ray Henson; Mike Davis
District 6 – Bill Warren (Incumbent); Jason Smith

Constables:

District 1 – Tyrone Salyers (Incumbent); Roy “Little Bit” Hubbard, Michael Wagers.
District 2 – Anthony Wagers (Incumbent)
District 3 – Harvey Dean Collins (Incumbent); Jimmy “Bucky” Smith
District 4 – Elvis Smith (Incumbent), Eugene Jackson; Harold Williams
District 5 – Bent Couch (Incumbent)
District 6 – Richard Brian Hubbard (Incumbent); Paul Collins; Rodney Bowling

City of Manchester:

Mayor – Steve Collins (Incumbent)
City Council – Jennifer Gray Hooker; Betty Meredith; Traci Rice-White; Dorothy Sizemore; Russell Gregory; Johnny Holland; Charles Dobber Weaver; Loretta Smallwood; Alma Faye Gregory; Mark Deaton; Josh Jackson; Darnell Hipsher; Ralph Robinson.

The May primary will determine which candidates advance to the November 2026 General Election in both partisan and nonpartisan races.

Key Election Dates