Hancock County Voters Elect Wigginton as Magistrate, Taylor and Emmick to BOE, Keep Gregory as Mayor
By Jennifer WimmerCity of Lewisport Mayor Race
Lewisport Mayor Chad Gregory, running for re-election to serve a sixth term, was challenged by Eddie Miller. Gregory won by 314 votes, and will continue to serve as Lewisport Mayor. Miller received 215 votes, and Gregory received 529.
District 1 Magistrate Race
Hancock County voters chose Brent Wigginton to serve as Lewisport District 1 Magistrate. Wigginton received 586 votes, and his challenger, Darrell Wall, received 473.
Wall was sworn-in as the interim governor-appointed District 1 Magistrate in April, and began serving in John Garner’s place in May. Garner, former Lewisport Chief of Police, switched over to serve as School Resource Officer at North Hancock Elementary.
Wigginton, former Lewisport City Administrator, will begin serving as Magistrate, District 1, effective immediately, and serve Garner’s unexpired term.
Hancock County Board of Education
Voters decided who will serve Educational District 2 and District 5 on the Hancock County Board of Education (BOE).
Donna Quattrocchi, who has served District 2 for 23 years, ran for a 6th term, challenged by Veronica Taylor. Taylor received 491 votes for the win, and Quattrocchi received 253. Taylor will begin serving her term in 2025.
Mary Beth Emmick Morris and Charles Todd Duncan were both running for the 5th District BOE seat, and Emmick won that race with 493 votes. Duncan received 217 votes.
Emmick will begin filling the role in 2025, and her father, David Emmick, Board Chair since 2022, is retiring after many years of serving District 5.
Incumbent Shane Ball ran, uncontested, for the 4th District BOE seat.
Current Board Members
The 2024 Hancock County BOE Members are: Vanessa Cox – District 1 (2023-2027); Brooke Payne – District 3 (2023-2027); Donna Quattrocchi – District 2 (2001-2024); Shane Ball – District 4 (2020-present); and David Emmick – District 5 (2001-2024).
In 2025, Veronica Taylor will begin to serve District 1, and Mary Beth Emmick Morris will serve District 5.
Lewisport City Council
The six incumbents running for re-election to serve on the Lewisport City Council were: Marsha Johnson, Kelly Vanover, Josh Roberts, Tori Sipes Shively, Josephine “Josie” Hagan, and Mary M. Hawkins. Roy White also ran for a seat on the council, and received 409 votes, pushing him into one of the six spots. He will be filling Hagan’s seat on the council, starting in January.
Hawesville City Council
Running for re-election to serve on the Hawesville City Council were incumbents Pat “Junnie” Morris, Kevin Linn, Tracy O. Johnson, Justin Basham, Danny Doyle, and Wayne Herndon. Matt Patterson ran for a seat on the council as well, and with only 147 votes, will not fill one of those 6 seats in 2025. All current members will continue, and serve another term.
Circuit Clerk
Hancock County Circuit Clerk Mike Boling ran, unchallenged, and will serve another term.
Commonwealth’s Attorney
Blake Ross Chambers (R) ran unchallenged for re-election to the 38th Judicial Circuit Commonwealth’s Attorney in Kentucky seat.
State Representatives
Chanda Garner (D) only received 19.37 percent of the vote in her race against incumbent Scott Lewis (R), to serve on the Kentucky House of Representatives, representing District 14. Lewis received 80.63 percent of the vote, 17,093.
Kentucky Representative James Comer (R) was challenged by Erin Marshall (D), who was unsuccessful. Comer received 74.71 percent of the vote, and will serve another term.
Wade Williams (R) won the race for KY State Representative, District 4, against Lloyd Smith (D).
Jim Gooch (R) won his race for KY State Representative, District 12, against Alton Ayer (D). Gooch received 79.85 percent of the vote.
U.S. Senate
Kentucky Representative James Comer (R) was challenged by Erin Marshall (D), who was unsuccessful. Comer received 74.71 percent of the vote, and will serve another term.
Wade Williams (R) won the race for KY State Representative, District 4, against Lloyd Smith (D).
Jim Gooch (R) won his race for KY State Representative, District 12, against Alton Ayer (D). Gooch received 79.85 percent of the vote.
U.S. Senate
Senator Stephen Meredith (R) received 79.93 percent of the vote for KY State Senator, District 5, against Jamie Skudlarek (D).
U.S. Representative
Hank Linderman (D) ran for election against incumbent S. Brett Guthrie (R) for the United States House to represent Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District, and was unsuccessful. Brett Guthrie received a whopping 73.10 percent of the vote.
47th President of the United States
Former President Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance received 1,335,514 votes from Kentuckians, 64.59 percent. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz received significantly less, 700,605, and 33.88 percent of the KY vote. President Trump was declared the winner early Wednesday morning, after passing 270 electoral votes.
Former President Donald J. Trump and J.D. Vance received 1,335,514 votes from Kentuckians, 64.59 percent. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz received significantly less, 700,605, and 33.88 percent of the KY vote. President Trump was declared the winner early Wednesday morning, after passing 270 electoral votes.
Ballot Measures
Citizens in the Commonwealth of Kentucky voted on 2 constitutional amendments. Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 2 failed, with 64.8 percent voting not to allow funding for non-public school systems, and 62.4 percent voted ‘yes’ to KY Constitutional Amendment 1, to ensure that only citizens of the United States can vote in elections in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, by clarifying the wording. Only a handful of states had this measure on their ballots.
KY Medical Marijuana Program
Hancock County voters also saw the option on this year’s general election ballot to vote for or against allowing medicinal cannabis businesses to operate in the boundaries of the county, and the results were 3,033 for, and 1,454 against.
All counties in Kentucky were given the option to decide if the question would be on the ballot. To give Hancock County voters a voice in this, the Hancock County Fiscal Court approved the resolution, and submitted it in July, for the question to appear on the ballot in our county.
The cities and counties will still have the option to take action on whether these businesses would be allowed to operate. Local governments can pass an ordinance by December 31st, 2024 to prohibit cannabis operations in their jurisdictions. They also have an option to pass a resolution to put the matter to a public vote, and an option of placing restrictions and/or collecting fees related to the businesses operating within the county or city limits.
KY Medical Marijuana Program
Hancock County voters also saw the option on this year’s general election ballot to vote for or against allowing medicinal cannabis businesses to operate in the boundaries of the county, and the results were 3,033 for, and 1,454 against.
All counties in Kentucky were given the option to decide if the question would be on the ballot. To give Hancock County voters a voice in this, the Hancock County Fiscal Court approved the resolution, and submitted it in July, for the question to appear on the ballot in our county.
The cities and counties will still have the option to take action on whether these businesses would be allowed to operate. Local governments can pass an ordinance by December 31st, 2024 to prohibit cannabis operations in their jurisdictions. They also have an option to pass a resolution to put the matter to a public vote, and an option of placing restrictions and/or collecting fees related to the businesses operating within the county or city limits.
he 2023 KY General Assembly passed Senate Bill 47, legalizing the use of medical cannabis and establishing a framework for state licensure of cannabis businesses in the Commonwealth, effective January 1st, 2025.
Prospective medicinal cannabis businesses are becoming licensed by the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services, as legislature has passed House Bill 829, amending the law to expedite the process of licensing and allows the Cabinet to begin issuing licenses this year rather than waiting until January 1st, 2025. Those licenses can be for: cultivator, processor, producer, safety compliance facility, or dispensary.
Prospective medicinal cannabis businesses are becoming licensed by the KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services, as legislature has passed House Bill 829, amending the law to expedite the process of licensing and allows the Cabinet to begin issuing licenses this year rather than waiting until January 1st, 2025. Those licenses can be for: cultivator, processor, producer, safety compliance facility, or dispensary.
