The only guarantee Tuesday brought in Trigg County was that new blood would serve as District 6 magistrate — following the retirement of Larry Lawrence from the seat after six terms on fiscal court.
Republican Pat Bush earned the nod from voters, defeating Democrat Jan Culwell 719-182.
Considered the Linton-Maggie and Canton #1 area of the county, the region serves great importance to Bush and his family — and he hopes to get working directly.
Tourism continues to be one of Trigg’s strongest suits, particularly in the western part of the county and the incorporation of Land Between the Lakes, and that’s something Bush has repeatedly noted he’d like to see increased.
Of course, replacing Lawrence’s experience and passion for the area will be difficult to replace.
Someone, however, was going to have to be the first in line to do it. And now, that’s Bush, who will have to work alongside unopposed incumbents Barry Littlejohn, Mike Lane, Alana Baker Dunn and Jeff Broadbent — as well as Tuesday winners and returning incumbents Cameron Sumner and Mike Wright.
Wright’s fourth term in District 1 was emphatically challenged by Republican John Oliver before earning a 469-368 victory. Wright received more than 500 votes in his first two elections, and ran unopposed in 2018. Oliver, meanwhile, was seeking his first county office after running as a judge-executive write-in during 2018 — where he garnered 1,004 votes.
Sumner’s second term was assured Tuesday after a 479-176 victory over Democrat William Linton. Serving the north Cadiz area, he was elected by 13 votes over Jon Goodwin in the 2018 election, and edged 2002 Trigg County High School graduate Josh Adams by 18 votes in this spring’s primary.
Several county offices were unopposed Tuesday.
Stan Humphries returns, and will replace Hollis Alexander as judge-executive. In 2006, he was the first Republican since 1929 to be elected Trigg’s top leader, and in 2012 he was replaced by Alexander following his election as state senator. Humphries is the first Trigg County judge-executive to be elected without general opposition since Zelner Cossey in 1981.
Randall Brayboy will serve his fourth term as county attorney.
County Clerk Carmen Finley, who noted this was one of the strongest elections she’s seen, was unencumbered.
Democrat James Hughes will serve a fifth term as jailer, and has a heavy court docket this week.
A Vinson has been Trigg County coroner since 1964, with John III serving 11 consecutive terms before his 2006 retirement, and his son John Mark serving since 2007. That didn’t change Tuesday, either.
Following an emotional three-way primary this past May, Lauren Fowler remained PVA — the county’s first woman in the seat.
Unopposed, filed constables elected were Ray Wyatt, John Oliphant and Kerry Fowler.
