LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — Though he previously announced his candidacy for a third term in the Kentucky Senate, a long-time legislator may instead seek a judgeship.

State Senator Tom Jensen announced his plans to seek re-election in the Senate previously in the year. However, the potential vacancy for a circuit judge may be sending Jensen in another direction.

Jensen, a London attorney who has served four terms in the state House of Representatives, as Kentucky Republican Chairperson, and two terms in the state Senate, said seeking the judgeship would wind down an interesting career in politics and the justice system.

He said he has always been interested in serving as circuit judge but his friendship with current judges — John Knox Mills and Gregory Lay — stopped him from running against them for the seat previously.

Should Jensen decide to seek the judgeship, he will replace 27th Circuit Judge Mills, who plans to retire on Aug. 1. Although Jensen is currently unopposed for his Senate seat bid, he would be forced to resign the Senate seat to run for Laurel/Knox Circuit Judge.

Timing will be the key to Jensen’s decision.

If the vacancy is announced within a certain time frame, the position could be filled by an appointment by the Governor or  either a special election could be held to determine who will fill Mills’ position as circuit judge.

But cuts in the state budget may leave the second circuit judge position open for retired judges to hear cases until the state revenues improve.

If the circuit judge position is filled and if Jensen does run for that slot on the court, he will have to resign his Senate seat, giving Republicans and Democrats opportunity to nominate someone to fill Jensen’s senate seat.

Jensen’s absence from the state senate would leave a huge gap in legislative measures for the state and between the Republican and Democratic parties. Jensen has worked with Democratic representatives to rework the state’s penal code and also to make the process of obtaining pseudoephedrine — the key component of methamphetamine — harder to obtain.

However, the potential move from the Senate to the judge’s seat would more than double Jensen’s current state pay as well as enhancing his state retirement benefits. It would also allow Jensen the opportunity to fulfill his dream of serving on the court, as stated during a television interview with WYMT-TV that aired on Monday evening and Tuesday morning. During that interview, Jensen said he had had three different careers — as a House of Representatives member, as state Republican Party Chair, and as a member of the state Senate. Moving to the judgeship would, he said, wind down a long and interesting career.



njohnson@sentinel-echo.com