LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — The deadline for prospective candidates in the November election came and went, with several persons filing for local school board positions.

In the Laurel County School System, the three school board districts up for vote in late fall have potential for two new faces with current board members facing opposition.

Current board chair Eddie Jones is unopposed for the District 2 seat. The District 5 contest pits incumbent Charles “Bud” Stuber against former board member, Albert Binder. District 4 has three candidates that include current board co-chair Lola Reed competing for the top votes against Jeff Lewis and Mark Begley.

The East Bernstadt school board race has Sandra Smith and Maquiel Storm looking to unseat incumbent board members Kenny Woodruff and Robert W. Frost in the November contest.

The London City Council race offers seven candidates, with only the top six vote-getters earning their seat on the city government council. All six current council members — Bobby Joe Parman, Sharon Benge, Nancy Vaughn, Judd Weaver, Danny Phelps, Jason Handy — are challenged by Jim Hays. An eighth candidate, Dwight Larkey, withdrew from the council race on July 18, leaving only Hays seeking to unseat one of the current council members.

In statewide races, current Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 27th Judicial Circuit that includes Laurel and Knox counties, Jackie Steele, is unopposed.

Ditto for Tom Jensen, who withdrew from the state Senate race to pursue a position for Laurel/Knox Circuit Judge. That availability came after the resignation of Circuit Judge John Knox Mills, who retired earlier this summer. Mills is now pursuing his teaching career at Williamsburg’s University of the Cumberlands, although he exited the judgeship with two years remaining on his term. Jensen will fill that spot this November.

In the Senate race, the Republican Party of Laurel County was scheduled to meet Thursday night to nominate a replacement for Jensen. The nominee will be chosen by the executive committee. Jensen was running unopposed for his Senate seat for another four-year term.

Currently two persons have expressed interest in the nomination — former State Senator Albert Robinson and a newcomer to the political scene, London resident Mike Calebs.

The Presidential election on this year’s ballot pits Democratic incumbent, President Barack Obama and current Vice President Joe Biden, against the Republican prospectives, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney and running mate, Paul Ryan.

The November election will be on Tuesday, Nov. 6. In Kentucky, voting polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.



njohnson@sentinel-echo.com