Boyle voters favor statewide winners in primary election

Published 11:59 pm Tuesday, May 21, 2019

By ROBIN HART and BEN KLEPPINGER

advocate@amnews.com

Boyle County voters voted the same way the commonwealth did in every primary election Tuesday.

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Gov. Matt Bevin carried Boyle County and Kentucky for the Republican nomination; Attorney General Andy Beshear did the same on the Democratic side.

Bevin got 1,134 Republican votes in Boyle, while Beshear got 1,212 Democratic votes.

Other Republicans seeking the nomination were Robert Goforth (711 votes), William Woods (79) and Ike Lawrence (63).

Beshear topped fellow candidates Adam Edelen’s 930 votes, Rocky Adkins’ 863 and Geoffrey Young’s 53.

Statewide, Beshear got almost 38 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary; the next closest was Adkins with less than 33 percent. Bevin won with a comfortable margin, taking more than 52 percent of the statewide vote. Goforth was second with less than 40 percent.

According to the Kentucky State Board of Elections, Boyle County’s voter turnout was 21.85 percent, with 4,897 ballots cast.

Voter turnout was already close to the 20-percent mark for the SS. Peter and Paul precinct with more than five hours left before polls closed Tuesday.

Precinct Clerk Becky Wesley said she has worked the SS. Peter and Paul precinct since 2002, when voters still came to vote at the Catholic Church on Main Street, and turnout has always been stronger than elsewhere in the county.

“They’re just dedicated folks, that’s what it is,” she said. “They’re dedicated voters.”

Asked why she has done the job for so long, Wesley responded, “I was just called and asked if I would and I thought I would try it and I liked it.”

She votes absentee every election so she can work at the polling place. She hasn’t voted in her own precinct in so long “if I was to go to my polls and say, ‘Hey, I’m Becky Wesley,’ they would say, ‘No you’re not,'” she said, laughing.

Wesley and her three fellow precinct workers — Sheriff Charlie Newton, Judge Sue Sullivan and Judge Jim Baker — have all been working together every election since 2012. They pride themselves on having a fantastic potluck with their sister precincts every year — and sharing their breakfast, lunch and dessert goodies with voters as they come through.

There weren’t any lines Tuesday afternoon at the armory, which served as a new location for three precincts that used to be located at the Salvation Army gym on South Fourth Street. The voters that were strolling in were able to make quick work of their ballots.

As an older voter entered, Wesley greeted her warmly. “May I see some ID, please?” she asked, joking, “To make sure you’re 21.”

More results

In the Republican primary for secretary of state, Boyle County and Kentucky chose Michael G. Adams as the nominee. Adams got 787 votes in Boyle and more than 41 percent of votes in the state. Other Republican candidates were: Andrew English (427 Boyle votes and about 27 percent statewide), Stephen Knipper (305 Boyle votes, 18 percent statewide) and Carl Nett (162 Boyle votes, 13 percent statewide).

In the Democratic primary for secretary of state, Heather French Henry won in a landslide, gathering 2,165 Boyle County votes and more than 70 percent of the statewide vote. Other Democratic candidates were: Jason Griffith (367 Boyle votes and about 13 percent statewide), Jason Belcher (285 Boyle votes and 13 percent statewide) and Geoff Sebesta (76 Boyle votes and 3 percent statewide).

Other primary results are:

Republican Attorney General — Daniel Cameron, 1,242 (55.2% statewide); Wil Schroder, 615 (44.8% statewide).

Democratic Auditor — Sheri Donahue, 1,027 (46.8%); Kelsey Hayes Coots, 620 (33.3%); Chris Tobe, 486 (19.8%).

Democratic Treasurer — Michael Bowman, 1,508 (66.5%); Josh Mers, 931 (33.5%)

Democratic Agriculture Commissioner — Robert Haley Conway, 1,419 (60.25%); Joe Trigg, 1,176 (39.75%).

Republican Agriculture Commissioner — Ryan Quarles, 1,760 (82.2%); Bill Polyniak, 128 (17.8%)