WHITLEY CITY — The 2010 election cycle officially kicks off this week as political candidates may begin filing with the McCreary County Clerk or Kentucky Secretary of State beginning November 4.

Candidates will either appear on the May 18, 2010 primary or November 2, 2010 general election ballots.

Republican and Democratic candidates have until January 26, 2010, to file for office. Independent or political group candidates, excluding federal offices, must file a statement of intent by April 1, 2010. All independent or political group candidates have until August 10, 2010 to file their petitions. Each of the filing dates includes a 4:00 p.m. filing deadline.

Candidates for offices that file with the Office of the Secretary of State may begin to file their papers as early as 8:00 a.m. EST. Candidates for offices that file with the local county clerk should call 376-2411 for more information about filing times.

Offices that file with the Secretary of State that are regularly scheduled to occur in 2010 include: United States Senator, United States Representative, State Senator (Even Districts), State Representative, Justice of the Supreme Court, District 3 and District Judge.

Offices that file with the local county clerk that are regularly scheduled to occur in 2010 include: County Judge/Executive, County Attorney, County Clerk, Property Valuation Administrator, Sheriff, Jailer, Coroner, Magistrate/Justice of the Peace, Constable, Surveyor, Board of Education (School Board), and Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisors.

“Our office has already received hundreds of phone calls concerning the elections in 2010, outpacing our call volume in 2006 when we had a record number of races on the ballot,” remarked Secretary Trey Grayson. “If this kind of interest continues, it is possible that we may see a record number of candidates on the primary ballot in 2010.”

The upcoming election season will proceed locally without a few familiar faces.

Though he spoke as a potential candidate at a September rally, former McCreary County Judge-Executive Jimmie Greene emphasized at last week’s annual banquet for the local chamber of commerce (where he just completed a term as president) that he would NOT be seeking another tenure in the county’s top job. Greene “retired” in 2003 but tried to regain the seat in 2006, losing in the Primary to current Judge Blaine Phillips.

State Representative Ken Upchurch recently announced that he would not be seeking re-election and then filed his letter of intent with the Registry of Election Finance to run for Wayne County Judge-Executive. Upchurch was elected in 1998 to represent McCreary, Wayne and part of Pulaski counties.

The incumbent’s bowing out makes room for a potential plethora of new candidates, the first of whom is Monticello attorney Sara Beth Gregory, who has also filed a Letter of Intent with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance to run as a Republican for the office of State Representative in the 52nd House District.

The letter of intent is not an official filing of candidacy, but allows the individual to raise campaign funds. In county government, more candidates continue to emerge through such letters.

In one twist, current PVA Bruce W. Lominac — who as a Democrat defeated incumbent Michael Stephens in the 2006 General Election — has filed his letter of intent to retain his seat, this time as a Republican.

As of October 30, candidates who have filed intent with the Registry of Election Finance include:

• Coroner: Daniel Ridener (Republican, incumbent)

• County Clerk: Eric Haynes (Republican, incumbent), William Kilby (Republican) and David W. Tucker (Republican).

• County Judge-Executive: Scott Duncan (Republican), Gabriel Michael Jones (Democrat), Vicki Kidd (Republican) and Douglas E. Stephens (Republican)

• Jailer: Harold Hansford (Republican)

• Magistrate, District 1: Earl Brooks (Republican), Derek L. Jones (Democrat) and William “Mike” Jones (Republican).

• Magistrate, District 2: Daniel J. Phillips (Republican)

• Sheriff: Randy Waters (Democrat)

• 16th District State Senator: David L. Williams (Republican).

For more information about filing to run for elected office in Kentucky, to obtain a copy of Declaring Your Candidacy, or to view a list of candidates, please visit www.sos.ky.gov/elections.