ASHLAND — Tuesday’s filing deadline for the November state and local elections brought several last-minute filings for Boyd County races.

Enough candidates have filed to trigger primaries in the race for Ashland Board of City Commissioners and Ashland mayor. A democratic primary will also occur in the race for the 100th District state representative seat being vacated by John Vincent, R-Ashland.

Three Democratic candidates are now in the race joining earlier filer Kevin Sinnette. Bobby Jack Woods, 52, and Cyrus “Cy” Reynolds both filed to run Tuesday.

Woods is retired after 20 years with the Kentucky State Police, where he spent three years providing security to the state legislature. Woods has never held an elected office. He ran for Boyd County clerk in 2006 but lost to Debbie Jones.

He is a board member of the Boyd County Board of Emergency Services and works part time as an investigator for the Floyd County commonwealth’s attorney.

Reynolds, 80, retired as Boyd County property valuation administrator in 1999 after 21 years. He also served several terms as an Ashland city commissioner in the 1960s and was chairman of the Boyd County Democratic Party for close to years between 1972 and 1992.

Reynolds, Woods and Sinnette will face off in the May 20 primary for the Democratic nomination.

The winner will face Michael R. Stewart, the sole Republican in the race.

Stewart, 59, served four terms as an Ashland city commissioner from 1992 to 2000. He retired last spring as director of the Ashland Housing Authority, a position he held for seven years.

Stewart is also the Vice chairman of the Boyd County Republican party, but his term is set to expire next month.

Ashland

commission

Ten candidates filed to run for Ashland City commissioner, including three of the four incumbents. According to Boyd County Clerk Debbie Jones, the top eight vote-getters in the May 20 primary will advance to the November general election, where the top four will win two-year commission terms.

Jim Moore, 42, of 529 Hunt St., was one of two candidates who joined the race this week. The other last-minute filer was Leo Ranjo Jr.

Moore, a sales representative at Ashland Office Supply, is running for his first political office. He is an Ashland Lions Club member and was voted Lion of the Year in 2007.

Ranjo, 46, a site manager for GC Services in Huntington, is also a political novice. Ranjo is a state certified foster parent for medically fragile children and is a native of Philadelphia. He relocated to Ashland nine years ago.

Moore and Ranjo join incumbents Larry Brown, Kevin Gunderson and Cheryl Spriggs in the race. Former Commissioners Don Maxwell and Larry Branham are also seeking re-election. Both lost their seats in the 2006 races. The remaining candidates in the race include Estill “Gene” Mills, Marty Gute and James W. King.

Ashland mayor

In surprise last-minute filings Tuesday, two additional candidates have challenged incumbent Mayor Steve Gilmore.

First-term Commissioner Paula Hogsten and retired Police Chief Tom Kelley filed Tuesday.

Kelley, 66, retired in 2006 after 44 years with the Ashland Police Department. He served seven years as chief of police. He has never held an elected office.

Hogsten, 59, retired in 2006 as an advanced practice nurse in critical care from King’s Daughters Medical Center but continues teaching at area universities and conferences. She is serving her first term as city commissioner, which expires Dec. 31.

No further information was available about Madden, who did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.

Gilmore, 64, a retired educator, has served as Ashland mayor since being elected in a special election in 2002.

According to Jones, the May primary will narrow the race to two candidates with the top vote recipients advancing to the November election.

The filing deadline for all primary races was Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Catlettsburg City Council and mayoral races have an Aug. 12 filing deadline since the city’s election system does not call for primaries.

A Boyd County Board of Election meeting will be today at 10 a.m. Jones said the board will be updated on the changes to Catlettsburg’s election system and will receive a complete list of candidates seeking office in the county.

A new board member will also be put into place at the meeting, Jones said. Republican Member Becky Stewart, wife of 100th District candidate Michael Stewart, will resign at today’s meeting and be replaced by Jim Stapleton, who has already been approved by the state Board of Elections.

The public drawing for ballot positions will be Thursday at 2 p.m. in the Boyd County Clerk’s Office.

CARRIE KIRSCHNER can be reached at ckirschner@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2653.