Published: October 31, 2009 03:05 pm      

Both parties meet this week on district seat

GRAYSON — Republican leaders from Carter and Lewis counties will meet Tuesday evening in Grayson to select the party’s candidate for the 96th District seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

The GOP’s nominee will square off against the Democratic candidate in a Dec. 8 special election for the remaining year of Robin Webb’s term.

The Republican executive committees of Carter and Lewis, the only two counties in the 96th District, will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Carter County Justice Center.

According to Carter GOP Chair Mignon Colley, the meeting will be chaired by state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edginton, R-Fort Wright. Webb-Edginton represents the 63rd District, Kenton County, in the state House, and is chairing the meeting due to the resignation of 4th District GOP Chair Kevin Sell, who stepped down to run for judge-executive of Campbell County.

Colley said earlier this week three candidates had expressed interest in the Republican nomination for state representative. However, one of them, Vernon Messer, informed The Independent he would not be seeking the nod.

The other names mentioned by Colley were Jill York and Dallas Burchett, both of Grayson. The executive committee members could also consider additional candidates at Tuesday’s meeting.

Democratic executive committee members from Carter and Lewis counties will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the Carter Justice Center to select the party’s nominee. According to Carter Democratic Party Chair Ron Bush, four candidates have indicated they’d like to run ’ Barry Webb and David Hayes, both of Grayson; former Olive Hill Mayor Jim Short and trucking company owner Vernon Adkins, also of Olive Hill.

The 96th District House seat opened up when Webb won an Aug. 25 special election to fill the 18th District Senate seat of Charles Borders, who was appointed to the Kentucky Public Service Commission by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Whoever wins next month’s special election will serve the remainder of Webb’s term, which expires Dec. 31, 2010. Borders’ Senate term also expires next year, meaning Webb also will have to run for re-election to the Senate.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.