Kelley elected as Ashland mayor

CATLETTSBURG, Ky. — Tom Kelley went from retired Ashland police chief to mayor Tuesday night, according to unofficial returns from the Boyd County Courthouse.

Kelley had 4,138 votes to 3,710 for City Commissioner Paula Hogsten with all 24 precincts within the city reporting.

Meanwhile, longtime Ashland City Commissioner Kevin Gunderson once again led the ticket for four seats on the Ashland Board of City Commissioners. Gunderson, a former city police officer wounded in the line of duty and confined to a wheelchair, had 4,837 votes in the commissioners race.

Other winners in the commissioners race in Ashland were: Cheryl Wooten Spriggs with 4,262 votes, Larry D. Brown  with 4,168 votes and Marty Gute with 4,157. All will get two-year seats on the board starting in January, while Kelley will begin a four-year term as mayor after the first of the year.

Former Ashland City Commissioner Larry Branham finished fifth in the race for four seats on the board with 3,168 votes, followed by former Ashland City Commissioner Donald R. Maxwell with 3,168 votes. James L. Moore had 2,268 votes and James W. King had 1,534.

Elsewhere in Boyd County, longtime Catlettsburg City Clerk Pauline S. Hunt was elected to a four-year term as Catlettsburg mayor in a four-way way race for the Gate City’s highest office.

James Allen Lambert finished with 208 votes while William “Billy” Cornette had 80 votes and Lonnie Larry Ashley had 27 votes.

Six people won two-year seats on Catlettsburg City Council. They were: David Marushi with 328 votes, Jimmie E. Epling with 280 votes, Stephen”Jeremy” Spears had 357 votes, Donald G. Wellman had 297 votes, Randall D. Peterman had the most votes with 367 and Randy Salyers had 307 votes in the at-large race.

Other vote totals for Catlettsburg council were: Julius Dee Young, 243 votes; Tim Thompson, 182 votes; Sue E. Groves, 179 votes; Charles Franklin Caperton,182 votes; Ronald “Kevin” Stanley, 237 votes; Paul David Conley,175 votes; and Fred F. Childers, 217 votes.

In the race for state representative for the 100th district, which primarily covers Ashland, Kevin Sinnette, a Democrat and former assistant city corporation counsel, defeated former Ashland City Commissioner Mike Stewart by 9,476 votes to 5,254.

In the Fairview School District, Rick Tackett, Ernest P. Sharp II beat out Scott McIntyre for the two available seats on the board of education.