Commission candidates gearing up for November

May 18—CATLETTSBURG — After last night's primary wins, two candidates for District 1 commissioner on the Boyd County Fiscal Court are now pivoting to November.

GOP candidate Dave Salisbury, who edged out sitting commissioner Keith Watts by 17 votes, said he didn't hear about the results because he was umpiring a baseball game Tuesday night.

While Salisbury said he was disappointed by the lower turnout, he said he expected a close commissioner race.

Salisbury served on the fiscal court before, when he was a Democrat.

"I knew it was going to be tight, and I knew the switch takes time for people to understand," Salisbury said. "If you ask me, I think all these local elections should be like the city election — non-partisan."

Looking toward the general election, Salisbury said he plans to campaign on progressing Boyd County economically, taking the lead from Judge-Executive Eric Chaney, who is running unopposed.

"I've never been a politics-as-usual type of guy, I'm always looking for a way to move our county forward," Salisbury said. "I think for the most part the Judge-Executive sets the agenda, but we have our input and we ultimately have to listen to our constituents and watch how our tax dollars are being spent."

Democratic nominee Heather Moore-Frame was at the courthouse Tuesday night, waiting eagerly for the results alongside her family. Moore-Frame, who ran for the office four years ago, said she didn't want to disappoint her kids or her mother, who drove all the way from Frankfort to see.

While Moore-Frame stayed ahead of Kenny Messer the entire night, she wasn't sure until it was over with 100% of the vote in.

"I remember the last time, it devastated my kids when I lost," she said. "When we got the final results, we were so excited."

Moore-Frame said looking toward November, she plans to focus on economic development, not just of the entertainment industry, but well-paying jobs. Part of that formula is to work with the other commissioners in a more transparent way, Moore-Frame said.

"Whenever you're running for office, there's a level of expectation that you're going to work together, especially at this level," Moore-Frame said. "We all want economic development. We all want more transparency, but I think you need people in there who are asking the right questions and getting the right information out to the public."

If elected, Moore-Frame would be the first woman ever to serve on the fiscal court.

"I think it's time for a change and I think people want a fresh perspective," she said.

(606) 326-2653 — henry@dailyindependent.com