Voters will decide Tuesday if he stays

BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County has a new judge/executive. Lon Lafferty, Inez physician and write-in candidate for judge/executive in the Nov. 8 General Election, was sworn in Friday as interim.

Lafferty was appointed Oct. 26 by Gov. Andy Beshear to serve as interim judge/executive through Dec. 31.

“While I appreciate the appointment, I want to be elected by your write-in votes in the upcoming election,” Lafferty said. “I’m prepared to get to work to begin the process of moving Martin County forward because the job is big and there is much to do.”

Lafferty has practiced family medicine in Inez for over 38 years and served as judge/executive from 1999-2003.

“I never thought I would be sitting before you today as county judge/executive, but here we are,” said Lafferty after taking the oath of office. “The providence of God has a way of putting us in places that we never imagined to serve a greater purpose.”

The new judge/executive replaces Colby Kirk, who announced his resignation Oct. 14 to become the president and CEO of One East Kentucky.

Kirk was unopposed on the ballot after winning the Republican nomination in May. His withdrawal from the election left the county with an unprecedented write-in election for the next judge/executive.

Five candidates have tossed their hats in the write-in race: Lafferty, Jimmy Don Kerr, Marlena Slone, Benjamin York and Mitchell Crum.

Lafferty is the fourth judge/executive sworn in since 2019 in Martin County. Bill Davis took office in 2019 and resigned in March 2021. Magistrate Victor Slone was appointed interim to replace Davis but announced in December 2021 that he would not seek reelection due to a lingering illness. Following Slone’s death in January, Kirk, who served as deputy judge, took over for Slone.