James Smith (Kentucky)

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

James Smith

---

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

May 17, 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Kentucky

James Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Fayette County Constable to represent District 1 in Kentucky. He lost in the Democratic primary on May 17, 2022.

Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

James Smith was born in Kentucky. His professional experience includes working in the constables' department and law enforcement agencies.

Elections

2022

See also: City elections in Lexington, Kentucky (2022)

General election

General election for Fayette County Constable District 1

Andrea Welker won election in the general election for Fayette County Constable District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Andrea Welker (D)	100.0	18,950

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,950
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Fayette County Constable District 1

Andrea Welker defeated James Smith and incumbent Wade McNabb in the Democratic primary for Fayette County Constable District 1 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Andrea Welker	65.1	5,191
	Submit photo	James Smith	22.7	1,809
		Wade McNabb	12.1	968

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,968
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is James Smith, but I'm mostly known as "Smitty." I've worked in law enforcement most of my adult life. My positions have included, but not limited to:

Deputy Sheriff, Deputy Jailer, and several terms in Fayette County as Deputy and Chief Deputy Constable. It has been my honor to serve in these positions , as I truly believe the Constable is a valuable asset in the community. I am proud to help enforce our constitutional law, and to assist in the effort to protect and serve . I'm an avid fan of UK athletics. Having been involved in athletics I am aware of and appreciate the life lessons gleaned from team sports; discipline, confidence, selflessness, team work etc. I believe we as adults should use any ability and platform we have to positively influence and support our youth, and was blessed to be able to coach in youth leagues for several years. I'm also an avid horse lover. As a boy, my dad was a horse trainer and sometimes would allow me to go to work with him. Soon, I became his "helper." As a reward for completing my tasks, I was allowed to learn to ride on one of the ponies. As I got older, I earned my first wages by exercising thoroughbreds on the track.

From there my love of horses grew. Thus, I have been a horse owner for several years. I have shared this passion with others by teaching western riding and horsemanship and I still enjoy working with these magnificent animals.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I want to make a difference. I want to contribute to the effort of restoring the integrity of the Constables Office.
• I want to help make our community a safer place to live. We are officers of the court, but we're also sworn to protect and serve the public.
• Ensure that the Constables office works in harmony with other law enforcement agencies.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Providing professional service, and public safety.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The main role of the Constable is to help service the court system. To that end, the Constable and deputies need to be knowledgeable, respectful and professional.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Constable Fred Jackson. Mr. Jackson was the first African American Constable here in Fayette County. He was also involved in several city programs. I had the pleasure of participating in the youth boxing program which Mr. Jackson managed. It was impressed upon me by his example that committing some of your time to the youth was a valuable service and important to the community, as well as how you performed your job as an elected official.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

They should demonstrate integrity, be driven, be invested in the community, be caring and competent.
An elected official should be knowledgeable of the position they are running for, and have the experience to perform the duties that the job requires.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I know and respect the laws that we are sworn to uphold. But I also believe that you need to have patience, compassion and understanding toward individuals you may come in contact with. Basically, we should have consideration and respect for our fellow man.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Professional timely service of court documents. Adherence to and respect of the laws you are sworn to uphold. Fairness, respect and consideration should be given to everyone, equally.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of our President John F Kennedy. I was 10 years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working with my father, who worked with horses. I held it most of my teenage years.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

There are several aspects of the Constables job which for their safety, and the safety of the public, they need peace officer authority. The office of the constable is not to play police, but it is to service the court. In doing so the constable and the deputies encounter many different scenarios in which the officers may need to perform peace officer duties. If you take those tools away, those situations become unsafe for the officers and the public.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

No

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The office of the Constable encounters many types of situations. The constable or deputies, although enforcing a law, have to do so with compassion, and sensitivity to the situation. But they should also have the knowledge to enforce the law. To that end, the Constable and/or Deputies should have some experience dealing with the law, both civil and criminal. And have the experience to perform his duties with respect and impartiality.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2022 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Heart of the Primaries The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic