By Sarah Ladd
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
The first turn in the race for Woodford County magistrate from the Midway district is the primary election on Tuesday, in which one-term incumbent Linda Popp faces challengers John McDaniel and Liles Taylor.
McDaniel and Taylor had the race largely to themselves for several weeks, as Popp dealt with the illness and death of her husband, Ray Popp. He died April 5 at the age of 64, and she said in an ad in this week's Woodford Sun that his passing was unexpected. "Now I am looking forward to getting out to see as many of you as possible," she said.
Popp did not attend the April 26 Chamber of Commerce forum and did not participate in the Sun’s questionnaire. Her announcement of candidacy, which the Sun allows candidates to run as news at any time, appeared in this week's paper though the filing deadline was Jan. 29.
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
The first turn in the race for Woodford County magistrate from the Midway district is the primary election on Tuesday, in which one-term incumbent Linda Popp faces challengers John McDaniel and Liles Taylor.
McDaniel and Taylor had the race largely to themselves for several weeks, as Popp dealt with the illness and death of her husband, Ray Popp. He died April 5 at the age of 64, and she said in an ad in this week's Woodford Sun that his passing was unexpected. "Now I am looking forward to getting out to see as many of you as possible," she said.
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| Linda Popp (2014 photo) |
The Midway Messenger could not reach Popp for comment despite repeated telephone calls, a Facebook message and three visits to her home, the last one including delivery of a letter seeking an interview.
The winner of the primary will face Republican Joseph Greathouse of Midway in the Nov. 6 general election.
Taylor, who is Greathouse's next-door neighbor on Cottage Grove, is political coordinator of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, the state federation of labor unions. He has been a field organizer for the state Democratic Party, chief of staff for the state House majority whip and deputy chief of staff to Crit Luallen when she was lieutenant governor.
McDaniel, a former city and county police officer, is in his second year on the Midway City Council. His term ends Dec. 31. He says that if he loses the primary, he plans to run again for the council, the filing deadline for which is in early August.
McDaniel said in an interview that he is running to give the district stronger representation: “Linda Popp is not as dedicated as Larry Craig,” whom she defeated in 2014. “You would see him out at 2 or 3 in the morning,
doing whatever it took,” McDaniel said, adding that Craig was highly involved in community events and attended council meetings regularly, but “We
never see Popp at council meetings.”
McDaniel, asked by the Sun what he would do to bring transparency, said “I don’t have any agendas, such as using this position to run for a higher office. I will have an open-door policy to anyone who wants to talk to me. I will not be afraid to ask questions and insist on answers.”
Taylor told the Messenger, “I currently have no plans to run for any other office, including higher office. My only future plans are to continue to work hard: knocking on doors, making phone calls, and hopefully earning the opportunity to serve the people of our community.”
The two candidates agree on several issues, but their worldview is different, due to their 37-year age gap. McDaniel looks to his life of experience for guidance, and Taylor looks to the future.
Taylor said, “I’m proud of the experience I’ve accumulated in my 31 years. … I’m honored to have the support and wisdom of several community leaders from different generations, including great public servants like Carl Rollins [a former mayor and state representative] and Doris Leigh,” a former council member.
McDaniel has had a long public and civic career. He said he was a co-founder of the Woodford County Arts League, president of Midway Renaissance and the Midway Business Association, and a founder, 45 years ago, of the festival now called the Midway Fall Festival.
His history involves three and a half years spent in prison for selling drugs. He told the Messenger in 2012 that he began selling part of his pain-medication refills because he didn’t want to become drug-dependent and needed money, then concluded that drug users “were going to get the stuff from somebody,” so he began selling other drugs – and got caught. “I never did drugs myself,” he said in 2016.
"I've been very open with all that," he said this month. "That's probably the very reason I'm back here."
After McDaniel's sentence ended in 2000, he threw himself back into civic activities and was named Midway Citizen of the Year in 2003. In 2015, then-Gov. Steve Beshear restored his rights to vote and hold office. In 2016, he ran fourth among seven candidates for the six council seats, getting more votes than two incumbents.
One of McDaniel's goals is to get Midway back into the county's recycling program, now that the county program can accept glass. "That is something we have to look into to see if it's advantageous for us," he said.
Taylor said he wants to focus on the county budget. "The most important responsibility of the Fiscal Court is crafting a budget that meets our community’s current needs, while investing in solutions for tomorrow," he said. "I will strive to set budget priorities that carefully balance vital investments in public safety, education (early childhood, K-12, & post-secondary), infrastructure, senior services, public health, middle-income housing, parks and recreation, competitive wages for county employees, and economic development."
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| Liles Taylor (Photo provided) |
Taylor, who is Greathouse's next-door neighbor on Cottage Grove, is political coordinator of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO, the state federation of labor unions. He has been a field organizer for the state Democratic Party, chief of staff for the state House majority whip and deputy chief of staff to Crit Luallen when she was lieutenant governor.
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| John McDaniel (Photo by Sarah Ladd) |
The letter that the Messenger left at Popp's home Thursday afternoon included McDaniel's quote, unattributed to him, but she did not respond by the letter's deadline of 5 p.m. Friday.
Taylor told the Messenger, “My candidacy is not in opposition to Linda. But I will say that I want to grow upon her work."
Taylor, 31, said at the Chamber of Commerce forum that he is running because of his love for the community. "It is a tremendous place to raise a family," he said. "I want to continue to have a small-town community." While taking steps to strengthen the county, he said, he wants to maintain the tight-knit atmosphere that already exists.
McDaniel, 68, said at the forum that he agreed with Taylor's comments about the community. "We live in a pretty special place," he said.
McDaniel said he hopes to be a liaison between the city government and county governments, which have sometimes been in conflict. He said he would attend council meetings and work on more open communication and coordination between the city and county.
Future plans and a different worldview
Taylor, 31, said at the Chamber of Commerce forum that he is running because of his love for the community. "It is a tremendous place to raise a family," he said. "I want to continue to have a small-town community." While taking steps to strengthen the county, he said, he wants to maintain the tight-knit atmosphere that already exists.
McDaniel, 68, said at the forum that he agreed with Taylor's comments about the community. "We live in a pretty special place," he said.
McDaniel said he hopes to be a liaison between the city government and county governments, which have sometimes been in conflict. He said he would attend council meetings and work on more open communication and coordination between the city and county.
Future plans and a different worldview
Among Taylor's stated goals is increased transparency through online access. He wants to see public forums streamed online and give the public online access to documents such as the county budget. He told the Sun he would have “regular, advertised times of availability within the district.”
McDaniel, asked by the Sun what he would do to bring transparency, said “I don’t have any agendas, such as using this position to run for a higher office. I will have an open-door policy to anyone who wants to talk to me. I will not be afraid to ask questions and insist on answers.”
Taylor told the Messenger, “I currently have no plans to run for any other office, including higher office. My only future plans are to continue to work hard: knocking on doors, making phone calls, and hopefully earning the opportunity to serve the people of our community.”
The two candidates agree on several issues, but their worldview is different, due to their 37-year age gap. McDaniel looks to his life of experience for guidance, and Taylor looks to the future.
Taylor said, “I’m proud of the experience I’ve accumulated in my 31 years. … I’m honored to have the support and wisdom of several community leaders from different generations, including great public servants like Carl Rollins [a former mayor and state representative] and Doris Leigh,” a former council member.
McDaniel has had a long public and civic career. He said he was a co-founder of the Woodford County Arts League, president of Midway Renaissance and the Midway Business Association, and a founder, 45 years ago, of the festival now called the Midway Fall Festival.
His history involves three and a half years spent in prison for selling drugs. He told the Messenger in 2012 that he began selling part of his pain-medication refills because he didn’t want to become drug-dependent and needed money, then concluded that drug users “were going to get the stuff from somebody,” so he began selling other drugs – and got caught. “I never did drugs myself,” he said in 2016.
"I've been very open with all that," he said this month. "That's probably the very reason I'm back here."
After McDaniel's sentence ended in 2000, he threw himself back into civic activities and was named Midway Citizen of the Year in 2003. In 2015, then-Gov. Steve Beshear restored his rights to vote and hold office. In 2016, he ran fourth among seven candidates for the six council seats, getting more votes than two incumbents.
One of McDaniel's goals is to get Midway back into the county's recycling program, now that the county program can accept glass. "That is something we have to look into to see if it's advantageous for us," he said.
Taylor said he wants to focus on the county budget. "The most important responsibility of the Fiscal Court is crafting a budget that meets our community’s current needs, while investing in solutions for tomorrow," he said. "I will strive to set budget priorities that carefully balance vital investments in public safety, education (early childhood, K-12, & post-secondary), infrastructure, senior services, public health, middle-income housing, parks and recreation, competitive wages for county employees, and economic development."
Taylor said he wants to show strong leadership in finding better solutions for alleviating traffic in Versailles without sending more traffic down Midway Road, US 62. "I had classmates that died on Midway Road growing up," he said. "It's a really dangerous road and it's really important that we come up with a safe solution for Woodford countians that does not increase traffic, particularly truck traffic, on Midway Road."
McDaniel said he has been interested in the traffic problem for a long time and agrees redirecting traffic down Midway Road would be a disaster. “We have been discussing this in council meetings since 2013,” he said. He usually attended the meetings; he is the Sun's Midway correspondent.
Popp said in her Sun ad, “I will continue to stand up for YOU and bring YOUR concerns to the forefront.” She wrote that she would continue to make Woodford County a “better place for your residents and children to live and prosper. I will continue to be YOUR voice.”
McDaniel said he has been interested in the traffic problem for a long time and agrees redirecting traffic down Midway Road would be a disaster. “We have been discussing this in council meetings since 2013,” he said. He usually attended the meetings; he is the Sun's Midway correspondent.
Popp said in her Sun ad, “I will continue to stand up for YOU and bring YOUR concerns to the forefront.” She wrote that she would continue to make Woodford County a “better place for your residents and children to live and prosper. I will continue to be YOUR voice.”
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