Voters in Lyon County will decide who leads the far western Kentucky local government in the November election.
The Republican incumbent, Jaime Smith, was elected to her first term as judge-executive in 2022 after serving as the city of Eddyville’s police chief. As she’s running for her second term, she is facing a challenge from lifelong resident and Democrat Jordan Hunter Stone.
Both candidates submitted written responses to WKMS’s Voter Guide questions. Their answers are listed in the same order the candidates will appear on the ballot. Lyon County voters can see other races up for election in November on the county’s sample ballot or with WKMS’s ballot lookup tool.
Jaime Smith - Republican (Incumbent)
Editor’s note: Jaime Smith submitted written responses to WKMS’s Voter Guide questions. Her answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: I’ve spent the last 25 years serving Lyon County, 21 years with the Eddyville Police Department and the last four years as Judge/Executive. This is home, and I care deeply about what happens here and the direction our county is headed in.
When I first ran four years ago, I knew there were things I wanted to accomplish, but I’ve also learned a tremendous amount since taking office. I’ve built relationships across the county and at the state and federal levels, and I’ve learned that sometimes the biggest part of this job is simply picking up the phone, finding the right person, and not taking no for an answer when Lyon County needs something.
I’m running again because I believe we have made real progress, but I’m not finished. There are projects underway that I want to see completed and new challenges we need to address. I still enjoy serving the people of Lyon County, and I’m asking them for the opportunity to continue doing that for another four years.
Q: What would your priorities be, if elected?
A: My priority is to keep moving Lyon County forward while being responsible with taxpayers’ money. That means continuing to improve our roads and infrastructure, supporting our first responders and emergency services, strengthening our water and sewer systems, expanding recreational opportunities, and making sure county government provides the services our residents need.
Housing and reliable high-speed internet also must be priorities. Both are becoming increasingly important to our ability to attract families, keep young people here, support businesses, and grow our county.
I also want to continue pursuing grants, appropriations, and other outside funding. We are a small county with a limited tax base, so every dollar we can bring back to Lyon County for a needed project is a dollar our local taxpayers do not have to shoulder alone.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your county over the next four years?
A: I believe housing and completing the expansion of fiber internet will be two of our biggest issues.
We need more housing options at different price points. If we want young people to stay here, new families to move here, and people to work here, they must have somewhere to live. Housing affects our workforce, schools, businesses, tax base, and ultimately the future growth of Lyon County.
Fiber internet is just as important. High-speed internet has become basic infrastructure. People depend on it for work, school, healthcare, business, and everyday life. We have seen significant progress with fiber construction, but the job isn’t finished. Over the next four years, I want to see those projects through and continue pushing for reliable service throughout the county.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for county residents?
A: To me, quality of life isn’t one project. It’s whether you have a decent road to drive on, dependable water, reliable internet, good emergency services when you need them, places for our children and families to enjoy, and a county government that listens when you have a problem.
I want us to continue investing in those basic services while also looking ahead. We need recreational opportunities, housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunities that make people want to live here and give our younger generation reasons to stay or come back home.
One thing I have tried to do as Judge/Executive is remain accessible. I hear complaints, concerns, suggestions, and sometimes things people simply want us to look into. We may not always be able to give someone the answer they want, but they deserve an answer and they deserve to be heard.
Q: What have you accomplished during your time in office and why should people vote you back in?
A: I’m proud of what we have accomplished over the last four years, but I also want to be careful about saying, “I did this” or “I did that” because it takes a team, not just me. A lot of our success has come from working with the Fiscal Court, our county employees, cities, water district, schools, fire departments, Pennyrile Area Development District, state agencies, legislators, and many other partners.
During my first term, we have been able to bring millions of dollars into Lyon County for infrastructure, roads, public safety, recreation, emergency preparedness, our schools, and other needs.
One project I’m particularly proud of is the approximately $2.4 million water interconnect project connecting the Lyon County Water District with Eddyville and Kuttawa. I began pursuing that project shortly after taking office because I wanted our water systems to have the ability to support one another during an emergency or major problem. That project is now becoming a reality and has already demonstrated its value.
We’ve also worked on road and bridge improvements, public safety and emergency equipment, recreational improvements, water and sewer projects, and many other needs throughout the county.
But I think one of the most important things I’ve accomplished is building relationships. When Lyon County has a need, I want the people making decisions in Frankfort and Washington to know who we are and understand why that need matters.
I’m asking for another four years because experience matters in this job. I know more today than I did when I walked into the office four years ago. I know who to call, how to navigate the process, and how to advocate for Lyon County. We have projects I want to finish and opportunities I want to continue pursuing.
I’m proud of the progress we’ve made, but I’m not satisfied that the work is finished. I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue serving Lyon County for another four years.
Jordan Hunter Stone - Democrat
Editor’s note: Jordan Hunter Stone submitted written responses to WKMS’s Voter Guide questions. His answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: Citizens of Lyon County should know that I’m a lifelong resident of the county, a husband, father, and that I’m running for Judge/Executive in hopes to leave behind a better Lyon County for my daughters as well as their children. Lyon County has never owed me anything, but given me everything. I only think it's fair that I do my best to give back.
Q: What would your priorities be, if elected?
A: My top priorities would be to restore open, clear communication from local authorities to the people they represent and to ease the burden on our working class citizens that live in Lyon County full time. They ultimately bear the largest burden(s) in our county and deserve real answers to their questions and to have their wants/needs addressed, not dismissed entirely.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your county over the next four years?
A: Our county needs to shift from a reactive leadership style to a proactive style. We are about to experience an INTENSE economic boom in our region that will ultimately spread out through more than just the Paducah area. Proactive leadership would pursue every opportunity to encourage that economic growth to come into our community while making sure our citizens benefit as much as possible from such growth. All while simultaneously PROTECTING our community from predatory industries BEFORE it’s too late.
Q: How would you work to enhance the quality of life for county residents?
A: On the campaign trail, most folks I talk to have one major complaint. We keep paying more and more but keep getting less and less. While costs do rise naturally, we never seem to have the funds to cover what the people want/need, but always seem to find the funds to cover what “someone important” wants, no matter what it seems to be. My plan is to eliminate that line of logic from local government entirely. Folks deserve to see their tax dollars working FOR them and benefiting them in TANGIBLE ways. It can be as simple as lowering prices for tax subsidized programs/amenities and as complex as actually listening to people when they have concerns and addressing those concerns to the best of your ability.
Q: What needs to change in your local county government, and why should people vote you into office to do that?
A: The number one complaint I’ve heard on the trail is the lack of quality, clarity, and consistency of communication coming out of our local government. Fiscal court meetings are held at a time when working class folks can’t attend. When word does make its way from the J/E office to the community, folks are left with far more questions than real answers. When folks ask questions or raise concerns for our local officials, the answers they receive often seem dismissive at best. I personally find that shameful and unacceptable. If you are elected to represent your community and their best interests, the absolute bare minimum requirement is that you maintain clear, constant communication with the very folks you claim to represent. This county belongs to the folks that live here, not just the ones that represent them. As such, every person in this county deserves a seat at the table, and I fully intend to make sure they have it.
If I could include some additional info about myself and my platform it would be this. I love this county. I also love the folks who make up our community. I’ve been blessed to meet so many folks who live here over the years when they’ve called me needing some electrical work done. Through meeting all these folks, I’ve seen just how broad a spectrum of people make up this place I call home. Each one of those folks deserves the same level of representation, consideration, and dedication from their local leaders, regardless of the circumstances they exist with and I fully intend to keep each and every one of them at the center of every decision I make.
