McCracken County Judge-Executive Van Newberry is running for a third term, and will do so as an independent.
Newberry was a Democrat and says he has considered the party switch since 2010. He says county level officials should be nonpartisan. Newberry's party switch, at present, allows him to avoid a primary race against Democrat Jeff Hines.
Newberry says his top priority is clean-up at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant.
“Proper funding would probably ensure that most of the people out there could transition over to clean-up jobs over the next few years,” Newberry said. “Certainly the federal government owes that to this community.”
Newberry says he is also focused on funding for the Paducah School of Art and Design and road-widening projects near the new McCracken County High School.
Newberry says this third term would be his last as judge-executive.
“I don’t think these jobs are meant to be careers,” Newberry said. “I think the proper thing to do is for any citizen that wants to get in there, is to get in there, do what they can then move on and do something else.”
