By Brennan Crain on Aug 29, 2026

Barren County’s only write-in candidate drops out of race

With Graves out of the race and no Democratic candidate having filed, Tim Durham will face no challenger in the November election.

FILE—An election sign is displayed in the grass at Glasgow Middle School, one of nine voting centers in Barren County, on May 19, 2026. (Brennan Crain/Barrenside)

GLASGOW, Ky. — Jennifer Graves, the only write-in candidate to file for office in Barren County this year, has withdrawn from the race just days after filing.

Graves filed Aug. 24 as a write-in candidate for magistrate in Barren County’s 3rd District, where incumbent Tim Durham is seeking reelection. Durham would have been her only opponent.

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Graves told Barrenside Friday evening that she decided to withdraw because of “unexpected complications” in her recovery from a “very recent major spinal surgery.” She also cited a “family medical circumstance” that arose this week.

“I made the difficult decision to withdraw my candidacy,” Graves said. “Right now, my health and my family simply have to come first.”

Kentucky’s deadline for write-in candidates was Aug. 24, meaning Graves withdrew just four days after filing.

With Graves out of the race and no Democratic candidate having filed, Durham will face no challenger in the November election.

District 3 includes the bulk of southeastern Barren County, including communities like Temple Hill, Eighty Eight, and portions of Etoile. (BITS)

The 3rd District covers the southeastern portion of Barren County, including Eighty Eight and Temple Hill.

Only two magistrate races will be contested in November. Republican Tim Coomer will face Democrat Robert L. Honeycutt in the 4th District, while Republican Steven D. Gibson will face Ronnie Lynn Stinson in the 6th District.