Elections

Gary “Tony” McCurdy says he’s tired of Kentucky’s lawmakers looking at the small picture and wants to see a more proactive approach.

That led him to run against Ben Chandler in the 6th District U.S. Congress race in 2008.

“There wasn’t a Republican running against him, and I knew he could be beaten,” he said. “So I decided to run.”

Although he lost by about 2 percent, McCurdy, a conservative Republican, did get the itch to serve.

Linda Armstrong, district judge of the 53rd Judicial District since 1998, announced her resignation Monday morning.

Armstrong withdrew from the judicial race in the 2014 Election just before the filing deadline in January, citing health issues. She said at that time that she didn’t know if she would serve the remainder of her term, and in Monday’s statement, she reiterated those concerns.

Her last day on the bench will be March 16, and the decision for replacing her would fall to Gov. Steve Beshear after a complicated judicial process.

With the deadline to file for the 2014 election quickly approaching, only a few new candidates have emerged and a few positions remain unopposed.

The last day to file in most races is Tuesday, but candidates in the non-partisan Shelby County Board of Education, Simpsonville City Commission and Soil and Conservation Board races don’t have to file until August.

The 2014 Kentucky legislative session begins Tuesday, and although 137 bills already have been filed, some familiar story lines figure to be developed during this 60-day session.

In extended, even-numbered years, the longer session always seems to be headlined by the setting of the state budget, but state Sen. Paul Hornback (R-Shelbyville) said he foresees that there also will be time for those old familiars: gambling, health care, educational and state pension reform.