Special election candidates named for vacant Senate seat

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Candidates for the two major parties have been chosen for a special election to fill a vacant state Senate seat in eastern Kentucky.

The Republican candidate is Phillip Wheeler. The Democratic candidate is Darrell Pugh, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office.

The special election will be Tuesday, March 5, for Senate District 31, which includes Elliott, Lawrence, Martin, Morgan and Pike counties.

Write-in candidates must file a declaration of intent with the Secretary of State’s office no later than 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 5.

The special election was called after Democrat Ray Jones, who had held the seat since 2001, was elected judge-executive of Pike County.