Three candidates are vying to become the next judge-executive in Calloway County.
Republican Paul Rister, a magistrate on the county’s fiscal court, defeated the incumbent judge-executive Kenny Imes in May’s primary election to win a spot on November’s ballot, where he will be joined by two independents: local business owner Boone F. Chambers and Gidget Manning – a former grant administrator for the far western Kentucky county.
All three candidates agreed to participate in WKMS’s Voter Guide. Their responses appear below in the order the candidates will appear on the ballot. Calloway County voters can see other offices that will be up for election in November either on the county’s sample ballot or by using WKMS’s ballot lookup tool.
Paul Rister – Republican
Editor’s note: Rister submitted written answers and participated in an interview with WKMS to answer Voter Guide questions. His responses have been edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to his interview below.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: I chose Calloway County as my home after coming to Murray State in 1985, and it is where my wife and I raised our family. My career has been one of public service; 30 years with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, followed by nearly eight years serving as 4th District Magistrate on the Calloway County Fiscal Court.
When I retired, I wanted to use what I had learned, along with the time I now had, to continue serving our community. I found that opportunity as a magistrate. I believe the experience we gain over time shouldn’t simply prepare us to keep doing what we’ve always done; it should prepare us for the next opportunity to serve.
For me, that next step is judge-executive. For this position, I believe experience matters. I understand county government, budgets, roads and bridges, employees, emergency services and the partnerships necessary to get things done. My values are grounded in my Christian faith and a lifetime of public service. I want to put that experience to work providing transparent, responsive leadership and preparing Calloway County for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
Q: What would your priorities be, if elected?
A: My first priority would be establishing a clear, measurable four-year plan. Good leadership requires looking beyond the problem in front of you and preparing for what comes next. That means responsible budgeting, a long-term plan for roads and bridges, addressing courthouse and jail needs, supporting our county employees and aggressively pursuing grants and outside funding.
We also need to determine the best use of the approximately 20 acres the county purchased on Highway 641. We have already made that investment; now, we need the right people around the table to determine how that property can create an economic opportunity, and potentially generate new revenue for county government.
Just as important is rebuilding trust through communication, transparency and collaboration. Leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice in the room. I believe a judge-executive should set the tone, provide the fiscal court with good information, listen to the magistrates who represent their districts and bring people together to make informed decisions. Good leadership means asking good questions, listening to others and helping people work together toward the best answer.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your county over the next four years?
A: The signature issue is financial stewardship. If we don’t get that right, it becomes much harder to address roads, bridges, public safety, the jail, county facilities or any of our other priorities. Calloway County maintains 763 miles of roads and 91 bridges, operates a full-time jail and supports an animal shelter capable of housing up to 15 cats and 12 dogs; all while facing rising costs. We must set clear priorities, plan beyond a single budget year, pursue efficiencies and outside funding and ensure every tax dollar we receive is used as effectively as possible.
But financial stewardship isn’t only about spending less; it’s about making wise decisions with what has been entrusted to us. We cannot allow today’s financial challenges to keep us from preparing for tomorrow’s opportunities. Economic development, technology and growth will bring both opportunities and challenges. We need to consider not only what a decision means for the next budget, but what it will mean for Calloway County four or eight years from now.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for county residents?
A: As judge-executive, improving quality of life begins by listening. Government shouldn’t assume it knows what people need. We should ask residents what quality of life means to them, determine what county government can realistically do within its resources and then bring the right people together to work toward those priorities.
Quality of life includes safe roads and bridges, dependable emergency services and a community where people want to live, work, raise a family and retire. It also includes economic opportunity, recreation, tourism, protecting our natural resources and access to services many of us take for granted, such as reliable broadband.
County government cannot accomplish those things alone. Fiscal Court previously used ARPA
[American Rescue Plan Act] funds to help support a WK&T broadband project that expanded internet access in part of our county. We may not always have county dollars available for projects that costly, but we can be a partner; working with providers, pursuing grants and helping connect resources with community needs.
My approach is simple: listen first, learn the facts, bring the right people to the table, have the tough conversations and work together toward realistic solutions.
Q: What needs to change in your local county government, and why should people vote you into office to do that?
A: I believe we need more planning, communication, transparency and collaboration in county government. Too often, government becomes reactive. I want us to establish priorities, measure our progress and communicate openly with citizens about where we are going, what we are doing and, most importantly, why.
Part of rebuilding trust is making government more accessible and transparent, and that begins with better communication. I would like to move fiscal court meetings to a time when working people can more reasonably attend and explore, occasionally, taking meetings into different parts of the county. To me, transparency isn’t simply making information available; it means making an intentional effort to keep people informed and bring their government closer to them.
Voters don’t have to rely solely on campaign promises. They can look at nearly eight years of my service as magistrate and 30 years of public service before that. My record shows that I strive to be accessible, do my research, ask difficult questions, listen, communicate what I learn and follow through. Experience matters, and I believe that experience has prepared me to serve effectively as Judge Executive on day one.
Q: Is there anything else you want voters to know about you or your campaign?
Editor’s note: The following answer is transcribed from Rister’s interview with WKMS.
A: My platform just really has a couple of pillars, and I've mentioned those. It's better communication [and] collaboration between the city of Hazel and the city of Murray and Murray State and our hospital and our local businesses. We have to create opportunity. We have to create growth. But, at the same time, the county has financial struggles. Just like everybody else is dealing with inflation, inflation hits county government and the services we can provide. And so we have to fight that battle, but we can't lose sight of tomorrow and the next day. So we have to look at those opportunities and not let those challenges hold us back.
Boone F. Chambers – Independent
Editor’s note: Chambers submitted written answers and participated in an interview with WKMS to answer Voter Guide questions. His responses have been edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to his interview below.
Chambers owns a business that is an underwriting supporter for WKMS. On-air underwriting messaging is used to identify a business, nonprofit or organization as a financial supporter of WKMS and inform listeners about the underwriter's services. WKMS does not air political advertisements or endorse political candidates. Financial support of the station does not influence the WKMS news team's editorial coverage decisions.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: I am a lifelong resident of Calloway County, a graduate of Calloway County High School (’97) and Murray State University, a small local livestock farmer with my wife, Krysten, the son of two small local business owners (Big Apple Cafe and Lakeland Spring Water) and now I have been a small-business owner (Big Apple Cafe, Cellar Door Wine & Spirits and Thoroughbred Spirits) who has spent more than 20 years managing personnel and payrolls, balancing budgets, and serving this community. I am a Laker, a Racer, a Tiger parent, a Racer parent and now a Laker parent with young children, so my family has deep roots and a personal stake in the future of Calloway County.
I am running for judge-executive because county government is a multi-million-dollar operation that needs professional management, not political posturing. For too long, local offices have gone uncontested or have been treated like political stepping stones and retirement seats. I am running as an independent because the essential functions of local government – fixing roads, supporting emergency services, managing taxpayer funds and maintaining our parks – do not have a political party. I view this election as a job interview with the nearly 40,000 citizens of Calloway County to hire an executive who will bring private-sector accessibility, accountability, fiscal discipline and common-sense leadership to the courthouse.
Q: What would your priorities be, if elected?
A: My priorities are anchored in two core pillars: cooperation and growth from within:
- Fiscal responsibility and transparency – Open up the county budgeting process with clear, accessible accounting so taxpayers can see where every dollar goes. We will focus on operational efficiency, eliminating waste and ensuring taxpayer dollars are stretched as far as possible before ever asking for more.
- Strengthening partnerships across city, county and MSU – End the habit of governing in separate silos. Real progress requires active, ongoing collaboration between the fiscal court, the City of Murray, our surrounding communities like Hazel and Murray State University so we can coordinate long-term planning and compete effectively for state and federal grants.
- Data-driven road and infrastructure management – Implement an objective, systematic audit of our county road network to prioritize repairs and paving based on traffic volume, maintenance needs, and resident safety, utilizing cost-effective technologies to get the maximum life out of every road dollar.
- Equipping and supporting first responders – Ensure our sheriff’s deputies, volunteer fire departments and emergency personnel have dependable equipment, necessary resources and strong inter-agency coordination to keep every community safe.
- Restoring and protecting community spaces – That effort starts with a healthy, productive working relationship with the City of Murray. The City technically owns the park system now, but our kids, families and ball teams from across the entire county use those fields and facilities every day. We must sit down together as equal partners to find collaborative, sustainable ways to support our parks and recreational spaces rather than pointing fingers across jurisdictional lines.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your county over the next four years?
A: The signature issue facing Calloway County is managing county growth and escalating operational costs without overburdening taxpayers – which requires breaking down the wall between city and county governance.
Calloway County is one of the fastest-growing counties in western Kentucky, yet our county government frequently operates with a closed-door, reactive mindset. Costs are rising across every sector – from paving roads at over $100,000 per mile to jail medical expenses, unfunded state mandates and emergency equipment. Because the city and county have spent years operating in silos rather than as partners, taxpayers end up funding duplicate administrative overhead, while crucial community assets like our parks face funding deficits.
Over the next four years, the fiscal court must transition from reactive crisis management to proactive, collaborative governance. If we sit down as equal partners with the City of Murray and Murray State University, we can pool resources, capture state regionalization grants and manage our residential and commercial growth responsibly.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for county residents?
A: Improving quality of life starts with delivering reliable core services across every corner of Calloway County and working collaboratively on the community assets that bring us together:
- Restoring and investing in our parks – High quality of life requires great recreational spaces. Because the city owns the park system, moving our parks forward requires an active, cooperative partnership between the city and the county. I have demonstrated my commitment to these spaces from outside government by co-founding the annual Bourbon & Bowties fundraiser, which has raised more than $350,000 for local park improvements. As judge-executive, I will bring that same collaborative spirit to the courthouse so our families and youth athletics have the facilities they deserve.
- Equitable rural infrastructure – High quality of life should not depend on your zip code or precinct. That means prioritizing road maintenance based on actual need, continuing to push for complete rural broadband connectivity and ensuring county services reach every corner – from our lakeside communities to Hazel, Dexter and New Concord.
- Growth from within – Fostering an economy where young people graduating from Calloway County High School and Murray State can build rewarding careers and stay right here. That means supporting local family farms, easing administrative hurdles for local entrepreneurs and collaborating with MSU to leverage university research and innovation for local economic development.
- Backing public safety and essential services – Making sure our deputies, volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel have the backing, equipment and resources they need to protect our neighborhoods and respond swiftly when families need help.
Q: What needs to change in your local county government, and why should people vote you into office to do that?
A: What needs to change is the “status quo,” complacency and the mindset that says, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”
For years, decisions have been made behind closed doors, budgets have been cut without public consultation and intergovernmental friction has left state funding on the table. When local leaders retreat into political silos, the taxpayers pay the price.
Voters should hire me for this role because I bring real-world executive experience and political independence:
- Practical business leadership – I have spent two decades signing paychecks, negotiating contracts, balancing operating budgets and solving problems in private business. In business, you cannot blame political parties when something goes wrong; you fix the problem and produce results.
- True independence – I am not beholden to party bosses, state political machines or special-interest factions. My sole accountability is to the citizens and taxpayers of Calloway County.
- A record of action – Whether managing businesses, running our family farm or organizing community fundraisers to save civic projects, I believe in rolling up my sleeves and doing the work. I am ready on day one to sit down with the city, the university and our citizens to build an accountable, efficient and forward-looking county government.
Q: Is there anything else you want voters to know about you or your campaign?
Editor’s note: The following answer is transcribed from Chambers’ interview with WKMS.
A: I bring up collaboration, cooperation – that's what it's all about. That's what I'm running on. That's what I'm trying to bring to the table here, and my life in the private sector has afforded me the relationships that I need to accomplish those goals: being a longtime sponsor of Murray State and many of the endeavors here … and then dealing with the city for many years as a local businessman. And then on the county side, like I said, we own a family farm so I have to pay attention. Our farm’s broke up – the blacktop runs through our farm so I have to pay attention to how the roads are and I get a lot of feedback in the farming community of what they need and that's ultimately what I'm here about. I'm not really here to tell anybody how to do anything. I'm here to listen, to take that knowledge and use it to put it into action to better our community as a whole.
Gidget Manning – Independent
Editor’s note: Manning participated in an interview with WKMS to answer Voter Guide questions. Her answers have been transcribed and edited for length and clarity. You can also listen to her interview below.
Q: What should voters know about you and why are you running for office?
A: Well, I want the citizens of Calloway to know that I am approachable. Voters need to have confidence that their government is not just working for them, but with them. I want to hear from those that live and work in our county. I also want them to expect answers from me when they ask questions.
During my time working for Calloway County – I did over six years – I came to understand the needs of the county and how to improve the lives of those that call Calloway their home, and I want to be the next judge-executive to ensure we are following the law, seeking improvement, and no longer missing opportunities.
Q: What would your priorities be, if elected?
A: As judge-executive, I have three priorities that are core to the well-being of Calloway County: public welfare, safety, and economic stability.
Public welfare would include maintenance of our land, waterways and roads. A well-kept county is one that we will enjoy living in, and one that will invite others to visit. And I would want to work with the tourism [office] to probably beef that up just a little bit.
Safety, for me, is when the county has leadership that will enforce [fiscal] court ordinances and resolutions and execute contracts [under] state laws [dictating the duties of the] the judge-executive …
Economic stability has been a challenge in the past. Our monies have been spent with a buddy system that limits our participation instead of utilizing the open business practices that we should have.
Q: What do you see as the signature issue in your county over the next four years?
A: Our signature issue is waste and, specifically, financial waste. As a leader of the county, I will be hands-on in the creation of a budget that is appropriate and fair. But my involvement will not stop there. I will make sure we have a checks and balances system in departments to make sure operational monies are being used to do just that: operate the departments without waste. We have, at our disposal, the means and methods to cut cost right here in Calloway County. One of my roles when working at the county before: I was a grant writer. I secured thousands of dollars in money and equipment for projects. Those grants are still available for us but, after I left the county, applications for grants stopped. Missed opportunities like that hurt our county, and, as judge-executive, I will reinstate that practice immediately.
Q: How would you work to improve the quality of life for county residents?
A: Well, our quality of life is a measurement. I grew up in Calloway County. I married here, raised my family here. I've started businesses here. I have worked here, and there are many of us who have stayed. And why? Because of what Calloway always stood for and always meant for us.
Over time, we have noticed the change. Government became less approachable. We stopped voting because we felt the outcome was already decided. We felt our voices were no longer heard, and I believe I can change that. With the course corrections I will implement, our county can return to the “why” some of us stayed in Calloway County. I will do what I say I will, and I will be the same person that's accountable every day. We didn't lose who we are; we just forgot it. And, as judge, my goal is to help us remember who we are.
Q: What needs to change in your local county government, and why should people vote you into office to do that?
A: Well, instead of change, I want to institute a standard of operation. I want to create a vision for the county that includes consistency, quality, efficiency, cooperation and growth. All of these things are achievable in Calloway County, but it requires a committed leader – a leader that not only sees the vision, but can bring the vision back. And through my actions, I am that leader. I am not afraid to stand firm in my commitment to raise the standard of operations for Calloway County and for everybody who lives in it.
Q: Is there anything else you want voters to know about you or your campaign?
A: I just want to tell everybody that I appreciate all their time, the many that have taken time to talk to me in the evenings, on weekends. I appreciate the support I've had, and we'll just keep fighting the fight.
