BREATHITT COUNTY, KY (LEX18) – Election season brings out all sorts of campaign tactics, but did a candidate for Judge Executive in Breathitt County go too far?
Wielding a rifle with his opponents photo-shopped around him, Judge-Executive candidate, TJ Caudill, caught the attention of a lot of people in town Wednesday.
In the picture posted to his Facebook page, it appears the gun in his hands is pointed at the head of his opponent, and current county coroner, George Griffith. In Caudill’s other hand it looks like he’s holding the head of James "Jimbo" Combs, who is also running for Judge.
Caudill is no ordinary candidate. He has no political experience, but he’s outspoken, sometimes vulgar, and uses Facebook heavily to campaign.
Going into next Tuesday’s election, he’s one of six men vying for Breathitt County Judge-Executive. His opponents are Raymond Landrum, Jeff Noble, George Griffith, Harvey Jason Richardson, and Jeff "Jimbo" Combs.
We reached out to Caudill about the picture on his Facebook and the upcoming election. He first agreed to an interview, but then never responded again.
Caudill also didn’t attend a candidate forum in Jackson on Wednesday, where three fellow opponents could have challenged him.
While a number of people in town called the post either wrong or concerning, no one would speak on-camera about it. Many feared repercussions for any comments they may make.
None of Caudill’s five opponents wanted to comment on the situation either.
In a Facebook live, Caudill read this article and said he used the posts to bring attention to his campaign,
