LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — The abrupt resignation of Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins has left many people with questions. Several viewers called LEX 18 with questions. Some are not willing to accept that Mr. Blevins retired for personal reasons, as was written in his statement.
“The timing of his stepping down is such that now a Democratic Judge-Executive gets to pick, presumably, another Democrat to take over the clerkship,” said University of Kentucky Political Science Professor Steven Voss.
Professor Voss believes, however, that it is entirely possible that Mr. Blevins did retire for personal reasons.
“Running for (re) election as county clerk when you’re supervising a complicated election contest is even more work, so that’s why I’m open to the possibility he didn’t know that he was stepping down until after the election,” Professor Voss added.
Professor Voss noted that when most anyone retires from the political arena or elected office, the move comes with a certain level of scrutiny. In the case of Mr. Blevins and his announcement, some might not like how it transpired, or when, and that was the concern LEX 18 heard from many callers.
“We all know the rules of the game and we all know the rules for replacement. It is above board to play the system the way the system allows you to play it,” Voss explained.
The decision by Blevins, as mentioned by Voss, could mean new Fayette County Judge-Executive Mary McCord Hannah, a Democrat, will choose a member of the party to replace Mr. Blevins. But, this decision could go the other way too, because of how the optics of this might appear to some.
“The Judge-Executive might feel some pressure to go for somebody who’s non-partisan, or is believed to lean Independent so the voters have less of a perception that the system has been tricked,” Voss said.
Mr. Blevins is expected to remain in office until the end of January. His father Don Sr. retired in the middle of a term in 2009 when Don Jr. assumed the position. He’s since won four elections.
