Ward 12 primary candidates face-off in League forum

With the primary election set for May, the Hopkinsville League of Women Voters continued their debate forums Thursday evening, including the candidates running for Hopkinsville City Council in Ward 12. 

Incumbent Republican Matthew Handy will face off against Republican challenger Elizabeth Draude, and for half an hour they discussed the issues facing Hopkinsville, how they would want to address them and what their goals for the future are, if elected. 

Draude says more effort should be made to promote Hopkinsville as a whole to encourage people to locate here and make their lives here, saying there’s much to love about the City.

Handy says more can be done to encourage and support young professionals and small businesses, whether that be by providing networking opportunities or incentives.  

If re-elected to the Ward 12 seat, Handy says he would like to see more outreach done to address the homelessness the city is facing, along with programs focused on mental health and wellness.

Draude says, if elected, she would work to make sure that the citizens felt confident that their city council was working for the benefit of everyone with honesty and transparency.

The Ward 12 debate wrapped up the League of Women debate forums for the contested primary elections, but they can all be viewed again on the League’s Facebook page. The primary election is set for May 21.