A familiar name to local government has announced that he intends to seek a different office in 2026, as current Magistrate Russ Guffey has announced that he will run for Mayor of Hopkinsville.
According to a statement from the magistrate of District 7 in Christian County Fiscal Court, Guffey says he’s proud of the improvements his ward and the county as a whole has experienced during his term on the fiscal court. Specifically, he cites increasing employee pay, replacing outdated infrastructure, good financial stewardship of tax payer dollars and lowering property taxes for the last three years.
He goes on to say that he believes that his, and other magistrates, approach to being fiscally conservative have proven that ‘ambitious’ and ‘fruitful’ don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Further, he states; “Honest discourse needs to take place, creating a proactive blueprint for Hopkinsville’s future. Yes, “fat” must be trimmed and long-overdue issues must be addressed, but communication between the Mayor and staff, constituents, Council, the County, and even the Commonwealth are equally as vital.”
In a campaign announcement video, Guffey says he intends to act proactively, if elected, and not re-actively, with the plan to work collaborative with agencies, entities and organizations across the county.
He says he has a vision for Hopkinsville that will help it become a place where people want to live, work, play and stay.
Guffey is a lifelong resident of Christian County, is a former educator and coach, and is a business owner in Hopkinsville. He will be seeking the Mayoral office as a Republican, which would mean that he would face current Mayor J.R. Knight in a primary, if Knight seeks reelection.