Several candidates in Warren County’s Republican primary election spoke at the Bowling Green Country Club Thursday night for a meeting of the Republican Women’s Club of Southcentral Kentucky.

Bonnie Williams and Gordon Turner are both running for Warren County Circuit Clerk, a position currently held by Brandi Duvall.

Turner, who works as a detective for the Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, said the clerk’s office needs to be a “support system” for local courts.

“I’m the type that would never ask any of my staff to do something I wouldn’t do,” Turner said.

Williams currently serves as the grand jury coordinator for the commonwealth’s attorney. She said if elected she will work to improve what she called a “hostile work environment” at the clerk’s office.

“I come from an office where we’re family,” she said.

Sonya Kilgo Corder is running as a Democrat for the clerk’s office. Corder previously ran as a Republican in 2018, losing to Duvall in the general election. Corder is unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Absent from the event was Duvall, who is running for reelection this year as a Republican after being elected as a Democrat.

Mary Pierce, president of the club, said she called Duvall’s office on two separate occasions and left voicemails inviting Duvall to the event.

“We would have loved to have her because we understand she just changed from Democrat to Republican,” Pierce said. “Many people would have loved to hear from her given her recent switch and so I was disappointed that she didn’t respond.”

But Duvall said she never received an invitation. 

“I did not receive a phone call or a voicemail in my office but I would not have taken a political call in my professional setting,” Duvall said in a text message. “I have 4 social media accounts, all of which anyone can directly message me through and my campaign email and cell number are on file with the county clerk.”

State Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, was also present. Meredith, who has served in the House since 2011, is seeking reelection to the state’s 19th House of Representatives district.

He spoke about the impact of several investments from the state in the area, pointing to the construction of a $10 million vocational school at Edmonson County High School and an $8.5 million vocational school at Bowling Green High School. 

“I know every student won’t go to college,” Meredith said. “We need to prepare them for the trades that are out there.”

Challenging Meredith is Kelcey Rock. Rock works in finance and agriculture and lives in Bowling Green. In his speech, he expressed a desire to eliminate the state income tax and criticized Gov. Andy Beshear’s leadership during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing Beshear as a “dictator.”

“We were banned from going to church,” Rock said. “What kind of dictator tells you that you can’t go to church (and) practice your religion. It’s just terrible that we have to do something like that.”