With less than 50 days left until Bowling Green voters choose their next mayor, both candidates have held campaign events to tout endorsements from two of Kentucky’s highest-profile political figures.

Incumbent Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott is facing Patti Minter, a professor of history at Western Kentucky University.

Alcott has garnered an endorsement from Sen. Rand Paul of Bowling Green, while Minter has been endorsed by Gov. Andy Beshear.

On Monday, Minter hosted a campaign event at One Roof Event Space attended by Beshear to accept his endorsement.

A retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and retired JROTC teacher at Warren East High School, Alcott hosted a campaign fundraising event on Sept. 13 at White Squirrel Brewery attended by Paul where the Republican senator expressed his support for Alcott’s reelection.

Minter previously served in the Kentucky General Assembly where she represented the 20th district as a Democrat.

She was first elected in 2018 and was reelected in 2020. In 2022, she was unseated by current state Rep. Kevin Jackson. R-Bowling Green, after the district was redrawn by the Republican-lead legislature.

Alcott was elected mayor of Bowling Green in 2020, after then-Mayor Bruce Wilkerson ended his own reelection bid.

Previously, Alcott unsuccessfully ran in 2018 for the Republican nomination for the 20th District House seat.

That seat, ultimately won by Minter, was vacant after the retirement of longtime state Rep. Jody Richards, a Democrat.

The mayoral race is non-partisan, as is the city commission race, where six candidates are vying for four seats.

All four current commissioners, Carlos Bailey, Dana Beasley-Brown, Melinda Hill and Sue Parrigin, are seeking reelection.

Also seeking commission seats are Johnalma Barnett and John Williams.

The Bowling Green Daily News is hosting a mayoral forum featuring Alcott and Minter at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Bowling Green Junior High auditorium. The event is open to the public.