HOVIS LAUNCHES BOLLINGER WRITE-IN

MARBLE HILL -- Dan Hovis doesn't give up easily when he sets a goal and this time his goal is to be elected sheriff in Bollinger County.

Hovis ran as a Republican candidate in the August primary election but was defeated by incumbent Dan Mesey. Hovis lost by 39 votes.

Since the vote was so close, Hovis' supporters asked that he request a recount, but the recount vote would cost about $1,000, said Pat Hovis, his wife.

"People begged him to run and we have to do something," she said.

So Hovis plans to launch a write-in campaign. The official ballot will only list Republican and Democrat candidates for sheriff. It was too late for Hovis to file as an independent after the August primary.

The campaign will be run just as if Hovis name will be printed on the ballot, his wife said. The difficult task will be making sure people have the correct spelling and remember to write the name on the ballot when they vote at the polls, she said.

The write-in campaign is a first for the Bollinger County clerk's office. All write-in votes cast for Hovis must be spelled correctly or they will no be counted in the race for sheriff.

Hovis is a lifelong resident of Bollinger County and would like to build a rapport between the sheriff's department and the county's residents. He does not have any experience in law enforcement but would attend any training necessary for the job, he said.

His opponents in the race are incumbent Dan Mesey, a Republican, and Dennis Willis, a Democrat. Both men are former employees of the department.

Mesey has been sheriff since 1991. He served two years as a special investigator for the department and has 30 years' experience in law enforcement.

Willis is a former sheriff's deputy and currently works as a Marble Hill police officer. He has nine years' experience in Bollinger County law enforcement.