The 2026 race for Hopkinsville mayor already has a new chapter.
Early Wednesday morning, District 7 Christian County Magistrate Russ Guffey unveiled his campaign and announced his intent to run as a Republican — in what would serve as a direct challenge to incumbent and Republican J.R. Knight in the May primary.
In an open letter to media and the public, Guffey said he was “beyond proud” of the improvements Christian County experienced during his term — one he first filed for in November 2021.
Nearly four years later to the day, Guffey has new aspirations, after assisting fiscal court lower taxes three consecutive years, while addressing employee pay, outdated infrastructure and equipment, a bevy of capital projects and maintaining “healthy balances” in public coffers and funds.
Guffey noted he believes a fiscally conservative approach is “proven” and “effective,” and that words like “ambitious” and “fruitful” don’t have to be mutually exclusive. He also wrote that this same level of county success “can also be true for the great county seat.”
A lifelong resident, Guffey is a former teacher and coach who turned business owner — and has pivoted his extra time to family, the Rotary Club of Hopkinsville and other civic organizations in the past like the Hopkinsville Community College Foundation, the Christian County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Hopkinsville-Christian County and the Association of the U.S. Army.
He believes his experience with fiscal court, its magistrates and Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam could aid his potential ability to “initiate change, and produce growth” in the city.
Guffey called for “honest discourse,” a “trimming of the fat” and a “long-overdue” list of issues needed to be addressed, while communication between staff, constituents, the council and the Commonwealth is “vital.”
Citizens should expect for more news and detail from both Guffey’s personal and magisterial Facebook pages.
