Fiscal Court candidates make their case

Published 6:00 am Saturday, October 24, 2026

Three of Warren County’s magisterial districts are headed to general election battles with less than two weeks left until voters head to the polls.

Third District Magistrate Rick Williams and Fourth District Magistrate Rex McWhorter, both Republicans, are facing Democratic challenges while Magistrate Eric Aldridge is running against an independent candidate in the fifth district. Several candidates outlined their reasons for running during Warren Fiscal Court’s meeting on Oct. 15.

Third district

Rick Williams has represented the third district since 2022 when he defeated Democratic candidate Rick DuBose. Prior to serving on the fiscal court, Williams served as a Bowling Green city commissioner from 2013 to 2018.

“I’m very proud to be part of this team,” Williams said during the meeting.

He listed the creation of a county-wide fire department system as a proud point of his time on the fiscal court, along with moving the Warren County Sheriff’s Office to Sugar Maple Square and changes made to the county’s road department and Warren County Parks and Recreation.

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“We all get together and we make these decisions based upon our vision for the future and watching what’s coming down the road,” Williams said. ” … We’re not perfect, but we’re a whole lot better than whoever’s in second place,” Williams said.

Challenging Williams is Democrat Barry Brown, a businessman who spent time in the supply chain and procurement realm. This is his first time running for office.

“Like so many of you, I care deeply about the future of this community and the people who call it home,” Brown said during the meeting. “I’m someone who believes that public service is a responsibility, not a title.”

Brown said if elected, he will offer the fiscal court a “fresh perspective” on things and a “commitment to being accessible, responsive, and accountable to the people I represent.”

“My campaign is built on a simple promise — committed to service and accountable to you,” Brown said.

Fourth district

Rex McWhorter has served as fourth district magistrate for 12 years, something he descirbed in the meeting as “the honor of a lifetime.”

Like Williams, he pointed to public safety initiatives and enhancements to county departments as recent accomplishments, along with job growth and cooperation with the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Through fiscal court’s work … there’s been over 3,400 jobs created, just in the past four years,” he said. “That is how you handle the pressure of growth.”

If reelected, McWhorter said he will continue to make sure Warren County succeeds.

“I will continue to work hard for the fourth district and will ensure that Warren County is a great place to live, work and raise a family,” he said.

Challenging him is Democrat Megan Bailey, who serves as an academic advisor at Western Kentucky University.

She summed up her reasons for running in one word — “service.”

“As my entire life has been rooted in service work, … my attention turned toward service in the political realm,” she said.

In the course of her campaign, Bailey said she has learned that voters want to be “seen, heard and validated,” and said these desires will frame her time on the fiscal court if elected.

“Long after the campaign signs have come down, I can promise to be present, committed to continue learning, always with the people of the fourth top of mind.”

Fifth district

Fifth District Magistrate Eric Aldridge is in his first term on the fiscal court, having defeated Democratic incumbent Mark Young in 2022.

Aldridge listed public safety efforts as accomplishments, along with the lowering of Warren County’s property taxes over the past years and increasing funding to the county road department.

“When I came to the office, we were spending roughly $650,000 a year on road paving,” he said. “We were a little bit behind. (But) we’re now at roughly $2.75 million in road paving throughout the county.”

Aldridge also pointed to the recently passed animal control ordinance as a proud point, saying one of the first calls he received after being elected concerned a vicious dog in a residential area.

“This fiscal court took action, and we put in place a nuisance animal ordinance to protect the citizens of Warren County,” he said.

During the last election, Aldridge pledged to donate his salary as a magistrate — around $40,000 per year.

He said during the meeting this is done “to stay humble.”

“It’s not about me, it’s about Warren County,” he said. “It’s about the constituents that I serve in the fifth district. It’s about the entire county that I represent when I when I make a vote here on this court.”

Challenging him is independent candidate Tony Nelson, a first-time candidate and owner of Roof Redemption. Nelson was not at the meeting, but spoke to the Daily News on his plans and reasons for running.

Nelson told the Daily News he is running because, in his view, there is a lack of acknowledgement of public input on the fiscal court.

“I have my two daughters, and I want them to grow up someplace where they don’t have to worry about certain things that I’m starting to see are concerns,” he said.

For him, these include the implementation of Automated License Plate Readers, commonly referred to as Flock cameras, and concerns over local regulations surrounding data centers.

To this end, transparency and community input would be his “number one” things if elected.

As for policy, Nelson would look at placing stronger guidelines on potential data centers in the county, following up on regulations that were put in place this summer.

He said while he sees the benefit in having license plate readers in the county, he would like to see contracts with companies that make the cameras canceled due to potential errors.

“I do see the benefits, but right now, what is the trade-off,” he said. “How many innocent lives are worth catching guilty people.”

First District Magistrate Scott Lasley, Second District Magistrate Tom Lawrence and Judge-executive Doug Gorman are all running unopposed this fall, and election day is set for Nov. 3.

About Jack Dobbs

Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.

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