Three candidates are seeking election to an open seat in Jefferson Family Court left vacant after the retirement of Judge Stephen George. Bill Tingley, Lauren Adams Ogden and Judge Gina Kay Calvert will be on the May 17 primary ballot vying for the right to serve out the remainder of the unexpired term which runs through 2022.

The LBA’s Judicial Candidates Poll is designed to let voters know what attorneys think about the qualifications of those seeking judicial office. The LBA disseminated the poll electronically through BallotBox Online, an electronic survey instrument created by and for attorneys. All responses remain anonymous.

The poll was e-mailed to approximately 4,300 members of the Kentucky Bar Association working and/or residing Jefferson County on April 14; the deadline to respond was April 21.

The attorneys were asked to rate the judicial candidates’ fitness to serve the office to which they are seeking election.

The candidates were rated in the following categories: Do Not Know Candidate, Not Rated, Highly Qualified, Qualified, Unqualified

The Judicial Candidates Poll has been conducted regularly by the LBA since 1982. The intent is not to endorse any particular candidate, but rather to inform the public on opinions of member of the legal community concerning the qualifications of judicial candidates. The poll seeks input only from attorneys who are actively practicing in Jefferson County.

Because judges are different from other elected officials, and often not well known to the general public, the LBA assists in providing reliable information to citizens through a poll of those who have had professional contact with the candidates for judicial office.