Fayette County constable with history of legal problems ousted in May primary
A Fayette County constable with a history of legal problems was defeated in the Tuesday Democratic primary.
Andrea Welker, a lawyer, received 65% of the vote besting incumbent Wade McNabb and challenger James “Smitty” Smith, a deputy constable in a different district.
Smith finished second with 23% of the vote. McNabb finished last with 12%.
There is no Republican candidate in the District 1 race. McNabb was first elected in 2014 but has had some legal problems in office.
McNabb, former deputy Danny Prater and deputy constable Tony Coffee were all convicted on multiple counts of illegally using police lights on constable vehicles. McNabb was fined $500. Coffee and Prater were fined $250.
Constables are not allowed to have police lights on their vehicles unless they receive permission from the fiscal court -- or in this case the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council. The council has not given constables that permission.
Prater was also charged in October 2021 with sexual abuse after a woman said Prater sexually harassed her while he was working security at her apartment complex in his constable uniform. That case is still pending.
McNabb has said there was a legitimate disagreement between the city and the constables on whether they could use police lights. The courts have made that determination. His office no longer uses police lights on vehicles, he said.
McNabb said he is not responsible for Prater’s behavior. Prater was terminated for violating policies and procedures of the office.
Welker, a lawyer for a University of Kentucky legal clinic, said she was running to restore integrity to the constable’s office.
“I am running to stop the ongoing abuse of power and abuse of the public by the current constable,” Welker told the Herald-Leader. “We cannot continue to tolerate abusers in public office.” Welker said she will not “play cop” and put police lights on constable vehicles. Welker said she will also make her office’s finances available to the public. She said she will also treat people who are being evicted with respect.
District 2
A familiar face is returning as constable for District 2.
Jim McKenzie, a former constable, received 56% of the vote in the Democratic primary. McKenzie served as constable for the district from 2010 to 2018 but was beat by Kenneth Wayne Winburn, a Democrat, in 2018. Winburn died in February, leaving the seat open.
Nikolas Hart, a deputy constable under McNabb, received 44% of the vote. There is no Republican in that race.
District 3
Ed “Eddie” Sparks earned another term as the District 3 constable.
Sparks received 48% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Sparks, who was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018, faced challengers Robert Curtsinger and Rahuan Woodard in the Democratic primary. Curtsinger, who has previous experience working in law enforcement, finished second with 26% of the vote. Woodard finished third with a little more than 25%.
There is no Republican candidate in that race.
