Fiscal Court Elects Temporary Interim County Judge Executive

The Jackson County Fiscal Court held an emergency meeting on April 24, 2026 and elected Magistrate Dale Vaughn to serve as Temporary Interim County Judge Executive while the permanent interim replacement will occur via Governor appointment within 30 days. This was in response to Judge Shane Gabbard rendering his resignation, with his last official day in office being April 24, 2026 (The resignation will go into effect at midnight on April 25, 2026).

According to Jackson County Attorney Ross Murray, this temporary appointment is governed by KRS 67.705(1). When a vacancy occurs in the office of a Kentucky County Judge/Executive, the remaining members of the Fiscal Court must immediately elect one of their members to serve as temporary judge/executive until the Governor appoints a permanent replacement. 

This is a Temporary Replacement Process (KRS 67.705(1)) which can be triggered by Vacancy due to death, resignation, or removal. In this specific case, it was triggered by Judge Gabbard's resignation. 

The Fiscal Court must immediately elect one of its members to fill the position temporarily. In other words, by Kentucky Statute, a Magistrate must be chosen by the court to temporarily fill the position. That elected Magistrate serves until the Governor formally fills the vacancy for the unexpired term.

The temporary judge possesses the necessary authority to keep the county government operating during the permanent appointment process.

The Governor must fill the vacancy within 30 days of its occurrence.

Party Nomination: The Governor selects from a list of three names submitted by the county executive committee of the same political party as the departing judge, submitted within 21 days.

Requirement: The appointee must have been a registered member of that party since December 31 of the preceding year.

The Jackson County Republican reported on their social media page: “We were saddened to hear the news of Jackson County Judge Executive Shane Gabbard stepping down. We want to thank him for his service to our community and recognize that his health and well being must come first. We wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.

If the Jackson County Republican Party is called upon by the Governor to submit nominees to fill this position, we want to be transparent with the public. We believe it is in the best interest of the county not to nominate any individual who is currently a candidate for the office of Jackson County Judge Executive.

By taking this approach, we feel that no candidate who has filed for office will receive any unfair advantage in the primary or general election. The Jackson County Republican Party is committed to being as fair and transparent as possible for the citizens of Jackson County.

Ultimately, the decision will rest with the Governor in appointing an interim Judge Executive.”