Middlesboro lawyer Mike Taylor has filed to run for Bell County Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2024. Taylor says he is keeping his promise to challenge incumbent Lisa Fugate in the Republican primary after coming about 550 votes short in 2022.

“My wife and family are excited and prepared to go through this journey with me, as a family we are excited for the opportunity to give back to the community that’s given us so much,” he said.

Taylor is originally from the Calloway community and graduated from Bell County High School. He went to Western Kentucky University and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1988. That same year, he started his private practice, Taylor Law Office in Middlesboro.

He said the reasons he’s running this year are much the same as in 2022 — he feels the local prosecutor’s office is not doing enough to get cases through the court system.

“Since the 2022 election, the Circuit Court Criminal Docket has only gotten worse, and the expense and burden this is placing on the Bell County taxpayers is increasing exponentially. Week after week dozens upon dozens of criminal cases are needlessly continued with no end in sight,” Taylor said.

He claims that Bell County has had to pay nearly $800,000 to other county’s jails to house inmates over the last year.

“Over the last fiscal year Bell County taxpayers were forced to pay $795,000.00 to other county’s jails to house our inmates. A Commonwealth’s Attorney dedicated to working the caseload and securing convictions would save Bell County taxpayers of this burden,” Taylor said. “Bell County is in trouble, and I will solve this problem.”

Taylor said the prosecution of drug trafficking cases will be a priority and that those individuals have to be punished.

“The drug epidemic has only gotten worse; we must have a Commonwealth’s Attorney that will tackle this issue head-on. We need a Commonwealth’s Attorney that will prosecute cases and secure the convictions our community needs,” he said.

The 2024 Primary Election will be on Tuesday, May 21.