Why do you want to hold the position of county attorney?
Cassie Barnes: As a current Assistant County Attorney, I know what the job entails, and how impactful
this position is. I want to serve as County Attorney to carry forward the values of integrity, fairness, service, and respect commensurate with this office, and to help make our community safer, and local government more effective and efficient. I will serve with pride and passion for the office, and for this special community. I would be humbled and appreciative for your vote, and I pledge my steadfast commitment to uphold the high standard this county deserves, has had, and should continue to have.
Carmine Iaccarino: I love this community, I love public service, and I have the experience to make a difference. I have advised governors, attorneys general, state agencies, local governments, and public officials on difficult legal questions. I have handled complex litigation, constitutional issues, and employment matters. I want to bring that experience home to Woodford County. The County Attorney’s Office can do more: prevent problems before they become lawsuits, modernize outdated ordinances, support law enforcement and victims, and provide independent legal counsel focused on people rather than politics. I humbly ask for your vote. If you have questions, call me at 859-321-2041.
During the Candidate Forum, you each said you intended to be a full-time county attorney, but you each have an existing private practice. Explain your plan to transition away your existing clients and how long you anticipate that will take.
Barnes: I’m well-versed in the wide-ranging duties of the office, including District Court
prosecution, county government, child support services (853 active cases), advising the
Boards of Elections, Health, and Assessment Appeals, prosecution of juvenile offenses,
and dependency, neglect and abuse cases, among others. Fulfillment of these duties
requires complete and undivided attention. I have obligations to clients at my Versailles practice that I’ll fulfill to the extent possible, with careful adherence to rules of professional conduct. Accordingly, I’ll remain associated with my partner, Joe Hoffman, during the necessary portion of my first term to ensure an ethical wind-down of my practice.
Iaccarino: I have built a thriving private practice handling complex litigation, constitutional questions, employment matters, and significant public-law issues across Kentucky. I have been privileged to represent clients ranging from Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine to state and local governmental entities, including the Kentucky Horse Racing & Gaming Corporation. That work has prepared me to step into the County Attorney’s Office ready to handle difficult legal questions from day one. After Election Day, I will work closely with my clients and colleagues to ensure I am ready to hit the ground running to serve you, the People of Woodford County.
The county attorney term is four years, but there is always the possibility of a judicial election or appointment coming up. Do you each pledge to serve your full four-year term without seeking another office or appointment, judicial or otherwise?
Barnes: I’ll serve my entire term as a full-time County Attorney, operating out of our Courthouse. The County Attorney handles serious matters requiring continuity and focus. Victims, law enforcement, and county officials depend on stable, present leadership. When I filed, I committed to Woodford County citizens to fulfill this office’s duties completely. I’m proudly
endorsed by Woodford County leaders, past and present, not state and federal politicians. I won’t seek a judicial appointment, and you won’t find me politicking at Fancy Farm. I am invested in this role, and hope to serve many more if voters entrust me with that privilege.
Iaccarino: I pledge to serve the full term as Woodford County Attorney. I am running for County Attorney because I want to be County Attorney. I have spent more than fifteen years handling complex litigation, constitutional and administrative law, employment matters, and advising government agencies and public officials. I have served at senior levels of Kentucky state government and today represent clients in significant matters across the Commonwealth. I want to put that experience to work here at home. If the people of Woodford County entrust me with this office, they will have my full attention and commitment.