Lewis County, KY elected officials: the fiscal court, sheriff, school board and cities
Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Lewis County: 15 seats on 9 elected bodies. 15 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.
Fiscal Court
Lewis County Fiscal Court
Each member is elected by the voters of their district.
On the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
How many local governments Lewis County has
The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 14 local governments in Lewis County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
2
0
School districts (school boards)
1
0
Special districts (elected boards)
10
1
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Lewis County
12,965people
42.4median ageU.S.: 38.9
$46,838 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
22%below the U.S.: 12.5%
15.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$96,000median home valueU.S.: $332,700
6%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
0.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5.9%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
5.6%U.S.: 8.4%
27.5%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
27.3%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 0.1% · White 96.9% · Black 0.5% · Asian 0.2% · Other or more than one race 2.3% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Lewis County
7.3%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 7.3%. Kentucky: 4.5%.
311people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
3,959people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
4,270in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
7.3%
311
3,959
4,270
August 2026
6.9%
296
3,977
4,273
July 2026
9.0%
389
3,938
4,327
June 2026
9.5%
405
3,872
4,277
May 2026
8.1%
347
3,914
4,261
April 2026
7.6%
322
3,923
4,245
March 2026
8.4%
360
3,936
4,296
February 2026
9.5%
409
3,911
4,320
January 2026
8.8%
379
3,919
4,298
December 2025
7.1%
307
4,001
4,308
November 2025
6.7%
287
4,019
4,306
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
7.3%
307
3,922
4,229
August 2025
7.2%
308
3,987
4,295
July 2025
8.8%
386
4,005
4,391
June 2025
8.6%
375
3,978
4,353
May 2025
7.6%
327
3,991
4,318
April 2025
7.3%
318
4,009
4,327
March 2025
8.7%
379
3,979
4,358
February 2025
9.8%
435
3,983
4,418
January 2025
11.1%
498
3,993
4,491
December 2024
9.1%
402
3,992
4,394
November 2024
7.6%
330
3,994
4,324
October 2024
6.8%
293
4,040
4,333
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
8.2%
357
3,988
4,345
2024
8.3%
364
4,000
4,364
2023
8.4%
359
3,934
4,293
2022
7.7%
334
4,013
4,347
2021
7.5%
331
4,054
4,385
2020
9.7%
428
3,967
4,395
2019
8.8%
390
4,022
4,412
2018
8.5%
378
4,063
4,441
2017
9.5%
422
4,037
4,459
2016
10.3%
462
4,040
4,502
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Kentucky's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.7% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Lewis County
23.4 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 212.1.
156.1 per 100,0002025. Kentucky: 1,261.7.
0murders2025, 3 violent crimes in all.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2025
3
23.4
20
156.1
2024
4
30.5
33
252.0
2022
1
7.7
20
155.0
2021
0
0.0
29
218.7
2020
1
7.6
30
227.3
2019
6
45.7
29
220.8
2018
4
30.2
31
233.7
2017
4
29.9
24
179.3
2016
0
0.0
19
139.3
By police agency (2)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Lewis County Sheriff's Office
2025
3
19
11,441
Vanceburg Police Department
2025
0
1
1,374
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Kentucky · the U.S.
Police staffing
1.24 per 1,000 residents2022, 2 agencies serving 12,905 people.
16sworn officers2022, full-time, as of October 31.
2civilian staff2022, full-time.
2022 is the latest year every agency here sent the FBI its staff count.
Agencies counted (2), 2022
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Lewis County Sheriff's Office
9
2
11,559
Vanceburg Police Department
7
0
1,346
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2022
16
1.24
2
2
2021
13
0.98
10
2
2020
12
0.91
4
2
2019
12
0.91
2
2
2018
12
0.90
2
2
2017
11
0.82
2
2
2016
11
0.81
2
2
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Lewis County County Attorney?
Benjamin L. Harrison (Republican) is the County Attorney of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County County Clerk?
Leslie A. Collier (Republican) is the County Clerk of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County Coroner?
Tony Gaydos (Republican) is the Coroner of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County Jailer?
Bryon K. Walker (Republican) is the Jailer of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County Property Valuation Administrator?
Kenny Ruckel (Republican) is the Property Valuation Administrator of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County Sheriff?
Johnny W. Bivens (Republican) is the Sheriff of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Lewis County County Surveyor?
Michael D. Ruggles (Republican) is the County Surveyor of Lewis County, Kentucky. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who are the Lewis County commissioners?
George Sparks (County Judge/Executive); Johnny Osborne (Magistrate, 1st District); Joey McCann (Magistrate, 2nd District); Woody Underwood (Magistrate, 3rd District); Mark A. Horsley (Magistrate, 4th District).
What is the population of Lewis County?
About 12,965 people, with a median age of 42.4; the median household income is $46,838 and 22% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Lewis County?
7.3% in September 2026 (preliminary): 311 people unemployed in a labor force of 4,270, against 7.3% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Lewis County?
14 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 2 municipal, 1 school district and 10 special district governments.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the Kentucky State Board of Elections' official precinct recaps of each seat's last election (2022, and 2024 for some Louisville and Lexington council seats); officials appointed since then may differ; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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