City

Mayor, City of Pikeville

Vote for: 1
Term: 4 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: The mayor is the elected head of the City of Pikeville and presides over the board of commissioners, which oversees the city manager who runs day-to-day operations.

Nonpartisan. On the ballot in the Bessie Riddle Arnold and Lower Pike precincts and parts of Pikeville High School, Coal Run, Mullins School, Myers Tower, Bypass, Island Creek and York.

Candidates Compare by issue

Steve Hartsock

No party listed

The gist

Supports a data center at the city's industrial park
Opposes adding more Flock license-plate cameras
Proposes listening meetings for residents' ideas and concerns
Supports several midsize employers over one big industry

More about Steve

View sources (2)

Supports a data center at the city's industrial park
Pikeville mayoral candidates address data center and Flock camera concerns
Interview · Appalachian News-Express · Sep 5, 2026 · news-expressky.com
“But what better place than our industrial park? That's what it was built for.”
Opposes adding more Flock license-plate cameras
Pikeville mayoral candidates address data center and Flock camera concerns
Interview · Appalachian News-Express · Sep 5, 2026 · news-expressky.com
“I'm not in favor of the Flock cameras because of all the controversy that two have caused”
Proposes listening meetings for residents' ideas and concerns
Three, including incumbent, file to run for Pikeville mayor
News coverage · Appalachian News-Express · Nov 21, 2025 · news-expressky.com
“I would like to have listening meetings when residents can come and voice their ideas and concerns that they may have.”
Supports several midsize employers over one big industry
Three, including incumbent, file to run for Pikeville mayor
News coverage · Appalachian News-Express · Nov 21, 2025 · news-expressky.com
“I really would like to see several businesses hiring 25 or more people rather than just one big industry go in”

Bob Shurtleff

No party listed

The gist

Supports the industrial-park data center only if done properly
Supports guardrails before adding more Flock cameras
Proposes apartments above downtown Pikeville storefronts
Pledges regional job work with One East Kentucky and SOAR

More about Bob

View sources (2)

Supports the industrial-park data center only if done properly
Pikeville mayoral candidates address data center and Flock camera concerns
Interview · Appalachian News-Express · Sep 5, 2026 · news-expressky.com
“I'm not going to sell out the city or the park for that tax base without doing it properly.”
Supports guardrails before adding more Flock cameras
Pikeville mayoral candidates address data center and Flock camera concerns
Interview · Appalachian News-Express · Sep 5, 2026 · news-expressky.com
“you've got to have guardrails put in place, and they've got to control the data”
Proposes apartments above downtown Pikeville storefronts
Three, including incumbent, file to run for Pikeville mayor
News coverage · Appalachian News-Express · Nov 21, 2025 · news-expressky.com
“Housing opportunities are at a premium around the city and those apartments above storefront businesses could definitely be utilized”
Pledges regional job work with One East Kentucky and SOAR
Three, including incumbent, file to run for Pikeville mayor
News coverage · Appalachian News-Express · Nov 21, 2025 · news-expressky.com
“if I'm elected, I'll work with One East Kentucky and SOAR to help develop ideas that will develop jobs for the city”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 4 issues covered in this race.