Remembering the 1977 Democratic Primary
Political Trailblazer Bonnie English Runs for Sheriff
Bonnie English with her husband Sheriff Jerry English
There was no doubting that Marshall County politics in 1977 was a man’s world. Up to that time, only one female, Circuit Clerk Martha Nell Holland, had ever been elected to public office and no woman had ever dared to seek the county’s top law enforcement spot. That all changed in the spring of 1977, when Bonnie English jumped into the sheriff’s race in what would become a historic campaign.
Four years earlier Bonnie’s husband, Jerry G. English had been elected sheriff and led a progressive administration in which many improvements to the office were made including marked patrol cars and uniformed deputies. Bonnie was a deputy in his department, and when his term was drawing to a close, many supporters encouraged her to run for the job. “When Jerry’s first term was up, he couldn’t succeed himself because of Kentucky law at the time,” English recalled. “I had several supporters and friends approach me about running and after a lot of thought, I decided to jump in.”
The campaign was simple and focused on continuing the progress in the department made by her husband. “Many folks were satisfied with the improvements Jerry brought to the office, so I ran on a platform of continuing those improvements.”
As the election drew closer, a record number of candidates piled into the county clerk’s office to throw their hat in the ring for sheriff. By the filing deadline, a total of 19 candidates were in the race for Marshall County sheriff in 1977 which was the largest field since the 1933 jailers race which saw 23 candidates. The frontrunners in the ’77 sheriff’s race were Mrs. English, former sheriff Joe Tom Haltom, and former deputy Wayne Peck, who had placed second in the 1973 race.
Although she was the only female on the ballot, English was not intimidated and ran a vigorous campaign. “I ran to win and we all worked very hard,” English recalled. However, canvassing in the conservative county brought about challenges for the English campaign at times. “The biggest surprise I got came from some of the older women voters who would tell me that women shouldn’t be able to vote much less run for sheriff. It kind of caught me off guard,” English remembered.
After two months of crisscrossing the county and working the crowds, the candidates awaited the results as the voters cast their ballots on May 24, 1977. When the votes were tallied former sheriff Joe Tom Haltom was victorious with 1,904 voters, Wayne Peck placed second with 1,374 votes, and Bonnie English earned 1,071 votes. Although she did not win the election, Bonnie English broke down a barrier for many women in Marshall County politics and laid the groundwork for future female candidates.
“At the time I didn’t really think what I was doing was too groundbreaking,” English humbly said. “I just ran for a job that I thought I could do just as good as anyone else.”