Donnie Newsome is an American politician from Kentucky who was the Judge/Executive of Knott County from 1999 to 2005 and a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. Newsome was first elected to the house in 1994, defeating incumbent representative Russell Bentley for renomination.[1]

Donnie Newsome
Judge/Executive of Knott County
In office
January 4, 1999 – September 30, 2005
Preceded byHomer Sawyer
Succeeded byRandy Thompson
Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives
from the 92nd district
In office
January 1, 1995 – January 1, 1999
Preceded byRussell Bentley
Succeeded byPhillip Childers
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic

In 1998 he ran for Judge/Executive of Knott County, defeating Democratic incumbent Homer Sawyer for renomination.[2] In October 2003 he was convicted on federal voter fraud charges.[3] He remained in office for the entireity of his 16-month prison sentence due to a provision of the Kentucky Constitution that allows convicted officeholders to remain in office until the appeals process is complete. He resigned from office in September 2005.[4] He ran again for the office in 2010, losing the Democratic primary to Ronnie Watts.[5]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Knott's Bentley is only legislator to lose his seat". The Lexington Herald-Leader. May 25, 1994. p. A1.
  2. ^ "Pike, Harlan women lose". The Lexington Herald-Leader. May 27, 1998. p. A8. In Knott County, Donnie Newsome defeated incumbent Democrat Homer Sawyer.
  3. ^ "Knott Official is convicted of vote fraud". The Lexington Herald-Leader. October 2, 2003. p. A1.
  4. ^ "Knott Judge-Executive turns in resignation". The Lexington Herald-Leader. August 12, 2005. p. B6.
  5. ^ "13 judge-executives fall in primary". The Lexington Herald-Leader. May 20, 2010. p. A3.