Kentucky’s incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture has won the Republican nomination in his bid for reelection.
Ryan Quarles was the first winner to be called in Tuesday night’s primary election. Quarles received than 82 percent of the votes with 92 percent of precincts reporting. He defeated challenger Bill Polyniak, a cannabis farmer from Fayette County.
Quarles has supported the rise of hemp as an agricultural product in Kentucky, and his administration led a statewide initiative to study and address hunger. He has also worked to expand Kentucky’s international export market, by resuming live equine exports to China.
Robert Haley Conway won the Democratic nomination for Commissioner of Agriculture, defeating Joe Trigg. Conway ran on a platform of supporting medical marijuana, solar technology, industrial hemp and hydroponics.
Conway and Quarles both boast a legacy of farming in Scott County. Conway is an eighth-generation farmer and Quarles is a ninth-generation farmer, respectively.
