Second cousins Corbin and David Snardon look forward to annual family fishing trips to Land Between The Lakes.
But they hope to meet in the Capitol come January. “I don’t know if Frankfort is ready for two Snardons in the same room, but we’re definitely going to have some fun with it,” joked Corbin Snardon, a Paducah educator and the Third House District Democratic hopeful.
David Snardon, a Louisville pastor, tossed his hat in the ring for the 43rd House District Democratic primary.
Close kin serving together in the state legislature is rare today. But author and state historian James Klotter suspects that “at least in the first 40 years of the General Assembly, it was probably the exception when a session met and someone was not related.”
Klotter said General Assembly sessions were family affairs into the 20th century. For example, B.M. Arnett of Nicholasville and his offspring, L.W. Arnett, Covington, were Democratic state senators. Both were elected in 1910 “and sworn in together, thus establishing a precedent in that dignified lawmaking body,” according to an old book.
Neither Snardon has clear sailing to Frankfort. Corbin has no opponent in Tuesday’s primary. But he’ll face incumbent Rep. Randy Bridges (R-Paducah) on Nov. 3.
The 43rd District is a Democratic stronghold; hence, no Republican filed. But Rev. Snardon has a primary challenger, Pamela Stevenson.
“Corbin didn’t know that I was thinking about running, and I didn’t know he was – and neither one of us knew we were looking at the same office but a different seat,” said Rev. Snardon, who’s in the pulpit at Joshua Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church.
“But we had talked about ways we could help out in our own communities and different things our family could do to help Kentucky out,” said the Paducah Snardon.
Corbin filed on Jan. 7; David, three days later. (Stevenson filed on Jan. 9.)
Corbin is assistant principal at Paducah Middle School. “My cousin has always been a big pillar in the family and a freedom fighter,” said Snardon, second vice-president and education chair for the Paducah-McCracken County NAACP branch.
Rev. Snardon said two Snardon cousins running for office “says something about our family dynamics, how we’ve been raised.”
Rev. Snardon didn’t plan to run until incumbent Charles Booker opted against another House term to try for the Democratic senatorial nomination. Booker, Mike Broihier, and Amy McGrath are the main Democratic contenders in Tuesday’s primary.
“I know that we need strong leadership,” he said. “With a supermajority of Republicans, you need somebody with the skills to work and be effective in that environment.”
He added, “The more I prayed about it, the more I thought about it, I decided this is an extension of what I’d already been called to do—and that is to make a greater good for more people.”
–30–