Unofficial returns show Heaton, six Bardstown council incumbents winning

The day after Nelson County’s Nov. 3, 2026, general election, the Nelson County Gazette reported that unofficial returns showed Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton winning about 74% of votes cast and all six incumbent city council members re-elected. If certified as reported, the outcome would keep all seven incumbents in office.

Among council candidates, Roland “Coach Roe” Williams led with 2,499 votes, compared with 1,063 for Matthew Cooper and 899 for John Royalty. That put Williams 1,436 votes ahead of Cooper and 1,600 ahead of Royalty, a calculation from the totals reported by the Gazette.

The Kentucky State Board of Elections’ Nelson County report lists 16,408 ballots cast and all 13 of 13 polling places reporting. Those are countywide figures, not a Bardstown-only turnout count. The state report is labeled “Unofficial Results,” and the Gazette said totals remain unofficial until certified.