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The General Election is long past, with the voters making their decisions in November. However, most of those who prevailed were only sworn in last week when Circuit Judge Kent Hendrickson performed the swearing-in at a Harlan Circuit Court courtroom ceremony on Thursday.

The newly elected officials gathered inside the courtroom along with many family members, friends, and well-wishers just before the ceremony began at 10 a.m.

Before beginning the ceremony, Hendrickson made a few comments concerning running for county office.

“A lot of people don’t realize how big this county is,” Hendrickson said. “You can go up a hollow to a community, and you’ll see a road winding up the hill, and there’s another community there.”

Hendrickson said he would begin by swearing in those who ran county-wide elections first.

“Then, we will swear in the magistrates, and we’ve got the constables,” Hendrickson said. “I think it would be appropriate if we start with the County Judge-Executive.”

Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley was the first to take the oath of office.

“Dan Mosley, do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky…and that you will faithfully execute to the best of your ability the office of Harlan County Judge-Executive according to law. And do you further solemnly swear that you have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within the state or out of it.”

Mosley agreed to the oath with the customary “I do.”

Following Mosley’s swearing-in, Hendrickson moved on to the other county officials, including incoming Harlan County Sheriff Chris Brewer, new Harlan County Clerk Ashley Sullivan, Magistrates Clark “Sparky” Middleton, Bill Moore, Paul Browning, Jim Roddy, and James Howard. 

Also sworn in were new members of the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office and the district constables.