Hardin Local Election Interview: Fred Clem Jr., Magistrate, District 4 (R) | 2026 KY General

Hardin Local sits down with Fred Clem Jr., Republican candidate for Hardin County Magistrate, District 4. This is part of our 2026 Hardin County Election Interview series. Every registered general-election candidate gets the same format: 7 standard opening questions, then 5 race-specific magistrate questions, in the same order, with the same time limits. No editorializing, just the candidate's own words. ABOUT FRED CLEM JR. Fred said he is running for re-election as magistrate for District 4, and that he considers serving a responsibility rather than a title. He said three things inspired his service: a high school teacher who gave him a love of history and government, his military service, including 15 months in Vietnam in 1967 and 1968, and the birth of his grandsons. He said his background includes a bachelor's degree in sociology from Campbellsville College, starting his own business and serving as its owner and manager for almost 16 years, and 48 years in the insurance world. He said voters should remember that he will do the work, tell the truth and put policy ahead of politics. His first step, he said, would be to closely examine the possibility of streamlining certain departments. He said his campaign is about 90 percent self-funded, and that he was endorsed by the Heart of Kentucky Association of Realtors. On the race questions, he said he chairs the finance committee and goes through the budget line by line, and that he worked on resurfacing and striping Bewley Hollow Road. QUESTIONS COVERED 1. What office are you running for, and why this office specifically? 2. What happened in your life that led you to run? 3. What in your background most prepares you for this seat? 4. If voters only remember one thing about why they should pick you, what is it? 5. What's the first concrete thing you'd do in office? 6. Is your campaign self-funded, donor-funded, or a mix? 7. Where should voters go to learn more? Plus race-specific questions for Magistrate: what a magistrate can and cannot do on the eight-member Hardin County Fiscal Court, how he would approach the county's roughly $59.8 million 2025-26 budget, how a magistrate should engage the Road Department on the county's 568 miles of roads, balancing a district's specific needs against what is best for the whole county, and building working relationships with the Judge/Executive, County Attorney, County Clerk, cities, school board, and sheriff. OUR APPROACH Hardin Local does not endorse candidates. Every candidate in a given race gets the same treatment: same questions, same time, same audience. This series is free, non-partisan community service ahead of the November 3, 2026 Kentucky general election. CONTACT THE CAMPAIGN Phone: 270-872-6218 Email: fredclemjr@comcast.net Voting record: Hardin County Government website Facebook: he said he has a Facebook presence LINKS All 2026 general election interviews: https://hardinlocal.com/elections/ Hardin Local: https://hardinlocal.com Kentucky voter info: https://elect.ky.gov SPONSORS THIS EPISODE PhilTaul.com - AI automation for local businesses. A $450 AI Workflow Roadmap session maps where your time goes and what to automate first. Every system keeps a human in the loop. Get in touch at PhilTaul.com. Tektel Cloud Voice - business phone systems and IT/cybersecurity, based right here in Hardin County. Cloud Voice moves with you: same number, same extension, same voicemail on your desk phone or your cell. Tektel dot net. #HardinLocal #HardinCountyKY #Magistrate #MagistrateDistrict4 #FiscalCourt #ElizabethtownKY #KentuckyPolitics #2026General #VoteNov3 #Republican