Joe Bilby

06/23/2025

Call me today to get started!

12/16/2022

11/09/2022

I congratulate Judge Shepherd on his hard-fought victory. I’m very proud of the effort my team put forward in this campaign. We placed before the voters a different view of how a judge should behave within our constitutional order. My family and I are very grateful for the support and encouragement we received along the way.

11/08/2022

Franklin County, today is the day! I would be very grateful for your vote.

11/05/2022

My 12,000th door knocked since February.

Onward!

11/03/2022

Early voting begins today! I respectfully ask for your vote.

11/03/2022

Today I enjoyed lunch with some friends and made a few new friends, too. Thank you to everyone who participated!

11/01/2022

After spending a sunny afternoon knocking on doors and talking with voters in nearby neighborhoods…I approve this message!

10/26/2022

“As a result (of Shepherd’s sentencing) Martin Klemens served his sentence in home incarceration, on the couch with full access to the internet. When I tell that to voters, they immediately grasp the problem of a judge who doesn’t follow the law,” Bilby said.

“When I say I’m a constitutional conservative, I’m not promising to deliver conservative outcomes. I’m saying that I take seriously and wish to conserve our proper constitutional order, and how it regards judges. I’m not running to be a Republican version of Phillip Shepherd, and anyone who thinks that’s the case is going to be disappointed when I’m judge,” Bilby said.

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd is often derided by state Republicans, but well-known and well-liked among many Franklin Countians. With hard work and some well-placed attacks, can challenger Joe Bilby knock him off?

10/25/2022

Some voters have asked me why my signs read: "A judge should always follow the law." Answer --> Watch this video. Watch the full 28 minutes if you have the time. But if you only have one minute to spare, watch the minute that begins at 9:00.

"It is critically important for the judge to understand that, just like the rest of us, he is bound and constrained by the law."

"If you have a judge who properly understands himself to be bound by the law and required to do what it says, instead of tip-toeing around it or finding a way to disregard it, that’s going to drain the situation of a lot of the political excitement of the moment."

"Because if the facts of a case, as applied to the law as it actually exists, call for an outcome, it doesn’t matter who the litigants are. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Republican or a Democrat who’s asking the judge for certain relief. The judge shouldn’t pay attention to any of that. He should look at the facts, look at the law, apply the one to the other, and deliver the outcome."

"And if we had a judge who followed the law more faithfully than my opponent does, it would take a lot of the drama and excitement and partisan fervor out of our court system. And that would be a good thing."

At 12:33: "I'm not running to be a Republican version of Phillip Shepherd. I'm running to follow the law in every single case, regardless of who the parties are."

Candidate Forum for the General Election 2022, in partnership with FPB and the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce. Recorded on October 11, 2022.Candidates pa...

10/24/2022

11,000 doors knocked, with 15 days left! It was a busy weekend. Some highlights—

Friday: meeting with hard-working volunteers, door knocking near Green Wilson Road, and then greeting voters outside the FCHS football game.

Saturday: Watching our son’s soccer game, speaking at a GOTV rally, door knocking along Devils Hollow Road with a 20-minute pause to play fetch with one very good dog, enjoying the Choateville Ruritan Club’s fish fry, and then joining friends for a trivia night fundraiser.