Debra Waller, a Democrat and Boone County native, is running for the District 1 seat on the Boone County Commission. She faces Republican Cathy Hudson Flaig in the Nov. 3 general election.

Waller has served with the Boone County Conservation District for more than 20 years, according to Link NKY. She holds the role of supervisor and vice chairman of the conservation district, according to the Boone County Clerk's office.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Hometown: Boone County, Kentucky (native)
  • Education: High school diploma, Walton Verona High School (1982); bachelor's degree in biology, Centre College of Kentucky (1986); master's degree in plant physiology, University of Cincinnati (1990)

Experience and public service

Waller has spent more than two decades in public service through the Boone County Conservation District, where she serves as supervisor and vice chairman, according to the Boone County Clerk's office. She is a Boone County native who graduated from Walton Verona High School before earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Centre College of Kentucky and a master's degree in plant physiology from the University of Cincinnati, according to BallotReady.

Her professional background spans education and financial services. She worked as an instructor at Lincoln College of Technology in Florence from 2009 to 2022 and as a representative at Primerica from 2012 to 2022, according to BallotReady. She has worked as an associate at Senior Helpers since 2017, according to BallotReady.

On the issues

Economic growth and environmental conservation

Waller has argued that economic growth and environmental stewardship are connected, according to her responses in a WVXU candidate forum. She said businesses need skilled workers to grow, and attracting those workers requires a strong education system and a healthy environment, according to her WVXU responses. The issues are distinct on the surface, Waller said, but they reinforce one another.

"All of that builds on each other and having poisoned water supply or unsafe plumbing, unsafe sewage treatment, or all of these different issues that seem to be different, but they meld together," Waller said. "They are part of the point of success."

Waller framed water quality, sewage treatment and infrastructure as foundational to the county's long-term economic health, according to her forum responses.

This profile is based on published candidate forums and public records.