[1] While working on the Quarles family farm, he was an undergraduate triple major (Agriculture Economics, Public Service And Leadership, and Political Science, B.S., '05) and earned masters in Agricultural Economics and in Diplomacy And International Relations ('06) from the nearby University of Kentucky.

The report said Quarles showed signs of intoxication, and he had a blood alcohol level of 0.067, when given a breath test.

"[7] Quarles pleaded guilty in Fayette District Court, and paid a fine, after the charge was lowered to careless driving.

He was made a top target of the Democrats, and his opponent, Chuck Tackett, was a Scott County Magistrate.

He had been endorsed by the incumbent Commissioner of Agriculture, James Comer,[12] and he defeated Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, in the general election.

[20] Quarles campaigned, aggressively, in rural areas of the state and earned 235 endorsements from local officials.

[21] He lost the Republican primary to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, coming in second place, with 21 percent of the vote.

Despite the loss, he managed to place ahead of Kelly Craft, a former Ambassador to the United Nations, who had raised $8.5 million and was endorsed by prominent elected officials such as Ron DeSantis and Mike Pompeo.

[23] In September 2023, he was named president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) Board of Regents.