Lexington Has a New Council!
Election Day has wrapped up, and Lexingtonians showed out to vote for the future they want to see in Lexington! There will be a lot of new faces in City Hall in January - here's a sneak peak.
Council will have a number of significant changes:
40% of Council will be brand new to the role- including Lexington’s new Vice Mayor, Dan Wu, who will replace current Vice Mayor Steve Kay.
Districts 1, 2, 4, 6, and 10 will see new Council Members in Tayna Fogle, Shayla Lynch, Brenda Monarrez, Denise Gray, and Dave Sevigny.
This includes a big change in District 2 - Shayla Lynch won the seat over Josh McCurn, the only incumbent upset of the election.
Incumbents Chuck Ellinger (at Large), Hannah LeGris (D3), Liz Sheehan (D5), Preston Worley (D7), Fred Brown (D8), Whitney Baxter (D9), Jennifer Reynolds (D11), and Kathy Plomin (D12) all held on to their seats.
James Brown, former District 1 Council Member, will now be a Council at Large member, the only sitting District Council Member to move into an At Large role.
This will also be the most diverse council on record with six Council Members of color - or 40% of the Council.
With so many new people on Council, it's hard to predict how the body will change - but it's clear that this Council's priorities may be very different than past ones. As always, we'll keep you updated on what Council is up to through the CivicLex Weekly.
If you value and support our coverage of Council and city hall - and want to make sure we can keep it up next year -consider making a donation to us today. All donations in November will be 100% matched through NewsMatch and will go entirely to our city hall coverage.
One last thing - do you have 3 minutes to take our Exit Poll? It's designed to help us get a understanding of how informed voters felt in making their choices yesterday!
Want to know more about the new Council Members? Read on below.
Mayor Linda Gorton
Mayor Gorton was first elected as Mayor in 2018. She was elected last night to serve in a second four year term.
Before becoming Mayor, she served for many years as the District 4 Councilmember, then Council At-Large and as Vice Mayor for one term.
Notable aspects of Mayor Gorton’s first term include governing through the COVID-19 Pandemic, creating the Racial Justice and Equality Commission, forming the One Lexington program to prevent youth violence, and delegating the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
Vice Mayor Dan Wu
Wu has worked as a chef, small business owner, and community activist.
The issues listed on his website include Civil Rights, Local Government, Housing, The Economy, The Environment, and Public Safety.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
A quick note: Dan Wu is a current Programmatic Board member of CivicLex who has been suspended since he declared his intention to run, according to our board policies. Since he will soon be an elected official, he will no longer be eligible to be on our board.
Council At-Large Member James Brown
Brown has served for six years as District 1’s Councilmember.
He is currently the Chair of the Planning and Public Safety Committee, and serves on a number of city boards and commissions.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
Council At-Large Member Chuck Ellinger
Ellinger has served as an At-Large Councilmember since 2018.
The issues listed on his website include Basic Services, Accountability, Services, Responsible Spending, Neighborhood Involvement, Traffic, Responsible Growth, Education, Downtown, Employment, Experience, and Tourism.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District One Council Member Tayna Fogle
Fogle is an Organizer at Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. She is also a Volunteer Reentry Specialist for the Catholic Action Center. This will be her first term on Council.
Issues listed on her website include Healthy Community, Livability, and Working Democracy.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Two Council Member Shayla Lynch
Shayla Lynch is the current Executive Director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning and has formerly worked with Ampersand Sexual Violence Resource Center of the Bluegrass and the Lexington Fair Housing Council.
The values listed on her website include Service, Advocacy, and Partnership.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Three Council Member Hannah LeGris
Hannah LeGris has served as District 3’s Councilmember since 2020. This will be her second term on Council.
Issues listed on her website include Greenspace and Environmentalism; Human Rights & LGBTQ+ Initiatives; Supporting Local Business; Downtown Investment; Affordable Housing; Performing, Visual & Literary Arts; Bicycle & Pedestrian Infrastructure; and Government Accountability.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Four Council Member Brenda Monarrez
Brenda Monarrez is a small business owner and formerly worked at the Kentucky Housing Corporation. She was District 4’s representative on the Redistrict Lexington Commission in 2021. This will be her first term on Council.
The issues listed on her website are Roads, Highways, and Transportation; Promoting Small Business; Public Safety; Urban Services Boundary; Fairness & Equality; Environmental Stewardship; Youth Engagement; and Affordable Housing.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Five Council Member Liz Sheehan
Liz Sheehan was first elected to Council in 2020. This will be her second term. She also works for the University of Kentucky as a faculty member in the Department of Psychology.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Six Council Member Denise Gray
Denise Gray works as an educator for Fayette County Public Schools. She is also the owner of Leading the Way, LLC and the president of the nonprofit Our Commonwealth.
The issues listed on her website are Housing Affordability, Community Safety, Access to Transportation, Youth, Civic Engagement, Economic Development, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Seven Council Member Preston Worley
Preston Worley is the current District 7 Councilmember. He is also a real estate and development attorney for McBrayer Law Firm. He was first elected in November 2016. This will be his fourth term in office.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Eight Council Member Fred Brown
Fred Brown is the current District 8 Councilmember. He also worked as a self employed public accountant. He was has served on Council since 2014. This will be his fifth term in office.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Nine Council Member Whitney Baxter
Whitney Baxter is the current District 9 Councilmember. She serves on the Planning & Public Safety Committee and the General Government and Social Services Committee. She was first elected in November 2020. This will be her second term on Council.
The issues listed on her website are Transparency and Education, Public Safety, and Housing and Development.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Ten Council Member Dave Sevigny
Dave Sevigny is the founder of an IT Company called Volta and is the Chair of Commerce Lexington’s Business Owners Advisory Boards. This will be his first term on Council.
The priorities listed on his website are Attracting Talent, Promoting Placemaking, and Diversifying Housing.
You can find his campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Eleven Council Member Jennifer Reynolds
Jennifer Reynolds is the current District 11 Councilmember. She serves on the General Government and Social Services Committee and the Planning and Public Safety Committee. She was first elected in November 2018; this will be her third term on Council. She has also worked with the Bluegrass Youth Ballet and as a Medical Interpreter.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
District Twelve Council Member Kathy Plomin
Kathy Plomin is the current District 12 Councilmember. This will be her fourth term on Council.
She serves on the Planning and Public Safety Committee and is the Vice Chair of the General Government and Social Services Committee. She was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at WKYT and worked with United Way of the Bluegrass.
You can find her campaign website, social media platforms, and various survey responses here.
