LOUISVLLE, Ky. — In just over 11 months, the first votes will be cast in Louisville’s mayoral election. The May 17 primary will be followed by a Nov. 8 general election, and in January of 2023 Louisville will have a new mayor for the first time in over a decade.
So far, more than a half dozen candidates have said they will attempt to succeed Mayor Greg Fischer, who will leave office after serving three consecutive terms. With the deadline to file for the race more than six months away, more candidates are likely to join the race. Here’s who has entered so far:
David James (D) — Metro Council President David James was one of the first entrants into the mayoral race, announcing his candidacy in January. In office since 2010, he said his experience at Metro Hall positions him to succeed as mayor.
James is a former police officer and president of the local police union, who has himself been a victim of police brutality. “I just got a root canal done from when the police knocked my teeth out of my mouth when I was 14 years old,” he said at his campaign launch, which was held at the Teamsters 89 Union Hall.
In early web ads, James has made a call to unify the city. “Together, we can create a Louisville that works for everyone,” one ad says. In another, James calls for making Louisville the most “equitable and inclusive city in our country.”
Shameka Parrish-Wright (D) — Last summer, few figures were more ubiquitous at Jefferson Square Park, dubbed "Injustice Square Park" amid ongoing protests for racial justice, than Shameka Parrish-Wright. A longtime community activist, Parrish-Wright is a co-chair of The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and she works as operations manager for the Bail Project.
On her website, she lists some of the issues she would prioritize as mayor, including “job insecurity, houselessness, inadequate health care and coverage, access to education & training, low wages, and a lack of social services.”
Timothy Findley Jr. (D) — The Rev. Timothy Findley Jr. was also a frequent attendee of last year’s protests in downtown Louisville, where he was arrested in early June. He later became involved in the effort to vaccinate Black Louisvillians by hosting a clinic at his church, the Kingdom Fellowship Christian Life Center.
A former Metro government employee in the office of Safe and Healthy Neighborhoods, Findley’s website says his “vision as mayor is to cultivate a Louisville that uplifts the voices of all people, where every person is seen and heard, respected and valued.”
Craig Greenberg (D) — Businessman Craig Greenberg is the former CEO of 21C Museum Hotels and the current co-owner of Ohio Valley Wrestling. In April, he announced his candidacy for mayor, saying the “challenges and tragedies of the past year convinced me that now was the time where I could bring my relevant experience to the office of mayor to help unify the community and move us forward.”
As mayor, Greenberg has pledged to build more 15,000 more affordable housing units and create a new, city-level department of education.
Bill Dieruf (R) — For the past decade, Dieruf has served as mayor of Jeffersontown in southeast Jefferson County. That makes him the only mayor in the mayoral race. He’s also the only Republican, making his path to Metro Hall more challenging than the Democrats in the race. Louisville has not had a Republican mayor since 1969.
Anthony Oxendine (D) — The funeral home owner and former candidate for coroner in Floyd County, Indiana has said he’s considering a run for mayor.
Margaret Trowe (I) — The Courier-Journal reported in March that the Socialists Workers Party member announced a campaign for mayor.