LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville mayor and metro council members could soon be non-partisan positions. The Kentucky legislature passed House Bill 388 which would discontinue party affiliations for those positions starting in 2025.
One of the bill’s sponsors said the bill is really about the metro merger that happened over 20 years ago. He said people who live outside the Watterson Expressway don’t feel like they are fairly represented in the metro.
John Hodgson said by removing party affiliation, all of Jefferson County will be better represented in Metro Hall.
“The idea of going to a non-partisan election is that rather than the concentrated group of voters in one party, the Watterson mayoralty candidate in particular would have to go chase votes all over the county. You’d have to go to the east and the south, where again, two-thirds of the population are,” said John Hodgson, State Representative for District 36 (R).
Hodgson said two-thirds of the metro population lives outside the Watterson Expressway but he claims 80% of their taxes go elsewhere.
“We got very different problems in the rural part of the county. I don’t even have sewers where I live. I don’t have gas, I don’t have cable TV or pizza delivery. You know, it’s a different world and I want a mayor to represent the whole county and all the people,” Hodgson said.
Spectrum News 1 asked Mayor Craig Greenberg, D-Louisville, what he thinks of the bill. He said everyone should be working with one another no matter what party they identify with.
“We must work together with everyone regardless of political affiliation or what neighborhood you’re from, to make our city safer, stronger, and healthier,” Greenberg said.
Without candidates having their party next to their name on the ballot, Hodgson said candidates will have to earn their votes and people will have to learn about each candidate.
“If local races are representing maybe 25,000 people in a city council district or county wide races, you need to know that person, need to know what they’re about and what their agenda is. Voters need to take the time to get to know that about the person that’s going to be around their county,” Hodgson said.
The bill was sent to Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., last week. If he vetoes it, the legislature could override his veto, which is likely because republicans have a supermajority.
More big changes could come to Louisville.
State lawmakers also voted to form a task force that will look into how Jefferson County Public District is structured.