Lexington Mayor Jim Gray taps son of former state senator for open council seat

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray appointed a 33-year-old lawyer, the son of a former state senator, to an open Lexington council seat on Thursday.

Preston Worley will finish the term of of former Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council member Jennifer Scutchfield, who resigned last month to take a top position with the Kentucky State Board of Elections. The 7th District seat includes neighborhoods along the Richmond Road corridor.

“Preston believes our city has a bright future,” Gray said. “He’s ready to roll up his sleeves and work hard for the 7th District and for his entire community.”

At his swearing-in Thursday at City Hall, Worley said a rise in property crime in the 7th District tops his to-do list.

“This really is an honor for me,” he said. “I am so excited to be a part of the city’s next chapter of success, but my focus of course will be the 7th District. We need to take a hard look at crime. The people in the 7th District are worried about violent crime and property crimes. We have important decisions in the future to make about parks. The 7th District is home to two of the city’s great recreational outdoor complexes.”

Jacobson Park, one of the city’s largest and most popular parks, is on Richmond Road. Lakeside Golf Course also is in the 7th District.

Worley said his first priority is to learn more about the council and the needs of his district.

“We need to foster and celebrate diversity,” he said. “The 7th District is a very diverse district.”

Worley, 33, a lawyer with McBrayer, McGinnis, Leslie and Kirkland in Lexington, has never held or run for public office. Scutchfield’s term ends Dec. 31, 2018.

Worley is the son of former state Sen. Ed Worley, who served in the Senate from 1999 to 2010 and was the Democratic Senate minority leader. The Worley family is from Madison County, which will be a key battleground county in the 6th District congressional race. Gray announced in late November that he will run in the Democratic primary.

Ed Worley wasn’t at Thursday’s swearing-in, but the younger Worley said he asked both of his parents for advice before deciding to apply for the council position. Preston Worley said he had decided to run for the seat even before Scutchfield announced that she was stepping down. Preston Worley is a Democrat. Scutchfield is a Republican.

Council district races are nonpartisan. The 7th District is roughly half Democrat and half Republican.

Geoff Reed, Gray’s chief of staff, who helped interview potential candidates for the appointment, said Worley stood out from the other applicants. The primary in the 6th District congressional race wasn’t a factor in the decision to appoint the younger Worley, Reed said. Gray faces state Sen. Reggie Thomas, Amy McGrath, a former Marine fighter pilot, and perennial candidate Geoff Young in the May primary. If Gray wins the Democratic nomination, he will face incumbent Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, in the fall.

“Preston’s résumé and his long involvement in downtown and in this community stood on its own,” Reed said. “In my mind, he was the superior candidate for this position.”

Preston Worley is now the youngest person on the council. He is the second lawyer from the McBrayer firm on the council. Councilwoman Angela Evans also works for the firm.

He is married to Langdon Ryan Worley, who also is a lawyer. Worley said that as a real estate attorney, he has a passion for affordable housing, a growing need in Lexington. He also has served on the boards of various charitable organizations, including the Kentucky Children’s Hospital Executive Development Council, the Golden Matrix Fund Advisory Council, the Ellerslie at Delong Homeowners Association board of directors, and Coaches for Kids Inc.

According to his biography on the McBrayer website, Worley graduated magna cum laude from the University of Kentucky in 2007. He graduated from UK’s law school in 2010.

This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 10:08 AM with the headline "Lexington Mayor Jim Gray taps son of former state senator for open council seat."