‘We met the challenges head-on.’ Lexington Mayor Gorton running for re-election
Citing her calm, steady leadership during historic challenges, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton announced Tuesday she would seek a second term.
Gorton, whose first term has largely been dominated by a worldwide pandemic, its economic fallout and recovery, was first elected mayor of Kentucky’s second-largest city in 2018. She also led the city as it grappled with racial justice and law enforcement issues.
“We met the challenges head-on,” Gorton said. “I believe I proceeded calmly and decisively as we cleared many hurdles.”
Gorton made the announcement at the Lyric Theatre on Tuesday.
Gorton and her team at city hall were able to help the city during the pandemic by making testing available in neighborhoods, pushing community members to get vaccinated and steering the city’s economic recovery.
“We helped our city regain its financial footing without raising taxes,” Gorton said. “We kept our cost of living low. I invested in infrastructure, roads and parks in all corners of our community. Together we put the pieces in place for a bright future for all of us.”
Gorton said there is still much to do. The coronavirus pandemic is far from over. Gorton impaneled a Commission for Racial Justice and Equality last year after months of protests sparked by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Some task force recommendations to address racial inequities still need to be implemented, she said.
In 2025, Lexington will celebrate its 250th anniversary. Gorton said she wants to see the day that COVID-19 no longer dominates the city and residents’ lives.
“I want to celebrate our anniversary with continued focus on public safety and a determined pursuit of justice for all,” Gorton said.
Gorton has come under fire from some for not doing enough to address police reform. Gorton did not support a ban on no-knock warrants, which was pushed by many in the Black community. The council ultimately voted to ban no-knock warrants. Gorton did not veto the ban, saying she supported the will of the council and the community.
In addition to grappling with racial injustice and the tumultuous fight over banning no-knock warrants, the mayor has had to contend with escalating shootings and murders over the past two years.
To date this year, Lexington has had 25 murders and 82 nonfatal shootings, including two recent incidents with a total of eight wounded victims.
Gorton said cities across the country are experiencing similar upticks in shootings and murders. Overall, violent crime is down in Lexington, she said. Gorton said she had set aside more money for neighborhood resource officers — police officers assigned specifically to certain neighborhoods — upped the city’s violence prevention efforts aimed at youth and is also looking at what other cities are doing to stem gun violence.
Lexington’s mayoral races are nonpartisan. Gorton, 73, is the first candidate to formally announce she is running for the city’s top office. The filing deadline for candidates for office is in January.
Gorton said she had been inundated with questions from the public about whether she was going to seek a second term. She decided she should announce now so she can focus on running the city government.
When asked if announcing early would impact who else jumped in the race, Gorton said she did not know.
During a trip to Savannah, Ga., in April, she and her husband, Charlie Gorton, discussed a second term.
The Gortons recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
“This will be his eighth campaign,” Linda Gorton said Tuesday.
In the 2018 race, Gorton easily beat former Lexington Police Chief Ronnie Bastin in a landslide victory — winning 63 percent of the vote compared to Bastin’s 37 percent. It was one of the largest margins of victory in a Lexington mayoral race despite Bastin raising and spending more. Bastin raised nearly $400,000 compared to Gorton’s $263,000, campaign finance records showed.
A retired nurse, Gorton was vice mayor for four years and spent a total of 16 years on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council before retiring in 2014. An Ohio native and University of Kentucky graduate, Gorton has lived in Lexington for 43 years.
This story was originally published August 17, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
