Freshman councilman files to run for Lexington mayor against incumbent Linda Gorton
A first-term Lexington councilman who runs a nonprofit foundation has filed paperwork to run against incumbent Mayor Linda Gorton.
David Kloiber, who was first elected to represent Council District 6 in 2020, filed to start raising money for the race with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance on Friday. Kloiber has not yet filed to run with the Fayette County clerk’s office.
Kloiber runs the Kloiber Foundation, a Lexington nonprofit that focuses on youth initiatives. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and attended Lexington Catholic High School.
Kloiber said he has received a lot of encouragement to get into the race for the city’s top job.
“My kids attend public schools here and I know exactly how important it is to make the city the best possible place for children to grow up in,” Kloiber said. “ That’s why I’ve worked to support teachers and students through my foundation over the years and why I decided to serve this community on city council. “
“I have received a lot of encouragement to run for mayor from people who feel like Lexington has missed opportunities over the past several years, so I have filed the paperwork with KREF to look into the race and I will decide in the coming weeks what course to take,” Kloiber said.
Council District 6 includes much of the Hamburg area. Kloiber faced no opposition in the 2020 race.
Gorton, who was elected in 2018, is finishing her first term. She announced in August she would be seeking a second term.
The race is nonpartisan.
According to Kentucky Registry of Election Finance reports, Gorton has already raised $28,175 for the race.
In 2018, Gorton had one of the largest margins of victory in the mayor’s race in history when she handily defeated former Lexington Police Chief Ronnie Bastin, winning 63 percent of the vote. In that race, Gorton was outspent by Bastin by a margin of two to one. Prior to being elected mayor. Gorton, a registered nurse, spent 16 years on the council, including four years as vice mayor.
Gorton’s first term has been dominated by the coronavirus pandemic and racial justice protests and issues in the wake of the police-involved killings of Breonna Taylor in Louisville and George Floyd in Minneapolis.
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 11:28 AM.
