Former Lexington council member once banned from city hall to run again in 2026
Former Lexington-Fayette County Urban Council member Brenda Monarrez, who lost reelection after being banned from city hall to meet the conditions of a colleague’s restraining order, has filed fundraising paperwork to run the city’s District 4 race.
Monarrez lost her seat on the council in the November 2024 election, weeks after a Lexington judge approved a three-year personal protective order against her that kept her from entering city hall. The order was requested by former 6th District Council member Denise Gray.
Gray accused Monarrez of sexually assaulting her on two instances in 2021 and 2024. Family court Judge Traci Brislin found probable cause for the allegations and issued the protective order in October 2024, preventing Monarrez from being within 500 feet of Gray, her home and city hall, where the women worked.
During her last months in office, Monarrez worked remotely, joining council meetings virtually from August— when the temporary protective order was placed on her — to December 2024. Monarrez was ultimately unseated by Emma Curtis, who holds the 4th District seat.
Monarrez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Herald-Leader this week, but has consistently denied the allegations against her, saying they were “patently false” and politically motivated. She unsuccessfully asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals to vacate the order.
As of Wednesday, Monarrez had filed with Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, or KREF, for the District 4 seat but had not officially filed to run with the Fayette County clerk’s office.
Gray resigned from her seat in July 2025 to move to Wisconsin. Court documents show the protective order was terminated as of Dec. 16, 2025, meaning Monarrez has no barriers to entering city hall if elected in November.
Gray did not seek criminal charges against Monarrez related to sexual harassment, and Judge Brislin’s order does not represent a criminal penalty.
After the order was granted, Curtis called for Monarrez to resign from office.
When asked about Monarrez’s candidacy by the Herald-Leader, Curtis said, “I believe candidates should run for something and not against someone. I’m proud of the work we’ve done together in the 4th District and I’m looking forward to continuing that work in my second term.”
As of Jan. 7, Monarrez and Curtis are the only two candidates who have filed with KREF for the seat. Neither has filed to run with the Fayette County clerk. The filing deadline for candidates is Friday, Jan. 9.
