A 6th Lexington city council member announces they will not seek reelection in 2026
Longtime Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council member Chuck Ellinger II is said Friday he will not seek reelection in 2026, the sixth incumbent to opt out of a new term on the city’s governing body.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent and serve the residents of Fayette County for 20 years,” Ellinger told the Herald-Leader. “This does not mean I don’t leave open the possibility of running for political office in the future, but not at this time.”
Ellinger has served in one of the council’s three at-large seats for most of the 2000s, with a tenure stretching from 2003 to 2014, and a second stint since 2019. His father was also a longtime Lexington council member.
In an interview Friday, Ellinger said his decision to not run stems from wanting to spend time with family members struggling with health issues.
“It’s not easy,” Ellinger said of stepping away from the role. “There hasn’t been anything that has happened in the last 20 years that I haven’t had my hand in … When I go somewhere else and I say where I’m from, they’ll say, ‘Yes, you all have one of my favorite cities.’ And that just that makes me proud to have had a hand, in a small way, in Lexington being the city we are today.”
Ellinger was chair of the social services and public safety committee from 2006 to 2010 and chair of the powerful budget, finance, and economic development committee from 2010 to 2014. He has served as vice chair of the budget committee since 2020. He has recently been the council’s primary advocate for a new microtransit service, which faith-based policy group BUILD has been pushing to address public transportation gaps.
He will serve out the remainder of the year until his term ends Thursday, Dec. 31.
The other two incumbents that hold at-large seats, Vice Mayor Dan Wu and council member James Brown, have already announced reelection bids.
At-large members serve four-year terms, and the candidate who wins the most votes becomes the vice mayor of Lexington.
Several individuals have already filed for at-large seats. As of Friday morning, Stephanie Spires, Herbert Lynn and Chris Shafer have all made their candidacies official. The filing deadline is end of business Friday.
Other incumbents not seeking reelection include:
- Hannah LeGris, District 3, is resigning from her council role Jan. 9 to take a job with the city. The district includes parts of downtown and the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Kentucky.
- Liz Sheehan, District 5, has said she will not run again. That district includes neighborhoods near UK, including Chevy Chase.
- Lisa Higgins-Hord, who was appointed to the District 6 seat in August 2025, will not seek a full term on the council. District 6 covers areas in Hamburg and along Winchester Road outside New Circle.
- Dave Sevigny, District 10, which includes parts of Beaumont and neighborhoods surrounding Lafayette High School, will also not seek reelection.
- Jennifer Reynolds, District 11, has opted out of representing the diverse district that includes Gardenside, the Distillery District and neighborhoods along Versailles Road.
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 1:10 PM.
