Incumbent Lexington Mayor Gorton will face 6 primary challengers this May

Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton will face six primary challengers this spring in her attempt to seek a historic and final third term running the city’s government.

Gorton has served two terms as mayor of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government. Prior to that, she served 16 years on the urban county council representing the 4th District and serving a term as vice mayor.

If she wins in November and finished her next term, she will be the first mayor to serve a third term since the urban county government was founded in 1977.

Former Mayor Scotty Baesler ran and won a third term, but resigned from office after winning a seat in the U.S. Congress. Baesler was mayor from 1982 to 1993.

Gorton has proven a tough candidate to beat. She handily won a second term with 71% of the vote in 2022 over challenger David Kloiber, a former Lexington council member and candidate for Kentucky’s 6th Congressional seat. In 2018, she beat former Police Chief Ronnie Bastin with 63% of the vote.

“I love this community, and I love working to make it the best it can be,” Gorton said in announcing her reelection bid last July. “We have made a lot of progress since 2019, my first year as mayor. I know we have more to do, and I’m excited about the challenge.”

Gorton is entering the race with $1,917.24 raised so far. Only one of her challengers has filed a fundraising report with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance as of Friday.

Raquel Carter, owner of Guide Realty and former chair of the Board of Adjustment, has raised $100,755.95 in her first campaign for office. Carter was once on the board of Lexington for Everyone, a group which advocated for the expansion of Lexington’s urban service boundary.

“Lexington is at a pivotal moment, and I am committed to leading our city towards a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive,” Carter said in her April 2025 campaign announcement. “My experience in business, community leadership, and public service has prepared me to address the challenges and opportunities facing our city and build a stronger, more inclusive Lexington.”

Landscaper Greg O’Neal is also running his first-ever campaign for Lexington’s highest office.

“My plan is to change the habits of reckless drivers by updating the entire traffic light system,” O’Neal said. “I will also create and enforce a clean-up law for commercial, residential and rental property owners to be responsible for their littered grounds.”

Darnell Tagaloa ran unsuccessfully for Lexington’s 1st District Council seat in 2022 and 2024. He has decided to throw his name in for the mayor’s seat this year.

“I am the people’s champ,” Tagaloa told the Herald-Leader. “I have learned a lot over the last two years. I am ready to be the change the community wants to see.”

Tagaloa has worked in various sales positions for Pepsi, iHeartMedia and Coca-Cola.

Another candidate in the mayoral primary, C.E. Huffman, works in media relations for the University of Kentucky’s School of Agriculture.

“At this moment, most folks in this county simply cannot afford to live day to day,” Huffman told the Herald-Leader. “I believe Lexingtonians deserve a full-time mayor who shows up with big ideas and strategic plans. We deserve a mayor who is hands-on and accountable.”

Skip Horine has run for mayor in 1993, 2010 and 2018, and he’ll be on the ballot again in 2026.

In 2018, Horine wanted to address issues with the Lexington Police Department, saying the government’s main focus should be public safety, “but police should not harass you.”

The final candidate, Rama Asmani, who came to Lexington as a young refugee fleeing the Second Congo War, is running his first race for mayor this year.

“I am not running because I want the title. I am running because the residents of Lexington need relief,” Asmani wrote in a January Facebook post. “Relief from a cost of living that keeps rising while paychecks stay the same. Relief from rent and housing costs that force families to choose between stability and survival.”

The two candidates who receive the most votes in the Tuesday, May 19 primary will move on to the November 2026 General Election. CORRECTION: This article was updated on Jan. 12 at 10:28 a.m. to correct an error regarding previous mayors seeking a third term in office.

This story was originally published January 10, 2026 at 6:00 AM.