In a rare move, Mayor Gray endorses in vice mayor’s race. Find out who — and why.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has endorsed current Vice Mayor Steve Kay in a tight race that will determine who will become the city’s next vice mayor.

In a radio advertisement released Wednesday, Gray said he’s backing Kay because he trusts him: “I’ve worked with a lot of people over the years and Steve Kay stands out. He’s a great vice mayor. He understands our city and he works hard to do the right thing for all of us. I trust his steady leadership to keep Lexington moving in the right direction.”

Gray, who is finishing his second and final term, has never endorsed in the at-large council race in his nearly eight years as mayor.

In an interview, Kay said it was an “honor to have Jim Gray’s endorsement. He has been an outstanding mayor and I appreciate his confidence in my continued leadership as vice mayor going forward.”

Ronnie Bastin, a former Lexington police chief and commissioner of public safety, faces former vice mayor Linda Gorton in the race to replace Gray on Nov. 6.

Gray has not said if he will endorse in the mayor’s race.

Kay faces current Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman Richard Moloney, former at-large councilman Chuck Ellinger II, former local NAACP leader Adrian Wallace, Connie Kell and Lillian Miller-Johnson in the general election. The top vote getter in the race becomes vice mayor. The second and third place finishers serve four-year terms. The race is nonpartisian.

Kay, Ellinger and Moloney finished first, second and third respectively in the at-large primary on May 22. The race for vice mayor, who leads the council and is the city’s second-highest elected official, is largely between Kay, Moloney and Ellinger.

Only 5,000 votes separated the three men in the May primary. Kay received 25,015 votes, Ellinger received 21,352 and Moloney received 20,860.

Kay said the radio spot will run on iHeart Radio-owned stations including 630AM WLAP and 98.1 The Bull throughout the next month.

This story was originally published October 3, 2018 at 3:17 PM.