Another Lexington council member announces decision to not seek reelection
Fifth District Councilwoman Liz Sheehan said Friday she won’t run for a fourth term on the Lexington-Fayette County Urban County Council, marking the fourth time in recent months a council member has announced they will not seek reelection.
Sheehan was the third to cite pay as a reason for not seeking another term.
“It was not an easy choice to step away from rewarding and meaningful work that impacts everyone’s daily lives. I have enjoyed working alongside neighbors to make sure our basic needs are met and that Lexington continues to be a welcoming place to call home,” Sheehan said in the announcement.
Sheehan was first elected to the seat in 2020 after unseating longtime incumbent Bill Farmer Jr. She has a doctoral degree in psychology and is a faculty member in the University of Kentucky’s psychology department.
Sheehan chairs the council’s General Government and Planning Committee and was chair of the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee for one year at the start of her second term.
“The fact that my colleagues have trusted me to be in leadership — even in my second term as a chair of one of our committees — I’m really very touched and proud of that,” Sheehan told the Herald-Leader.
Third District Council member Hannah LeGris, who worked closely with Sheehan during their time on council, told the Herald-Leader that Sheehan “cares deeply about justice and about quality representation, and that shows in her work within council and in relation to everyone she serves.”
Citing pay as one of the reasons she was not running for another term, Sheehan said, “My family was impacted financially, but not in a way that limits our financial security. However, I do think this is a limiting factor for people who want to consider running for government or serving in these offices.”
Council member salaries are about $40,000 a year.
“When financial constraints help to determine who can hold elected office, our Council cannot fully represent the people it’s meant to serve,” Sheehan said in her statement. “This discussion is not just about salaries; it’s about supporting representative democracy and recognizing that the demands of our roles have evolved over time.”
Both Hannah LeGris and 11th District Council member Jennifer Reynolds cited financial concerns in their decision not to seek another term.
Tenth District Council member Dave Sevigny also announced he is not seeking reelection a third term next year, although he did not cite pay or finances in his announcement.
During her time in office, Sheehan focused on improving accessibility, environmental sustainability, and addressing homelessness and transportation safety in Lexington.
Sheehan supported local initiatives to improve environmental sustainability in the city, including funding the city’s Solarize Lexington program, which helps property owners equip their homes with solar panels.
Sheehan is co-chair of a task force that recently brought the council recommendations for how Lexington can improve safety for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists on Lexington’s roadways.
Sheehan voted in support of expanding the urban service boundary in 2023, citing Lexington’s housing crisis as the basis for her decision.
Since then, she and Vice Mayor Dan Wu have led the creation of a new, data-driven process that will determine how future decisions about the urban service boundary are made. That process will be voted on by the full council in January 2026.
Sheehan and At-Large Council member James Brown drafted the city’s short-term rental regulations, which set restrictions on how many short-term rental units can be in a given neighborhood.
Sheehan has also advocated for improving homelessness services in Lexington. She led the successful passage of an ordinance requiring the city to reserve 0.3% of its annual budget to support homelessness services in Lexington, the first time the city has dedicated a set amount of funding to the issue.
Sheehan voted against the contract for a new city hall building, saying that the city needs to prioritize solving housing and homelessness issues above a funding new building for the government.
Stephenie Hoelscher announced her candidacy for Sheehan’s seat Friday evening. Hoelscher was a journalist for the Louisville Courier-Journal and served an adviser to former State Auditor Adam Edelen. No other candidates have yet filed for the seat.
Sheehan’s term will end in January 2027. The primary election for the seat will be held on May 19, 2026, with the general election on November 3rd, 2026.
Lexington’s 5th district is inside New Circle Road, bounded to the north and east by Winchester Road and Tates Creek Road. It includes the Chevy Chase, Ashland and Idle Hour neighborhoods.
This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 5:28 PM.
