‘An honor of a lifetime.’ Gorton easily cruises to second term besting challenger Kloiber
Linda Gorton became the second mayor in 20 years to be elected to a second term in Kentucky’s second-largest city.
Gorton, a registered nurse and former vice mayor, won with 71% of the vote Tuesday, easily besting challenger David Kloiber, a first-term Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman, investor and head of his family foundation. Kloiber received 29%.
Mayor Jim Gray won a second term in 2014, the first mayor in 16 years to win a second term.
The first-term mayor’s finish was no surprise.
In the four-way May nonpartisan primary, Gorton received 71% of the vote. Kloiber finished a distant second with 14%.
At an election party in downtown Lexington, Gorton thanked supporters and also looked back on a difficult four years.
“The past four years have all been full of arguably the most difficult challenges we have faced in many decades,” Gorton said. “A global pandemic, racial unrest, a wildly unpredictable economy ... The courage and creativity in our community here in Lexington, in the face of unimaginable hardships, has pulled us out of the worst times. We work together through partnerships involving people from every corner of this community, and that’s what it took.”
Gorton also singled out the city’s employees.
“And I cannot say enough about those 3,000 employees,” she said.
“I’m elated, excited, just so grateful to the people of Lexington Fayette County to trust me to lead them again for four more years,” Gorton said. “It’s really an honor of a lifetime.”
Tops on Gorton’s to-do list as she enters a new term?
“Number one is to get a good night’s sleep, and then I’ll be back at work, and we will continue focusing on our, you know, things like safety, quality of life, domestic crime and cost of living,” Gorton said.
Kloiber out-raised and outspent the 74-year-old grandmother of five.
Kloiber loaned his campaign more than $630,000 during the general election and raised a total of $644,055, according to campaign finance reports filed Oct. 26. Kloiber spent much of that money on television and other advertisements.
Gorton raised $152,860 during the general election, Kentucky Registry of Election Finance reports show. Almost all of that coming from individual donors — with a sizable amount coming from those with connections to agricultural.
After Tuesday’s results were announced, Kloiber said he called Gorton to congratulate her. He said the issues Lexington is facing aren’t going away because the election is over. He hopes to work with the mayor and the community to solve those problems.
Kloiber didn’t rule out a potential run for political office in the future, though he said that was not his immediate focus following Tuesday’s results.
“This race wasn’t about me,” Kloiber said. “This race was about the issues that our city is facing, and how we’re going to address them going forward. So yes, we’re going to take the momentum we have now, we’re going to keep going out there and working with the community and we’re going to get some real results.”
The two sparred frequently on the campaign trail and in debates, tangling over crime rates, how to tackle surging homicides and shootings and how to deal with growth and development.
Gorton also told voters that the city’s issues are complex and a steady, experienced hand at city hall was needed in the next few years. On the stump and in campaign advertisements she frequently touted her 16 years on the council, including four as vice mayor and nearly four years as mayor.
Kloiber, however, said the city’s record homicides showed Gorton’s policies on crime weren’t working and change was needed.
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 12:00 AM.
