After request for reconsideration in Lexington mayor’s race, here is our endorsement

Early on in the general election season, the Herald-Leader editorial board let it be known that its endorsements from the primary in the Lexington mayoral and three at large council races would stand as written.

Then on Oct. 14, we received a request for reconsideration from Urban County Council member David Kloiber, who is running against Mayor Linda Gorton for that top spot. We agreed to hear him out. We met with both candidates again and our minds are unchanged: Gorton is still the best person for the job.

In our initial endorsement, we wrote that “Kloiber, who has served less than two years on the Urban County Council while running his family’s foundation, is clearly bright and energetic, but needs more seasoning in negotiation and cooperation before he is ready for the top job.”

It’s possible that he would now agree. In his interview with us, he talked about how much he has learned during this arduous campaign.

“It has taught me a lot about what it means to be a public servant,” he said. “I don’t have all the answers and need to listen to people ... it took me some time to get there, to understanding it isn’t about having every answer — it’s about listening and about being responsive to people.”

We appreciate his honesty and humility, and we look forward to Kloiber’s continuing journey of self-discovery as he becomes a seasoned public servant. His energetic campaign has gone into every corner of Lexington and he has pushed Mayor Gorton to respond more urgently on issues like crime, affordable housing and rampant tree-cutting by Kentucky Utilities.

But we still have concerns about his readiness for Lexington’s top job. His insistence that loaning his campaign more than $500,000 would keep him insulated from special interests made it appear that he thinks only wealthy people should run for office. And while we appreciate passion for reproductive rights, his insistence that the Lexington mayor could somehow create a safe haven or order local police to act or not act on state and federal abortion laws — in a city without an abortion clinic — seemed naive.

But most of all, we think that running a merged city government is one that works best when experienced administrators are at the helm, or at least people who have been on the Urban County Council, who understand the art of compromise and negotiation. Even the best ideas can’t work without buy-in.

Gorton may not always move quickly enough, but she gets there in the end. As we said in May, “Gorton listened to Black Lives Matter protesters. She assembled the Racial Justice and Equality Commission and has begun to adopt many of their recommendations, including a minority business incubator, new job training programs at the Charles Young Center, two civilian positions on the police’s Disciplinary Review Board, and body-worn cameras for all police.”

Her administration is looking at ways to use the city’s $40 million fund balance to retain and recruit more police officers, but she has also expanded the One Lexington program, which tries to fight violence from the ground up.

She has added more than $10 million to the Affordable Housing Fund and proposed $3 million for an infrastructure investment fund that would provide repayable zero-interest loans to developers to develop infill properties.

“With 16 years on council and four as Mayor, Gorton has that seasoning, diplomacy and wisdom to know when and how to fight for Lexington,” we wrote in our May endorsement. “As we noted in her first campaign for mayor, she has helped Lexington’s march forward on issues like the smoking ban, storm water improvements and increased diversity on boards and commissions. She is able to bring people together. There are flashier candidates out there, but they lack the track record, the temperament and the solid plans for Lexington that Gorton has demonstrated. She deserves your vote.”

Race for Vice-Mayor

The at large council races give three candidates a larger base of constituents, with the top vote-getter becoming vice-mayor. In the spring, we chose, in this order, James Brown, Dan Wu and Chuck Ellinger. We’ve seen nothing to change our mind for the General Election.

Here’s what we said in May.

“James Brown is the current council member from District 1, and as such has deep knowledge of the thorniest problems that face Lexington including crime, affordable housing and growth. He has worked closely with Vice Mayor Steve Kay and understands the inner workings of the council and how to get council members to work together. His career as a realtor also gives him valuable insights into what he calls Lexington’s number one issue: growth.”

“Dan Wu is a political neophyte but as an immigrant and small business creator, he brings fresh experience and knowledge to the council. He has the rare quality of knowing what he doesn’t know but is a quick study in finding out.”

“Chuck Ellinger is one of the Old Guard on council, which includes two other at-large candidates Richard Moloney and Bill Farmer. They have a wealth of institutional knowledge, which is crucial to the council’s operations. But unlike his colleagues, Ellinger can combine his years of experience on the Budget and Finance Committee with a willingness to consider new ideas.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 9:51 AM.