On May 17, both the Republican and Democratic parties will be holding a primary for the mayoral election scheduled in November. Our current Mayor, Greg Fischer, is term limited and cannot run again for Mayor. LPR interviewed three candidates, Colin Hardin, Tim Findley, and Craig Greenberg, with full interviews here on our YouTube. Below is a short review of some of the major candidates.
Craig Greenberg
Greenberg, a former CEO of 21c Museum Hotels, is focused on making Louisville a safer place for its residents, attracting new business and investments, and revitalizing Louisville’s urban areas. Greenberg envisions developing all areas of Louisville, paying special attention to neighborhoods that have previously been overlooked. He has been on a quest to run through every neighborhood in Louisville, and at the time of writing this article he has run through 621 out of 623 precincts in Louisville. Greenberg is considered a front runner in the upcoming election, and he recently survived an alleged assassination attempt that took place in his office, an incident he says shook him to his core and refocused his campaign on public safety and fighting gun violence.
Tim Findley
Findley, a pastor born and raised in Newberg, has worked in various faith-based liaison positions with local and state government. Findley was vocal during the 2020 racial justice protests in Louisville and seeks to make Louisville a safer, more prosperous, and less divided city. He has a bold new vision for Louisville that is based on his work as a community leader. Universal Pre-K and Universal Basic Income are two examples of his ambitious vision for our city.
Shameka Parrish-Wright
Parrish-Wright, an activist and nonprofit leader, strives to be a candidate “for the people” with a progressive agenda that includes eliminating cash bail. Parrish-Wright, a longtime community advocate, has also been a victim of gun violence, and advocates for stricter gun laws at the state and local level. Her public safety policies focus on gun control and economic progress as she seeks to develop affordable housing while not pricing residents out of their homes. Parrish-Wright did not respond to our interview request.
David Nicholson
Nicholson, the current Jefferson County District Court Clerk, has also done nonprofit work. Nicholson is a more moderate candidate, and he is very experienced with local and state government. His campaign has focused on continuing to work towards larger goals such as economic improvement and a reduction in homelessness.
Colin Hardin
One of the candidates interviewed by LPR, Hardin is a restaurant employee who decided to run for Mayor because he believes that traditional politicians have failed our city. Hardin is best described as progressive with the linchpins of his policy being the legalization of drugs and enfranchisement of former felons.
Bill Dieruf
Dieruf, a Republican candidate who campaigns on a less partisan platform and has advocated for nonpartisan local elections, has spent 10 years as the Mayor of Jeffersontown, a smaller city within Louisville. His agenda focuses on expanding programs that were successful in Jeffersontown, such as substance abuse treatment programs, to benefit the whole city of Louisville. His main focus is public safety, and he seeks to build a police department that citizens and police officers can trust.
Louisville Political Review 