LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Democratic socialist and labor organizer has entered the race for an at-large seat on the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council, framing his campaign around rising housing costs, utility bills and what he calls a City Hall too friendly to powerful interests. Herbert Lynn, an HVAC dispatcher who identifies as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, announced his candidacy this week ahead of the May primary. City council races in Lexington are officially nonpartisan, but Lynn’s launch message explicitly embraces democratic socialist politics and working-class advocacy. “Rent prices have skyrocketed. Home ownership is a pipe dream. Our bills are rising faster than our paychecks,” Lynn wrote in his announcement. “The people of this city deserve better.” Lynn is seeking one of the council’s three at-large seats, which represent all of Fayette County rather than a single district. The seats are currently held by Vice Mayor Dan Wu and councilmembers James Brown and Chuck Ellinger II, all of whom are serving terms that run through January 2027. On his campaign website, Lynn positions himself as an outsider to local political power, emphasizing that he is “not a career politician” and not involved in real estate development. He argues that city policies have contributed to rising rents and home prices while failing to adequately address homelessness and energy costs. Lynn’s platform calls for aggressive local action on housing, including expanded mixed-use zoning and a proposed vacancy tax aimed at discouraging unused rental properties, including short-term rentals. He also backs stronger tenant protections and greater investment in affordable housing. Energy policy is another centerpiece of the campaign. Lynn supports the creation of a public power utility and has criticized the expansion of energy-intensive data centers, arguing they strain the electric grid and raise costs for residents. He also supports loosening restrictions on residential solar installations, including on agricultural land. On homelessness, Lynn calls for the construction of a permanent shelter and expanded mental health and addiction response services, saying the city has failed to fully implement its stated “housing first” approach. The candidacy adds a distinctly left-wing voice to what is shaping up as an early contest for the at-large seats, which often draw crowded fields and heavy spending. Lynn’s rhetoric echoes broader national debates over housing affordability, corporate influence and the role of local government in regulating utilities and development. Lynn is asking supporters to volunteer, canvass neighborhoods and make small-dollar donations, casting his campaign as a grassroots effort against what he describes as organizations that want Lexington to serve “the 1%.” The primary election is scheduled for May. The post Democratic socialist Herbert Lynn launches at-large bid for Lexington council appeared first on The Lexington Times. ...read more read less