The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan mayoral primary will face off in November (Roberto Roldan, Justin Hicks / LPM)Louisville voters went to the polls Tuesday to vote for a spate of local offices, including who will be the city’s next mayor.It was the first time all voters could participate in the mayoral and Metro Council primaries after the state legislature made the races officially nonpartisan. Rather than party primaries, the top two vote-getters in each of those races will move on to the November General Election.Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg, who raised and spent far more than his nine opponents, scored an easy victory in Tuesday’s primary, according to the Associated Press. He received the most votes of any mayoral candidate, and nearly twice as many as the next-highest candidate, Shameka Parrish-Wright.Early on in the night, Greenberg took the stage at Hauck’s Corner in Germantown to claim a tentative victory.“While the votes are still being counted, it’s very clear that we are going to win this primary election tonight, we’re going to keep marching forward to win the General Election and we’re celebrating once more tonight,” he told the crowd.Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks to supporters at a primary night party on May 19, 2026.(Roberto Roldan / LPM )Greenberg chalked up his win to progress Louisville has made over the last four years in reducing gun violence. He also hammered home his record on affordable housing, even as it appeared he’d fall short of a lofty goal of building 15,000 new housing units in his first term.Greenberg thanked his family and his supporters, including Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Morgan McGarvey and many of the city’s labor unions, as well as Louisville Metro’s thousands of employees.“I’ve learned incredibly close-up that governing is all about teams and my administration knows how to deliver results together,” he said.Progressive Shameka Parrish-Wright came in second, securing her spot in the November election.Parrish-Wright and her supporters gathered at Joe’s Palm Room in the Russell neighborhood. In her address to supporters, she said her campaign has crossed a major milestone, and she is confident heading towards the General Election in November.Shameka Parrish-Wright gathered with supporters after polls closed on May 19, 2026.(Giselle Rhoden / LPM)This is the second time Greenberg and Parrish-Wright have faced off in a mayoral race. She said Tuesday night she is up against “a big machine.”“Those votes came from the Louisvillians who are sick and tired of this corporate agenda that isn't helping us be able to live to thrive or survive,” Parrish Wright said of her supporters. “We're tired of people being left out of decision-making, but they need our tax dollars to get wealthy off of our money.”If Parrish-Wright wins in November, she would become the first Black person or woman elected as Louisville’s mayor.“My goal is to show more working-class people, no matter their background, no matter their sex or gender, can come into these roles and actually lead and lead in a better way,” she said.The results show how the move to nonpartisan elections is already reshaping local politics. For the first time in modern history, there will be no Republican candidate on the ballot for Louisville mayor. Voters will have to choose between two Democrats, Greenberg and Parrish-Wright, who last squared off in the 2022 primary.Other countywide races — county clerk, county attorney and sheriff — had party primaries.Louisville Metro Council races take shapeThe primary Tuesday also decided what the races for all odd-numbered Metro Council seats will look like. This year, the balance of power between Republicans and Democrats on the 26-member legislative body will depend on who wins in November.Even though Metro Council elections are ostensibly nonpartisan, members still divide themselves into Democratic and Republican caucuses. And Republicans are aiming to flip three seats this year, which would give them a majority on the council for the first time since the 2003 city-county merger.Here’s how the primary races shook out based on unofficial election results reported by the Jefferson County Clerk's Office. In competitive Metro Council races, the candidates whose names are bolded will move on to the November election.District 1Metro Council Member Tammy Hawkins, who chairs the Democratic Caucus, is running for reelection. She has just one opponent, JaRee Gardner, so both automatically moved forward to the November General Election.District 3Keisha DorseyKumar RashadShaun SpencerThere were three candidates in the race, all Democrats: Shaun Spencer, Keisha Dorsey and Kumar Rashad.Dorsey previously served as the Metro Council member representing District 3, but gave up her seat for a position in the Greenberg administration. Rashad filled the seat temporarily, losing the Democratic party nomination to Shameka Parrish-Wright in 2023. Parrish-Wright chose not to run for reelection this year, opting to campaign for mayor instead.Spencer is a local activist and founder of the West Louisville Dream Team, an organization that is currently attempting to purchase the Nia Center from TARC.The district includes Shively and parts of the West End.District 5Betty BaileyRay “Sir Friendly” BarkerDave DuncanWallace Garner IIIAprile HearnDonna Purvis (incumbent)In District 5, Democrat Donna Purvis faced her toughest primary challenge since taking office in 2019.There was a crowded field of challengers, including Ray “Sir Friendly C” Barker, who came within 35 votes of defeating Purvis during her last reelection bid. Ahead of the primary, Purvis lost the Louisville Democratic Party’s endorsement to Aprile Hearn, a candidate who was also backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter.The district covers the Shawnee neighborhood, as well as parts of Russell, Portland and Chickasaw.District 7Metro Council Member Paula McCraney, a Democrat-turned-Independent, is moving on to the General Election automatically. Her only opponent is Catherine “Cat” Timmerman, who is backed by the Jefferson County Republican Party.The East End district includes parts of St. Matthews, Lyndon and Indian Hills.District 9Alison Brotzge-ElderMark EnglandAndrea ParrCharles ToddThere were four candidates in the race after Democrat Andrew Owen announced in January he wouldn’t seek another term.This is another council race, including District 5, where the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter aimed to add to its ranks on Metro Council. The group endorsed Andrea Parr in December 2025.The district covers the Clifton, Crescent Hill and Irish Hill neighborhoods.District 11Incumbent Republican Kevin Kramer and Independent challenger Melina Hettiaratchi are both moving on to the General Election.Kramer is a teacher who has served on the Metro Council since merger. Hettiaratchi is a lawyer and she’s been endorsed by the Louisville Democratic Party.The district includes parts of Jeffersontown, Hurstbourne Acres and Stony Brook.District 13There are only two candidates in the race: Incumbent Republican Dan Seum, Jr. and Ernie Brummitt. Both are moving on to the election in November.The district covers Fairdale, Hollyvilla and parts of the Outer Loop.District 15Democratic Metro Council Member Jennifer Chappell did not have a challenger this year.The district includes the Schnitzelburg and Iroquois neighborhoods, as well as other surrounding the University of Louisville.District 17Meredith BoothNancy-Lynne WaltersMarkus Winkler (incumbent)Democrat Markus Winkler has represented the East End district since 2019. District 17 is another seat being targeted by the Jefferson County Republican Party, which backed Nancy-Lynne Walters.The district covers the suburban cities of Anchorage, Middletown and Lyndon.District 19After one candidate withdrew from the race, incumbent Anthony Piagentini automatically moved forward to the General Election. Piagentini, who heads the Republican party, is being challenged by conservative Cuban American Alex Feria.The district includes the suburban cities of Douglass Hills and Middletown, as well as Lake Forest.District 21Savannah HughesLonnie JosephBetsy Ruhe (incumbent)Ben SpaldingOne-term Democratic Council Member Besty Ruhe is up for reelection this year. She’s faced a tough challenge from fellow Democrats as well as from Lonnie Joseph, a Republican-backed candidate who heads the Wilder Park Neighborhood Association.The district also covers the Beechmont, Iroquois and Southside neighborhoods.District 23Jeff Hudson (incumbent)Ainsley JonesDavid R. SteffRepublican Jeff Hudson is facing a challenge as he tries to secure a second term in office. David R. Steff was a fellow Republican running for District 23 and Ainsley Jones was the candidate backed by the Louisville Democratic Party.The district includes the neighborhoods of Brynwood, Heritage Creek and Spring Mill.District 25Republican Khalil Batshon is up for reelection, but has no opponents.His district includes the South End neighborhoods of Auburndale, Forest Hills and Waverly Hills.Jefferson County ClerkRosalind “Roz” WelchDavid Yates In the race for Jefferson County Clerk, no Republicans filed for the office. There were two Democrats running this election: incumbent David Yates and Louisville Democratic Party vice chair Roz Welch.Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg appointed Yates, the former Louisville Metro Council president and state senator, last October.This is the first time in two decades that a Democrat will take the position, following the death of longtime Republican County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw in September.Jefferson County AttorneySarah MartinKarl PriceSimilar to the race for county clerk, no Republican candidates filed for the primary.Democrats Sarah Martin and Karl Price were the only two candidates in the race to replace prosecutor Mike O’Connell.O’Connell has held this office since 2008 and will retire at the end of his term.Jefferson County SheriffRichard BreenSteve HealeyStephen YanceyIn the Democratic primary, Richard Breen, Stephen Yancey and current Chief Deputy Steve Healey were running for Jefferson County Sheriff.Alexander William Marson was the only Republican on the ballot, meaning he will automatically advance to the general election in November.The four candidates are vying to replace John Aubrey, the longtime county sheriff who died last year. One of them will replace former deputy mayor and current Sheriff David James, whom Greenberg appointed to serve the remainder of Aubrey’s term in October. ...read more read less