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Louisville primary election sets stage for mayoral rematch and key local races

Louisville primary election sets stage for mayoral rematch and key local races
TRUMP UNSEATS, THE INCUMBENT IN KENTUCKY’S FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. AND IT WAS LOUISVILLE’S FIRST NONPARTISAN PRIMARY FOR METRO COUNCIL TO LOUISVILLE MAYOR. THE NOVEMBER MATCHUPS ARE SET. GREG GREENBERG IN JAMAICA PARISH, RIGHT, GARNERED TOP VOTES IN TUESDAY’S PRIMARY FOR MAYOR. WLKY ALEXIS MATHEWS JOINS US NOW LIVE TO BREAK DOWN THIS AND OTHER JEFFERSON COUNTY RACES. ALEXIS. JENNIFER, TODAY I CAUGHT UP WITH THE PRIMARY ELECTION WINNERS FOR SEVERAL OF THOSE RACES. NOW, AFTER THIS VICTORY, THEY TELL ME THE MOMENTUM IS ONLY INCREASING BETWEEN NOW AND NOVEMBER 3RD. NOW, THE MAYORAL RACE FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION WILL SEE A REMATCH BETWEEN INCUMBENT CRAIG GREENBERG AND SHAMEKA PARRISH. RIGHT NOW. PARRISH, RIGHT, WHO RECEIVED 26% OF THE VOTES LAST NIGHT, WAS BACK ON THE TRAIL TODAY, MEETING POTENTIAL VOTERS AT A COMMUNITY EVENT IN THE EAST END. MEANWHILE, GREENBERG, WHO DOMINATED 52% OF THE PRIMARY VOTE, SAID HE WAS HONORED BY THE WIN AND SAID HE AIMS TO CONTINUE SERVING THE COMMUNITY. I THINK LOUISVILLE FAMILIES CAN START TO FEEL THE PROGRESS. WE KNOW WE’RE LIVING THROUGH INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING TIMES, BUT PEOPLE ARE SEEING AND FEELING THE RESULTS. PUBLIC SAFETY IS IMPROVING WITH SHOOTINGS OVER HALF AS FEW SHOOTINGS NOW AS WHEN I TOOK OFFICE THREE YEARS AGO. WE’VE CREATED OVER 9000 GOOD PAYING JOBS, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MORE PARKS AND LIBRARIES, AND MORE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE KNOW THERE’S STILL SO MUCH MORE WORK TO DO. WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO AMPLIFY THE PEOPLE POWER, BUT ALSO CONTINUE TO RAISE ENOUGH TO WIN. THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS SAID WE WOULD RAISE ENOUGH TO WIN. SO WE MADE OUR GOAL TO BE ONE OF THE TOP TWO VOTE GETTERS, BECAUSE WE KNEW WITH WHAT WE MIGHT RAISE, WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I EXPECT THAT NOW THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL TAKE THE CAMPAIGN SERIOUS, WE WILL GET MORE SUPPORT. NOW, PARRISH WRITES, LOUISVILLE METRO COUNCIL SEAT WAS UP FOR GRABS IN THE PRIMARY. THE TWO CANDIDATES WHO WILL CHALLENGE EACH OTHER FOR DISTRICT THREE ARE KEISHA, DORSEY AND KUMAR, WERE SHOT. RASHAD RECEIVED 32% OF THE VOTES TO DORSEY’S 48%. DORSEY IS SEEKING TO RECLAIM HER LEADERSHIP IN METRO COUNCIL AFTER A SHORT STINT IN METRO GOVERNMENT THAT INCLUDED A PUBLIC FIRING AS MAYOR, GREENBERG’S CHIEF OF STAFF AND AN ONGOING DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT. DORSEY SAYS HER FOCUS IS ON THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT THREE. AMID. SO MUCH TO ME IS WHEN THE PEOPLE OF DISTRICT THREE SAID, NO, NO, NO, WE DIDN’T FORGET. WE REMEMBER. WE REMEMBER THE GIRL WHO. GOT INTO THE TRENCHES WITH US, WHO WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE, WHO WAS ALWAYS PUSHING AND FIGHTING FOR HER DISTRICT. AND REGARDLESS OF WHAT ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT YOU, YOU SHOWED US WHO YOU ARE. NOW, WE ALSO HEARD FROM THE PRIMARY WINNER OF METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, RAY FRIENDLY C BARKER WILL CHALLENGE INCUMBENT DONNA PURVIS THIS NOVEMBER. HE GARNERED 40% OF THE VOTES TO PURVIS, 24%. WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, THE FIVE PEOPLE THAT RAN IN THIS RACE, THEIR TOTAL IS 76%. AGAINST THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP. SO IF YOU’RE IN A DISTRICT WHERE 76% OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE ARE SAYING, WE DON’T TRUST YOUR LEADERSHIP, THAT’S A STATEMENT IN ITSELF. AND IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR JEFFERSON COUNTY, SHERIFF STEVEN YANCY PULLED AHEAD OF STEVE HEALY BY A FEW THOUSAND VOTES. YANCY SERVED WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS. NOW, THIS IS HIS SECOND RUN FOR LOUISVILLE SHERIFF, COMING IN CLOSE SECOND TO FORMER SHERIFF JOHN AUBREY IN 2022. YANCY SAYS THIS PRIMARY WIN, WITH 40% OF THE VOTE SHOWS THAT IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY SPENT DURING A CAMPAIGN MONEY. DOESN’T ALWAYS WIN ELECTIONS. I THINK IT’S THE CHARACTER OF THE PERSON, AND I LOOK AT THE RACE, I LOOK AT SHAMIKA PARIS RACE, I WATCHED HER AND I THINK SHE’S DOING AMAZING. HER AND I ARE KIND OF IN A SIMILAR SITUATION. WE ARE PEOPLE OF THE CITIZENS AND THE CITIZENS. WE’RE NOT GOING TO LET THEM DOWN AND WE’RE GOING TO KEEP RUNNING AND KEEP RUNNING BECAUSE WE BOTH WANT TO MAKE LOUISVILLE BETTER. YANCY SAYS HIS CAMPAIGN AIMS TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE. HE’
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Updated: 7:24 PM EDT May 20, 2026
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Louisville primary election sets stage for mayoral rematch and key local races
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Updated: 7:24 PM EDT May 20, 2026
Editorial Standards
Louisville's first nonpartisan primary has set the stage for a mayoral rematch between incumbent Craig Greenberg and Shameka Parrish Wright, alongside key contests for Metro Council and Jefferson County sheriff. MayorParrish Wright, who received 26% of the votes in Tuesday's primary, was back on the campaign trail Wednesday, meeting potential voters at a community event in the East End. Greenberg, who dominated with 52% of the primary votes, expressed gratitude for the win and shared his vision for the city. "I think Louisville families can start to feel the progress. We know we're living through incredibly challenging times, but people are seeing and feeling the results. Public safety is improving, with shootings or half as few shootings now as when I took office three years ago. We've created over 9,000 good-paying new jobs, more affordable housing, more parks and libraries, and more. At the same time, we know there's still so much more work to do," Greenberg said. Parrish Wright emphasized her campaign's focus on amplifying community support. "We knew that we had to amplify the people power, but also continue to raise enough to win. That's why I always said we will raise enough to win. So we made our goal to be one of the top two vote-getters, because we knew with what we might raise, we can make that happen. I expect that now that more people will take the campaign seriously, we will get more support," Parrish Wright said. Metro Council Parrish Wright's Louisville Metro Council seat was up for grabs in the primary, with Keisha Dorsey and Kumar Rashad advancing to the general election for District Three. Rashad received 32% of the votes, while Dorsey garnered 48%. Dorsey, who is seeking to reclaim her leadership role after a public firing as Mayor Greenberg's chief of staff and an ongoing discrimination lawsuit, reflected on the support from her district. "What meant so much to me is when the people of District Three said, no, no, no, we didn't forget. We remember the girl who got into the trenches with us, who was always available, who was always pushing and fighting for her district, and regardless of what anything that has been said about you, you showed us who you are," Dorsey said. "To come back to this seat is something. I don't know if any other council person has done that. Whatever the mayor has going, or whatever he said, I'm letting that play out in court. Outside of that, it's really about the people. It always has been. That is why I'm back." Ray "Sir Friendly C" Barker, the primary winner for Metro Council District Five, will challenge incumbent Donna Purvis in November. Barker received 40% of the votes, compared to Purvis' 24%. "When you add it all up, the five people that ran in this race, their total is 76% against the current leadership. So, if you're in a district where 76% of the people that live here are saying, we don't trust your leadership, that's a statement in itself," Barker said. Jefferson County SheriffIn the Democratic primary for Jefferson County sheriff, Stephen Yancey pulled ahead of Steve Healey by a few thousand votes, securing 40% of the total. Yancey highlighted the importance of character over campaign spending. "Money doesn't always win elections. I think it's the character of the person. I look at Shameka Parrish Wright's race. I watched her, and I think she's doing amazing. Her and I are kind of in a similar situation. We are people of the citizens, and the citizens we're not going to let them down, and we're going to keep running and keep running because we both want to make Louisville better," Yancey said. Yancey, who aims to change the culture of the sheriff's office, will face Republican Alexander William Marson in the general election.

Louisville's first nonpartisan primary has set the stage for a mayoral rematch between incumbent Craig Greenberg and Shameka Parrish Wright, alongside key contests for Metro Council and Jefferson County sheriff.

Mayor

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Parrish Wright, who received 26% of the votes in Tuesday's primary, was back on the campaign trail Wednesday, meeting potential voters at a community event in the East End. Greenberg, who dominated with 52% of the primary votes, expressed gratitude for the win and shared his vision for the city.

"I think Louisville families can start to feel the progress. We know we're living through incredibly challenging times, but people are seeing and feeling the results. Public safety is improving, with shootings or half as few shootings now as when I took office three years ago. We've created over 9,000 good-paying new jobs, more affordable housing, more parks and libraries, and more. At the same time, we know there's still so much more work to do," Greenberg said.

Parrish Wright emphasized her campaign's focus on amplifying community support.

"We knew that we had to amplify the people power, but also continue to raise enough to win. That's why I always said we will raise enough to win. So we made our goal to be one of the top two vote-getters, because we knew with what we might raise, we can make that happen. I expect that now that more people will take the campaign seriously, we will get more support," Parrish Wright said.

Metro Council

Parrish Wright's Louisville Metro Council seat was up for grabs in the primary, with Keisha Dorsey and Kumar Rashad advancing to the general election for District Three. Rashad received 32% of the votes, while Dorsey garnered 48%. Dorsey, who is seeking to reclaim her leadership role after a public firing as Mayor Greenberg's chief of staff and an ongoing discrimination lawsuit, reflected on the support from her district.

"What meant so much to me is when the people of District Three said, no, no, no, we didn't forget. We remember the girl who got into the trenches with us, who was always available, who was always pushing and fighting for her district, and regardless of what anything that has been said about you, you showed us who you are," Dorsey said. "To come back to this seat is something. I don't know if any other council person has done that. Whatever the mayor has going, or whatever he said, I'm letting that play out in court. Outside of that, it's really about the people. It always has been. That is why I'm back."

Ray "Sir Friendly C" Barker, the primary winner for Metro Council District Five, will challenge incumbent Donna Purvis in November. Barker received 40% of the votes, compared to Purvis' 24%.

"When you add it all up, the five people that ran in this race, their total is 76% against the current leadership. So, if you're in a district where 76% of the people that live here are saying, we don't trust your leadership, that's a statement in itself," Barker said.

Jefferson County Sheriff

In the Democratic primary for Jefferson County sheriff, Stephen Yancey pulled ahead of Steve Healey by a few thousand votes, securing 40% of the total. Yancey highlighted the importance of character over campaign spending.

"Money doesn't always win elections. I think it's the character of the person. I look at Shameka Parrish Wright's race. I watched her, and I think she's doing amazing. Her and I are kind of in a similar situation. We are people of the citizens, and the citizens we're not going to let them down, and we're going to keep running and keep running because we both want to make Louisville better," Yancey said.

Yancey, who aims to change the culture of the sheriff's office, will face Republican Alexander William Marson in the general election.

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