Louisville Democratic Party Endorsements for Nonpartisan Metro Council and Mayor’s races in  2026

Recent changes to Louisville’s local election structure compelled the Louisville Democratic Party to act to protect Democratic representation and provide clarity to voters.

For decades, elections for Mayor and Metro Council in Louisville were partisan. Voters knew which candidates were Democrats, and Democratic primaries ensured that Democratic values were represented in the general election. That system was dismantled by the Republican-controlled Kentucky General Assembly, which shifted these races to nonpartisan elections. This change eliminated party labels on the ballot and ended partisan primaries — a move intended to weaken Democratic representation in Louisville by increasing voter confusion, depressing turnout, and creating pathways for Republican candidates to advance in districts that have historically voted for Democratic candidates.

Changes Under the New Non-Partisan Election System and Why Endorsements Are Necessary in Non-partisan Races

Under the new system, all voters regardless of party participate in a single primary, and only the top two candidates move on to the general election. 

There is no guarantee in this type of primary that a Democrat will advance to the general election. Vote-splitting among Democratic candidates can easily result in a general election with no Democrat on the ballot at all, even in a city that overwhelmingly supports Democratic candidates

The Louisville Democratic Party could not ignore that reality. 

For that reason, the Party chose to develop a framework and rules to issue endorsements in select nonpartisan races. Endorsements are intended to protect Democratic representation, and ensure that Democratic leadership remains viable in a system designed to weaken it. 

While party labels may no longer appear on the ballot, we are committed to making sure that Democratic voters will have this essential information. 

Who Makes Endorsement Decisions

Endorsements are made by the Louisville Democratic Party Executive Committee, the governing body of the County Party in Jefferson County.

The Executive Committee is made up of 56 voting members from across Louisville, including district chairs, vice chairs, and at-large members elected by Democratic voters in each of Jefferson County’s 18 legislative districts at our convention every 4 years. Voting members also include the presidents of the Louisville Young Democrats and the Louisville Democratic Women’s Club. 

The Endorsement Process

The endorsement process for nonpartisan elections was developed over several months by the Louisville Democratic Party endorsement process committee with careful consideration of how best to respond to nonpartisan elections. We evaluated multiple approaches that have been used by other democratic organizations, including whether to simply identify Democratic candidates without endorsing, whether to endorse more than one candidate in a race, and whether endorsements should be issued in every contest.

The Committee reviewed research and best practices from nonpartisan elections in other jurisdictions and assessed how different approaches affect Democratic turnout, vote-splitting, and general election outcomes. This process was designed intentionally to create the strongest possible framework for keeping Democrats competitive and in office under a system that no longer provides voters with party labels.

We voted to adopt the bylaws and the final framework for the 2026 election endorsements in our November and December Executive Committee meetings.

After filing closes, all Democratic candidates for mayor and metro council are personally invited to apply  for the Party’s endorsement by our Chair. Invitations are sent to the candidate’s campaign email they provided when filing to run. Reminders are put out via campaign social media channels if they are available for the candidate. There is a written application as well as an in-person interview.

Questions for the candidates include: alignment on key issues, experience in serving the community, campaign readiness, including the strength of campaign plans, staffing and management structure, voter outreach and field strategy,, and the ability to communicate with and mobilize voters. Candidates are further evaluated on their ability to advance to and win the general election under a nonpartisan system. 

The voting members of the board are allowed to vote for one candidate or abstain from voting. For the board to  endorse, the candidate must gain 60% of the votes. 

Respecting Debate While Protecting Democratic Representation
in Louisville

The Louisville Democratic Party’s Executive Committee recognizes that not all Democrats will agree with every endorsement or with the use of endorsements in nonpartisan races. Disagreement is part of a healthy Democratic party. 

What unites Democrats is the shared responsibility to respond to the war on Louisville being waged by Republicans in Frankfort — including structural changes to our voting processes — and to ensure Democratic values continue to have a governing path forward in our city.

Looking Ahead

This endorsement process was adopted for the 2026 election cycle with the understanding that nonpartisan elections are new territory for Louisville Democrats. From the start, the Party recognized this would be a learning process, and lessons from this cycle will be used to refine the approach for 2028.

The Louisville Democratic Party is committed to adapting responsibly and strengthening our process so Democratic values continue to have a clear path to governing in a nonpartisan system.

For those interested in helping shape these decisions going forward, the next Party reorganization will take place in 2028. Every four years, Democrats elect representation beginning at the precinct level and moving through legislative districts, the state executive committee, and ultimately the Democratic National Committee. There are also occasional board openings which will be listed on our website and  social media accounts to apply. If you are a Louisville Democrat and want a direct role in the  Party, that is where it happens — meetings, clipboards and door knocking included.