The local ballot featured a closely-watched Mayor’s race, Charter amendments, and several contested Urban County Council seats. See a breakdown of the results.
Lexington voters will see a mayoral race, city council and school board contests on their ballots Nov. 3. Here's a last-minute guide for what to expect.
Candidates for three Urban County Council At-Large seats answered questions from residents about big topics facing Lexington during a CivicLex forum and ice cream social.
Lexington’s 2026 election results: See who won Mayor, Council, school board and more
The local ballot featured a closely-watched Mayor’s race, Charter amendments, and several contested Urban County Council seats. See a breakdown of the results.
During the November 3rd General Election, voters cast their ballots for Lexington’s Mayor, several competitive local races and three local Charter amendments.
Linda Gorton won the race for Mayor, while James Brown, Dan Wu, and Stephenie Aschmann Spires claimed the three Council At-Large seats, which represent Lexington as a whole on the Urban County Council. Brown, the top vote-getter in that race, will lead the Council as its Vice Mayor.
Voters also made decisions across six competitive Council district races and two school board contests.
Additionally, voters approved three proposed amendments to Lexington's Charter, developed by Lexington's first-ever Civic Assembly. You can learn more about that process here.
The amendments proposed updating Urban County Councilmember pay, creating publicly viewable attendance and accountability requirements for the body, and a process for regularly reviewing the city's Charter. All three amendments passed.
Below, we break down the results. You can also review information about each office at Vote Local Lexington.
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Note: Election night results are unofficial until they have been officially canvassed and certified. For more information, visit the State Board of Elections website here.
Mayor
WINNER: LINDA GORTON
Linda Gorton won the race for Lexington’s mayor, defeating Raquel Carter with 55% of the vote.
Linda Gorton: 56,203 votes (55%)
Raquel Carter: 45,869 votes (45%)
Gorton will serve a third and final term as Lexington’s Mayor. The Mayor, who serves a four-year term, is Lexington’s chief executive. The Mayor is responsible for administering city government and proposing city budgets.
Council At-Large
WINNERS: JAMES BROWN, DAN WU, AND STEPHANIE SPIRES
Six candidates vied for three At-Large seats on the Urban County Council, representing all of Lexington and Fayette County. As the top vote-getter in this race, Brown becomes the next Vice Mayor. At-Large Councilmembers serve four-year terms, and they can serve up to three consecutive terms.
Results (in the order candidates appeared on the ballot):
William Tate Ohmer: 17,266 votes (9%)
Herbert Lynn: 22,165 votes (12%)
Christopher Shafer: 19,670 votes (11%)
James Brown: 48,534 votes (26%)
Dan Wu: 44,753 votes (24%)
Stephanie Spires: 33,432 votes (18%)
Spires is a newcomer to the Council At-Large office, while Brown and Wu kept their seats as incumbents.
Contested Council District Races
Voters also made their selections in six contested Council district races.
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Look up your district: Find your Council district here.
District Councilmembers represent specific areas of Fayette County. They serve two-year terms. They are term-limited at six consecutive terms.
District 3: GRIFFIN VANMETER
Jon Larson: 1,704 votes (30%)
Griffin VanMeter: 3,886 votes (70%)
District 4: BRENDA MONARREZ
Emma Curtis: 3,221 votes (47%)
Brenda Monarrez: 3,657 votes (53%)
District 6: TINA BRYSON
Tina V. Bryson: 4,045 votes (57%)
Tyler M. Pyles: 3,010 votes (43%)
District 8: AMY BEASLEY
Tray Hughes: 1,703 votes (29%)
Amy Beasley: 4,263 votes (71%)
District 9: WHITNEY ELLIOTT BAXTER
Whitney Elliott Baxter: 6,932 votes (77%)
Matt Miniard: 2,103 votes (23%)
District 11: CASSANDRA VOGL
Richard Moloney: 2,177 votes (45%)
Cassandra Vogl: 2,657 votes (55%)
Incumbents Beasley and Baxter kept their seats, while VanMeter, Monarrez, Bryson, and Vogl picked up seats in their respective races. In District 4, incumbent Emma Curtis was unseated.
Charter Amendments
Voters also approved all three proposed Charter amendments developed by Lexington’s first Civic Assembly.
They include:
AMENDMENT 1: Voters were asked to vote for or against updating Councilmember pay to $59,987 a year starting in 2031. The number would be subject to annual cost of living increases.
AMENDMENT 2: Voters were asked to vote for or against requiring Council to create publicly viewable attendance and accountability standards for Councilmembers.
AMENDMENT 3: Voters were asked to vote for or against requiring Lexington's Charter to be reviewed at least once every eight years, with the review conducted by a randomly-selected group of Lexington residents.
Six candidates were elected after running unopposed in their respective Council district races.
They include:
District 1: Tyler Morton
District 2: Shayla Lynch
District 5: Stephenie Hoelscher
District 7: Joseph Hale
District 10: Chris Woodall
District 12: Hilary Boone
Fayette County School Board
Voters were asked to make their picks for two seats on the Fayette County Board of Education that were up for election.
The Fayette County Board of Education sets policies, approves the district budget, and hires and evaluates the superintendent. School board members serve four-year terms.
Division 2: TYLER MURPHY
Kathy Schiflett: 6,573 votes (44%)
R.J. Hijalda: 1,697 votes (11%)
Tyler Murphy: 6,612 votes (44%)
Division 4: AMANDA FERGUSON
Rodney Allen Jackson: 6,460 votes (44%)
Amanda Main Ferguson: 8,357 votes (56%)
Ferguson and Murphy, the incumbents in the race, defended their seats against challengers.
Aaron covers the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council as a City Hall Reporter for CivicLex. His background is in Service Journalism, and he’s passionate about helping Lexington residents stay informed about happenings in local government.
Lexington voters will see a mayoral race, city council and school board contests on their ballots Nov. 3. Here's a last-minute guide for what to expect.
Candidates for three Urban County Council At-Large seats answered questions from residents about big topics facing Lexington during a CivicLex forum and ice cream social.
The Urban County Council helps craft the city's budget and has taken several consequential votes this year, from safer streets to data centers. Your vote shapes those decisions.
