Candidates in Kentucky have a week left to file to run for office, and two former school board members have jumped in the race for the Louisville Metro Council .
Former JCPS school board chair Steve Imhoff is so far up against eight other Democrats in the primaries for retiring Councilwoman Tina Ward-Pugh’s seat in District 9, which includes parts St. Matthews and Crescent Hill.Imhoff says his 12 years on the school board will be an asset and name recognition will be a leading factor in the May primaries.“I think it certainly will be. It is in most races and I feel that people have already voted for me a few times they’ll remember me and hopefully most of them will vote for me again," he says.Imhoff says he supports certain housing policies like low-income developments to create diversity and also transportation initiatives like a light rail.His opponents include Chris Hartley, Greg Bourke, Mollie Younger Noe, Bette Niemi, Bill Hollander, Geoffrey “Jeff” Morris and J.P. Davis. Laura A. Rice is the only Republican who has filed for District 9 so far.In District 11, which covers parts of Jeffersontown, former JCPS board member Larry Hujo is challenging incumbent Republican Kevin Kramer. In a phone interview, Hujo says, "I firmly believe that there's a lot of opportunity that this community could provide for young working families, working families, and even the retired folks like myself and that's why I decided to run."Hujo says he's considered running for the Metro Council for a while, and he believes the council's larger 26 member governing body will be easier to work with than the seven member school board. "The possibilities of coming up with good workable solutions for the challenges we face as a community I think are greater," he says.Hujo adds he felt like his JCPS board peers did have a good working relationship.
