Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is endorsing Democrat Bill Hollander in the District 9 Metro Council race.
Hollander is running against a dozen other candidates in a crowded primary field for the seat, which includes the Clifton Heights, Crescent Hill and St. Matthews neighborhoods.This is the first candidate Fischer has officially endorsed for Metro Council since becoming mayor."I think this is a great opportunity for Louisville to have him on the council," Fischer says.Hollander is a former managing partner of the law firm of Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. He is seeking to fill the seat being vacated by incumbent Tina Ward-Pugh, who announced last December she is retiring from the position she has held since 2002."I was a big supporter of Tina, when she stepped down I thought it was a good opportunity to step up and help the community even more," Hollander says.Hollander's camp says there are approximately 8,000 registered Democrats in the district."We hope to have over 2,000 votes," Hollander says. "We think that will win the race."Among the dozen other candidates vying for the District 9 council seat on the Democratic side are real estate broker Mollie Younger Noe, University of Louisville employee J.P. Davis, former Jefferson County School Board member Steve Imhoff, StageOne Family Theater business manager Mike Brooks and former Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Geoffrey Morris.Another notable candidate in the race is gay rights activist Greg Bourke, who gained national attention after he was kicked out of a local Boy Scout troop for being gay and was part of the case overturning Kentucky's ban on recognizing out of state same-sex marriages.Louisville attorney Laura Rice is the only Republican running for the seat.Hollander said if elected, he will work to increase neighborhood safety, education opportunities and citizen health."I think the community is moving in the right direction, but we still have a lot to do," Hollander said. "I think I share a vision with the Mayor and am honored to have his support."Hollander was born in Indiana and has lived in the Frankfort Avenue area for nearly 30 years.
