The Louisville mayor's office is in Metro Hall, 527 W. Jefferson St.(Amina Elahi / LPM)Voters in Louisville will decide Tuesday which two candidates for mayor will move forward to the general election in November.For the first time, all candidates for mayor will be on the primary ballot and Democrats, Republicans and independents will all have an opportunity to vote for one of them. None of the candidates will have a party affiliation next to their name, either.It’s part of Louisville’s switch to nonpartisan elections for mayor and Metro Council, approved by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2024.Here’s what voters need to know about the mayor’s race if they’re headed to the polls Tuesday:Changes to the ballotLouisville residents will still receive different ballots if they’re a registered Republican, Democrat or not affiliated with either party.For countywide races like Jefferson County Clerk, Sheriff and County Attorney, as well as state and federal offices, voters will be restricted to voting for the candidates running in their respective party primaries. Those elections remain partisan.But registered Republicans and Democrats will see the full list of candidates for Louisville mayor. There are 11 candidates on the ballot.The switch to nonpartisan elections for mayor also gives independents a reason to participate in the primary election.Here’s how mayor and Metro Council races work now: You get to vote for one person out of the entire field. The two people who get the most votes will move on to a runoff election in November.This means, as a voter, you may have to do a bit more research about the candidates, since there is no party affiliation short hand for you to use.The candidates for mayorThe primary race for Louisville mayor started off with a dozen candidates, including Democratic Mayor Craig Greenberg, who’s running for reelection. As we’ve gotten closer to primary day some people have started to drop.JusAustin Lane withdrew from the mayor’s race before the ballots were printed, meaning his name won't appear.Candidates Bill Wells and Jeff Yocum have also dropped out, but after the ballot was finalized. Their names will be on the ticket, but any votes for them will not count.Yocum, a conservative candidate who’s been an outspoken critic of Greenberg, announced May 4 he was withdrawing from the race and endorsing Tina Burnell, a Republican transparency advocate and founder of the Louisville Metro Watchdog Alliance group.The full list of candidates who will appear on the ballot include:Jody HurtDouglas LattimoreBill WellsCraig GreenbergTina BurnellBob DeVoreLisa M. Holliday HarrisJeffrey YocumMatthew Solomon BaileyS. "The D" DattiloShameka L. Parrish-WrightMost of the candidates participated in a recent forum hosted by the Louisville Urban League, in partnership with LPM News and WDRB.You can see their answers to some of the biggest questions here.Greenberg leads the pack in fundraisingWith so many people in the mayor’s race, candidates have turned to social media, door knocking and campaign signs to try to distinguish themselves.Only two candidates, Mayor Greenberg and Shameka Parrish-Wright, have advertised on radio or television.They are also the candidates with the most name recognition coming into the race. Greenberg is the incumbent and Parrish-Wright is a progressive Metro Council member representing District 3. Four years ago, she came in second in the Democratic primary for mayor against Greenberg.Greenberg has far out-fundraised and out-spent every other candidate in the race.Greenberg has raised a little over $1.5 million since late 2024, when he first announced his intent to run again, according to filings with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. He’s spent about $800,000 of that during this primary election, with his largest expense being ad buys.Most of the other candidates haven’t reported raising a single dollar.Parrish-Wright has raised $45,000 during the primary and has spent all but about $16,000.And Lisa Holliday Harris, who sits on the Jefferson County Republican Party’s Executive Committee, has raised about $2,400.Going to the pollsIf you’re going to the polls on Tuesday, all you need is an up-to-date photo ID.Previously, people without a state-issued voter ID could sign a Voter Affirmation Form and present a Social Security card or a federal benefits card, like a SNAP or EBT card. That is no longer an option after the Kentucky General Assembly passed House Bill 139 earlier this year.If you plan to vote in the nonpartisan mayoral or Metro Council races, you may want to know more about them beforehand – since you won’t be able to rely on cues like their party affiliations on the ballot.That’s why LPM News put together a comprehensive voter guide where you can find information about all of the candidates for Louisville mayor, as well as anyone else you’re eligible to vote for.You can find it at vote.lpm.org.This story was updated.
