Democrat Craig Greenberg wins race for Louisville mayor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Democrat Craig Greenberg defeated Republican Bill Dieruf and eight other challengers Tuesday in the race for Louisville mayor.

Greenberg, 49, is a businessman and attorney who was making his first bid for elected office. The 67-year-old Dieruf, the mayor of suburban Jeffersontown, was trying to become the first GOP mayor of merged city-county government.

With all precincts reporting, Greenberg had garnered 52% of the vote, compared with 46% for Dieruf, according to unofficial results from the Jefferson County Clerk's Office. 

"I am honored and humbled to be your next mayor," Greenberg told supporters at the Galt House after Dieruf conceded the race. "And I am excited to work with each and every one of you every day." 

He promised to make Louisville safer and pledged a "cleaner, a greener and a healthier city." 

"Together we'll unify our city and invest in people and neighborhoods that have been neglected and discriminated for our entire lifetime," he said. 

Dieruf told Republicans at the Henry Clay Building that he just didn't have the votes but said his political career isn't over. 

Best known for his work on the ill-fated Museum Plaza skyscraper project in the mid-2000s and a former top executive of 21C Museum Hotels, Greenberg promised during the campaign to build 15,000 new units of affordable housing in Louisville; make seized firearms inoperable before being sent to a state auction; and expand the city's Group Violence Intervention program.

Greenberg significantly outraised and outspent Dieruf, according to the most recent reports filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Greenberg had amassed $1.5 million in campaign contributions as of late October, compared with $656,400 for Dieruf.

Greenberg had spent just over $1 million during that time, while Dieruf spent $358,250.

Greenberg boasted endorsements ranging from the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council, which represents more than 50 unions and related organizations, to Planned Parenthood. In the weeks before the election, he also won the backing of the Rev. Tim Findley Jr., a rival in the Democratic mayoral primary.

In mid-2021, Greenberg also got the support of Metro Council President David James, a Democrat, in a move that came months before the early 2022 candidate filing deadline. Some Democrats criticized that endorsement before the field was set.

In February 2022, Greenberg was in his Butchertown campaign office when Quintez Brown, an activist and Metro Council candidate, allegedly shot into a room with Greenberg and his staff. Brown fired several gunshots with a 9-millimeter Glock handgun toward Greenberg, who wasn't hit but said a bullet grazed his sweater, according to an arrest citation.

Brown faces federal and state charges in connection with the shooting.

Dieruf's campaign emphasized his experience as a three-term mayor of Jeffersontown, a city of 28,671 in eastern Jefferson County, and his role overseeing that city's police department. He promised to add Rick Sanders, the Jeffersontown police chief and former Kentucky State Police commissioner, to his mayoral administration in some capacity. 

Dieruf touted his endorsements from six Fraternal Order of Police lodges in Jefferson County, including the River City FOP Lodge 614 that represents Louisville Metro Police Department officers.

One Dieruf mailer described Greenberg's public safety record as "NONE," and listed Greenberg's business background as a former chief executive officer of 21c Museum Hotels as a "Fancy Hotel Chain CEO."

Dieruf was vying to be the first Republican in the mayor's office since the merger of the old City of Louisville and Jefferson County took effect in early 2003. The last GOP mayor of Louisville prior to the consolidation was Kenneth A. Schmied, who served from 1965-69. Rebecca Jackson, a Republican, was the last Jefferson County Judge-Executive before merger.

Also in the race were seven independent candidates and one candidate from the Economic Freedom Party. 

Outgoing Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, a Democrat, is finishing his third straight term in office and can't seek reelection. Under a law passed by Kentucky legislators in 2022, the next mayor can only serve two consecutive terms.

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