Incumbents leading in JCPS board races

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Four incumbents on the Jefferson County Board of Education held leads in their races Tuesday night.

Four of the seven school board seats were on the ballot, with incumbents in those districts all drawing challengers.

As of 10:15 p.m., with 99% of precincts reporting countywide, unofficial results from the Jefferson County Board of Elections showed:

District 1

Incumbent Diane Porter, the school board chair, was up by 10,000 votes over her nearest rival, Charlie Bell. Ahamara Brewster and Carol Travis-Clark also were running for the seat.

Porter has served on the board since 2010. Her professional career included working as a teacher, guidance counselor, assistant principal, principal and administrator.

Porter told WDRB her reason why she sought reelection is to continue working on projects she approved, specifically the new student assignment plan, which brings the most change to many District 1 constituents who are now part of the "Choice Zone."

District 3

Incumbent James Craig held a 8,986-vote lead over J. Stephen Ullum. Other candidates were G. Perry Adelmann and Sam Cowan.

Craig has served on the board since 2018. The attorney and father of two JCPS students said one of his top priorities for his next term is to address teacher and staff shortages.

Craig voted to approve a 4% salary increases for teachers in June as well as continuity bonuses worth $1,000 in the 2022-23 school year. He said he would like to continue to raise teacher salaries and make JCPS the highest-paid teachers in the state.

District 5

Linda Duncan, the incumbent, had received 11,384, more than doubling Gregory P. Puccetti, who had 5,469 votes. Matt Singleton was in third.

Duncan is a retired JCPS educator. She served as assistant principal at Fairdale High School and middle and high school English. She has served as the District 5 representative since 2006.

A top concern for the incumbent is addressing the student achievement gap. The state's latest report card for JCPS shows the achievement gap has grown between white and Black students. Duncan said potential solutions to the problem include expanding district tutoring services and creating intervention methods earlier for students.

District 6

Incumbent Corrie Shull had garnered 14,972 votes, while his opponent Misty Glin had gotten 12,848.

Shull was elected in 2018 to serve as a JCPS board member. He is the father of two JCPS students and pastor of a church in Fern Creek.

When asked why he's seeking reelection, Shull said he has been able to help initiate new plans and would like to be part of its implementation, like the student assignment plan.

For real-time election results, click here.