Mayor Craig Greenberg

Mayor Craig Greenberg (WDRB image from Sept. 4, 2024) 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has announced his intent to run for reelection.

"I am honored to serve as mayor and excited to build on our positive momentum to be a safer, stronger, and healthier city for everyone. I intend to seek reelection in 2026 and I have taken some initial steps, including filing appropriate paperwork," Greenberg said in a statement. "I am focused on being mayor, and we will have a formal campaign kickoff next year as we get closer to the 2026 election."

Greenberg, a Democrat, was elected in 2022 and took office in January 2023, succeeding former Mayor Greg Fischer, who served for three terms in office. He beat Republican challenger Bill Dieruf for the role.

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. No one was injured. 

In July, Brown, 23, pleaded guilty in federal court to shooting at Greenberg and faces a sentence of 15-18 years in prison. He is also charged in state court with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment.

Greenberg is currently in the second year of his time in office. When entering 2024, he said his top priorities as mayor remain the same: public safety and affordable housing. 

Since he took office in 2023, Greenberg has named two different police chiefs for the Louisville Metro Police Department. Following his election, he announced then-LMPD Chief Erika Shields would resign when he took office.

Following the announcement, Shields said her time as chief was cut short for "political reasons" while acknowledging that it's normal for leadership changes to happen when a new mayor and administration takes office. But, she said, she felt frustrated because she felt like LMPD had been politicized.

Greenberg later named Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel, who served as deputy chief under Shields, as interim police chief, before naming her permanent chief in July 2023.

But Gwinn-Villaroel's tenure as chief lasted less than a year before she was put on administrative leave and resigned in June amid sexual harassment lawsuits within the department and criticisms over her handling of of sexual harassment allegations from a high-ranking officer. 

Greenberg named Deputy Chief Paul Humphrey as interim following Gwinn-Villaroel's resignation. Humphrey was named permanent chief last week.

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