# Council candidate guide: Who's on your ballot this fall? **Published:** 2026-09-26T13:34:42.000Z **Source:** [CivicLex](https://news.civiclex.org/council-candidate-guide-whos-on-your-ballot-this-fall/) **Republished from:** [CivicLex](https://news.civiclex.org/council-candidate-guide-whos-on-your-ballot-this-fall/) (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) **Canonical:** https://news.civiclex.org/council-candidate-guide-whos-on-your-ballot-this-fall/ By Aaron Mudd, [CivicLex](https://news.civiclex.org) · September 26, 2026 Gun violence prevention. Affordable housing. Traffic. Those are among the issues local candidates are running on as they seek to represent residents on Lexington's Urban County Council. The Urban County Council is Lexington's legislative body. It can create and enact ordinances (local laws), resolutions, shape city spending, and levy taxes. Council has taken votes on several major issues this year, including approving a [city budget](https://news.civiclex.org/council-approves-mayors-proposed-budget-whats-next/), adopting new [Complete Streets](https://news.civiclex.org/lexingtons-complete-streets-project-moves-to-new-phase-heres-how-to-get-involved/) design standards, and pausing [data center development](https://news.civiclex.org/council-temporarily-halts-data-center-development-in-fayette-county/). Local voters will have a chance to help shape those decisions when they go to the polls or fill out their mail-in ballots this fall. On November 3rd, voters will see two types of Council races on their ballots, including: - At-Large: Six candidates are competing for three seats that represent Lexington as a whole. The top vote-getter in this race will become the city's next Vice Mayor, who leads the Council. - District: 12 Council district seats represent various parts of Fayette County on the Council. In these races, you can vote only in the district where you live. This year, six district candidates are running unopposed, while contested races in districts 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 11 will be decided in November. Find your Council district at this link. Additionally, because Council races are non-partisan, you won't see a political party next to the candidate's name as it appears on your ballot. This guide highlights candidates' backgrounds and their top issues based on their responses to CivicLex's Vote Local Lexington questionnaire. For full candidate responses, check out the local voter guide at [this link](https://lex.vote/?ref=news.civiclex.org). 🫵**How can you get involved?****Check your registration status and find out where you vote at [this link](https://vrsws.sos.ky.gov/ovrweb/govoteky/?ref=news.civiclex.org). You can also review [this guide](https://news.civiclex.org/lexingtons-nov-3rd-election-guide-everything-local-voters-need-to-know/) for a run-down of various ways to vote and other local offices on your ballot November 3rd.** ## At-Large Candidates ### James Brown **Background:**Current At-Large Councilmember. Previously served District 1 as its Councilmember. Brown has a background in manufacturing, real estate and neighborhood and parent advocacy. **Top issues:**Infrastructure, responsible growth, public safety and economic development. _Read Brown's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#James)_._ ### Herbert Lynn **Background:**Lynn is running for his first Council At-Large term. He is a skilled trades dispatcher and service coordinator in the HVAC field. He has experience in several other jobs, including road construction. **Top issues:**Housing affordability, energy affordability, and the homelessness crisis. _Read Lynn's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#Herbert). ### William Tate Ohmer **Background:**Ohmer is running for his first Council At-Large term. His background is in contracting, nonprofit lobbying and campaign consulting. **Top issues:**Affordable housing, supporting small businesses, loneliness and mental health. _Read Ohmer's full Vote Local profile_[here.](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#Tate) ### Christopher Shafer **Background:**Shafer is running for his first Council At-Large term. He currently works as a supervisor for the city. **Top issues:**Roads/infrastructure, traffic flow and signals, snow and emergency response. _Read Shafer's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#Christopher). ### Stephanie Aschmann Spires **Background:**Spires is running for her first Council At-Large term. Her background is in child and family advocacy. She is the CEO of Spires Strategies, and has served on several boards and commissions for the city and nonprofits. **Top issues:**Affordable housing, public safety, preserving local history and farmland. _Read Spires' full Vote Local profile_[here.](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#Stephanie) ### Dan Wu **Background:**Wu is a current At-Large Councilmember, Lexington's Vice Mayor, and a former small business owner. He was elected to office in 2022. **Top issues:**Housing, sustainability, street and traffic safety. _Read Wu's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/at-large?ref=news.civiclex.org#Dan)_._ ## Contested District Races ### District 3: #### Jon Larson **Background:**Larson is running for his first term as the District 3 Councilmember. He's previously held office as Fayette County's Judge Executive. He has a professional background as an attorney. **Top issues:**Being a watchdog for taxpayer money, preserving neighborhoods, and protecting greenspace/horse farms. _Read Larson's full Vote Local profile_[here.](https://lex.vote/district-3?ref=news.civiclex.org#Jon) #### Griffin VanMeter **Background:**Griffin is running for his first term as the District 3 Councilmember. He's a small business owner and a community advocate. **Top issues:**Street safety, social disconnection, housing. _Read VanMeter's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/district-3?ref=news.civiclex.org#Griffin)_._ ### District 4 #### Emma Curtis **Background:**Curtis serves as the current District 4 Councilmember. She was elected in 2024. Her professional experience includes work as an independent film maker and as a community organizer. **Top issues:**Streets and roads, housing and homelessness, providing competent city services to all Lexington residents. _Read Curtis' full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/district-4?ref=news.civiclex.org#Emma)_._ #### Brenda Monarrez **Background.**Monarrez is the former District 4 Councilmember, previously serving from 2022-2024. She has held a variety of positions in different sized companies and previously owned a business. **Top issues:**Public safety, infrastructure and economic development. _Read Monarrez' full Vote Local profile_[here](https://lex.vote/district-4?ref=news.civiclex.org#Brenda)_._ ### District 6 #### Tina V. Bryson **Background:**Bryson is running for this office for the first time. She currently works in nonprofit communications and has a background in community engagement. **Top issues:**Responsible growth and protecting neighborhoods, infrastructure, public safety, environmental stewardship. _Read Bryson's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-6?ref=news.civiclex.org#Tina)_._ #### Tyler M. Pyles **Background:**Pyles is running for this office for the first time. He's a sales associate for a manufacturers' representative agency. Pyles also has a background in community engagement. **Top issues:**Addressing homelessness, investing in local trades and infrastructure, improved coordination of state road projects, fully staffing local emergency services. _Read Pyles' full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-6?ref=news.civiclex.org#Tyler)_._ ### District 8 #### Amy Beasley **Background:**Beasley currently represents District 8 as its Councilmember. She was elected in 2024. She works as a pharmacy tech at Kroger and has a background in labor organizing. **Top issues:**Food insecurity, gun violence and jobs. _Read Beasley's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-8?ref=news.civiclex.org#Amy)_._ #### Tray Hughes **Background:**Tray Hughes is running for his first term as District 8's Councilmember. He owns Hughes & Company, which is involved in e-commerce, logistics and distribution. He has a background in community engagement. _Hughes has not yet responded to CivicLex's_[Vote Local Questionnaire](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-8?ref=news.civiclex.org#Tray)_._ ### District 9 #### Whitney Elliott Baxter **Background:**Baxter currently serves as District 9's Councilmember, a seat that she was originally elected to in 2020. She currently serves on the Council's Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee and its General Government and Planning Committee. Baxter is vice chair of Council's Social Services and Public Safety. Baxter also serves on the city's Affordable Housing Governing Board and the Corridors Commission. _Baxter has not yet responded to CivicLex's_[Vote Local Questionnaire](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-9?ref=news.civiclex.org#Whitney)_._ #### Matt Miniard **Background:**Miniard is running for his first term as District 9's Councilmember. He was elected to the Soil and Water Conservation District Board in 2018, a post he was later removed from by an internal vote in 2023. His professional background is as a real estate appraiser. **Top issues:**Property taxes and water quality. _Read Miniard's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-9?ref=news.civiclex.org#Matt)_._ ### District 11 #### Richard Maloney **Background:**Maloney is running for his eighth (non-consecutive) term as District 11's Councilmember. He previously served as the district's representative for seven terms, and as a Council At-Large representative for two terms. Professionally, he's worked in housing and as the chief administrative officer and commissioner of public works for the city. **Top issues:** Public safety, strong neighborhoods, responsible growth and economic development. _Read Maloney's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-11?ref=news.civiclex.org#Richard)_._ #### Cassandra Vogl **Background:**Vogl is running for her first term as Council District 11's Councilmember. She has a professional background in community health and social work outreach. She's also involved in community engagement. **Top issues:**Health, housing and habitat. _Read Vogl's full Vote Local profile_[here](https://dragonfly-mushroom-ls3j.squarespace.com/district-11?ref=news.civiclex.org#Cassandra)_._ ## Uncontested Races The following candidates are running unopposed: - District 1: Tyler Morton (incumbent). Read his full Vote Local profile here. - District 2: Shayla Lynch (incumbent). Read her full Vote Local profile here. - District 5: Stephenie Hoelscher. Read her full Vote Local profile here. - District 7: Joseph Hale (incumbent). Read his full Vote Local profile here. - District 9: Chris Woodall. Read his full Vote Local profile here. - District 12: Hilary J. Boone IV (incumbent). Read his full Vote Local profile here. ## Sources - [CivicLex](https://news.civiclex.org/council-candidate-guide-whos-on-your-ballot-this-fall/)