Liz Sheehan wins re-election for 5th District seat on Lexington Urban County Council

Liz Sheehan will again represent District 5 on the Urban County Council, according to unofficial election results.

Sheehan was the incumbent for the seat, having served on the council since 2020. Sheehan won 63% of the votes, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State website, with 100% of precincts reporting on Tuesday night.

Sheehan is a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Kentucky. She was facing Greg Ladd, a lawyer and owner of health shake company Shake It, for the seat.

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support from 5th District voters,” Sheehan said in a statement. “I will continue to listen and respond to residents while fighting for the issues that matter to our community.”

Sheehan thanked Ladd for “running an issue-focused campaign.”

“Let’s continue to work together in making Lexington a place everyone can thrive,” she said.

Ladd said that by running this campaign, he was able to see how “people are genuinely thoughtful and kind and care about one another.” Ladd commended Sheehan for the campaign she ran, and said he believes she’ll be a good representation on the council.

“I think she will be an excellent councilperson for us and continue to lead our district,” Ladd said. “She has a civil servant’s heart, and I’m proud of the effort that we put forward and I’m proud of the effort that she put forward. I’m happy that at the end of the day that we have two people that love our community as much as she and I do.”

Speaking to the Herald-Leader earlier this year, Sheehan said her experience on council gives her an edge over her competitors.

“I know I’ve been effective,” she said. “I have been able to work for my neighborhoods to resolve some of the long-standing issues that they have had before them. Whether it’s street repairs, or code enforcement, or wanting to even do something as simple as organize a neighborhood association, the things that I have been able to work on are the things that affect people’s everyday lives.”

Sheehan said the top issue in the 5th District is addressing basic needs, including housing, access to food, public safety and mental and physical well-being, and those are among the things she hopes to work toward.