Jake Gibbs wins 3rd District city council race
November 5, 2014
By Kyle Arensdorf and Jonathan Coffman
With 67 percent of the vote, political newcomer Jake Gibbs, a Bluegrass Community and Technical College ombudsman and one-time UK professor, swept to victory Tuesday night in Lexington’s 3rd District, which includes UK.
A group of more than 100 Gibbs supporters cheered and applauded at Natasha’s Bistro and Bar as he was announced as the winner less than two hours after the polls closed.
He defeated urban city council veteran Chuck Ellinger II, who served three four-year terms as an At-Large Councilmember of the Lexington-Fayette County Urban Government. Ellinger earned 33 percent of the vote.
That same crowd also cheered new Vice Mayor Steve Kay, Gibbs’ political ally and the top vote-earner among at-large candidates in Lexington.
“(Gibbs) is going to do what he thinks is in the best interest of the community,” Kay said. “He knows this district because it’s been his district for the last 30 years. He knows what’s going on.”
Gibbs said he plans to improve the off-campus living around campus and make the community a safer area for walkers and bikers.
“There are a lot of sub-standard living properties (around campus),” Gibbs said. “My predecessor Diane Lawless has done a very good job getting after landlords, but I think we need to get after them more.”
Gibbs went on to say he hopes to implement an online database for complaints about housing and respond more quickly to complaints.
He was adamant about making surrounding communities more livable for everyone, however, not just for students.
“I think the university has finally caught on that they’ve had a negative impact,” he said. “Of course, if you’re one of the couch-burning types, I’m not your friend. But I think the couch burners are a small amount of the student population.”
Gibbs, who has served on the UK Faculty Senate, asked for a change in UK’s alcohol policy as he lamented the effect students have had on surrounding communities.
Near the end of the proceedings, Gibbs called his supporters together for a victory speech.
He said he looks forward to advocating for more affordable housing in the city core, to upping code enforcement and cleaning the university area, and to developing Lexington environmentally and in local food efforts.
“Now that the campaign is over, I can stop talking and (start doing) things,” Gibbs said. “I’m a progressive and I want to use the government for good.”
