Metro Council members will soon fill the third vacancy on the local legislative body in less than three months, after Democrat Cassie Chambers Armstrong, who represented District 8 since 2021, was elected to Kentucky Senate District 19.
She filled a vacancy left by Democrat Morgan McGarvey, who is now serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District.
Metro Council announced last week it’s accepting resumes and applications for the District 8 seat until March 3. The new representative would be temporary and selected by the other 25 council members.
The chosen candidate will serve until a new District 8 member is elected by residents during a special election in November and sworn in. The elected member would finish Chambers Armstrong’s term, which expires at the start of 2025.
Louisvillians who want to fill the vacant District 8 seat must be qualified voters, 18 years or older, and residents of the district for the year before the appointment.
District 8 includes neighborhoods that make up the Highlands, including Cherokee Triangle, Bonnycastle and Deer Park. It also features home-rule cities like Seneca Gardens and Strathmoor Village.
Council members are scheduled to interview candidates on March 13 and vote for the new district representative during their regular meeting on March 16. A successful candidate has to get the majority of the 25 council members’ votes to be appointed.
Metro Council has seen a wave of recent turnover. Seven new members elected in November were sworn in to start the year.
Earlier this month, Metro Council filled two vacant seats, in Districts 3 and 6. Democrats Kumar Rashad and Phillip Baker took over from Democrats Keisha Dorsey and David James, respectively, after the latter pair joined Mayor Craig Greenberg’s new administration.
A new bill in the Kentucky 2023 legislative session could soon change Metro Council’s replacement process, giving more power to voters. House Bill 191 would, in most cases, require Metro Council to fill vacancies with special elections after two months.
The bill unanimously passed the Kentucky House of Representatives this week.
