2026 Kentucky General Election

Leah VAN WINKLE

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Buket Urgen

I was raised in Florida and chose to return to Berea at 22 because I believed in coming home. Since then, I have built my life around helping communities strengthen local leadership, form partnerships, and turn good ideas into practical action.

Leah Van Winkle for Berea City Council

Her educational background is in Psychology (B.A.) & Global Sustainability (M.A.) from the University of South Florida and a Sacred Natural Medicine Doctorate from PanAmerican University.

Leah Van Winkle | Brushy Fork Leadership Institute (Staff)

Leah Van Winkle was raised in Florida and returned to Berea at age 22. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in global sustainability from the University of South Florida, and a doctorate in sacred natural medicine from PanAmerican University.

Berea.edu Brushy Fork Leadership Institute Staff

Leah Van Winkle

Program Coordinator, Brushy Fork Leadership Institute

She has extensive experience in direct action & community organizing, with a focus in food justice & land sovereignty through her work collaboratively co-running Permaculture Action Network, and housing & healing justice in her role project managing Cob On Wood, a self-sufficiency hub for an unhoused community in West Oakland, CA.

Leah works as a program coordinator for the Brushy Fork Leadership Institute. She has co-run Permaculture Action Network and project-managed Cob On Wood, a self-sufficiency hub for an unhoused community in West Oakland, California.

Care for existing public assets before adding new commitments.
Expand safe, welcoming opportunities for children, teens, families, and older adults.
Support walkability, recreation, arts, and community gathering.

Expand safe, welcoming opportunities for children, teens, families, and older adults.
Support walkability, recreation, arts, and community gathering.

Identify existing resources before creating duplicative programs.
Build partnerships that bring outside funding and expertise into Berea.
Create clear pathways for residents to move ideas toward action.

Build partnerships that bring outside funding and expertise into Berea.
Create clear pathways for residents to move ideas toward action.

Prioritizes caring for existing public assets before adding new commitments.

Supports expanding safe, welcoming opportunities for children, teens, families, and older adults.

Supports walkability, recreation, arts, and community gathering.

Prioritizes identifying existing resources before creating duplicative programs.

Supports partnerships that bring outside funding and expertise into Berea.

Wants to create clear pathways for residents to move ideas toward action.

- Prioritizes caring for existing public assets before adding new commitments.
- Supports expanding safe, welcoming opportunities for children, teens, families, and older adults.
- Supports walkability, recreation, arts, and community gathering.
- Prioritizes identifying existing resources before creating duplicative programs.
- Supports partnerships that bring outside funding and expertise into Berea.
- Wants to create clear pathways for residents to move ideas toward action.

Public Services

01
Housing and thoughtful growth

Berea needs more housing choices without losing the qualities that make our town feel like home. I support clear planning, responsible infrastructure investment, neighborhood input, and practical strategies that expand attainable housing for renters, first-time buyers, families, and older residents.

Make development and zoning decisions easier for residents to understand.

Make development and zoning decisions easier for residents to understand.
Plan growth alongside roads, utilities, drainage, public safety, and quality-of-life needs.
Support a healthy mix of housing types and price points.

Plan growth alongside roads, utilities, drainage, public safety, and quality-of-life needs.
Support a healthy mix of housing types and price points.

Supports planning, infrastructure investment, and resident input to expand attainable housing for renters, first-time buyers, families, and older residents.

Wants development and zoning decisions to be easier for residents to understand.

Supports a mix of housing types and price points.

- Supports planning, infrastructure investment, and resident input to expand attainable housing for renters, first-time buyers, families, and older residents.
- Wants development and zoning decisions to be easier for residents to understand.
- Supports a mix of housing types and price points.

Housing & Urban Development

Plans growth alongside roads, utilities, drainage, public safety, and quality-of-life needs.

- Plans growth alongside roads, utilities, drainage, public safety, and quality-of-life needs.

Transportation & Infrastructure

As of October 6, 2026, Leah VAN WINKLE’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Public Safety

Education

Strengthen connections among businesses, workforce partners, schools, and entrepreneurs.
Support downtown vitality and locally owned businesses.
Treat childcare, transportation, and housing as economic development issues.

Support downtown vitality and locally owned businesses.
Treat childcare, transportation, and housing as economic development issues.

Supports strengthening connections among businesses, workforce partners, schools, and entrepreneurs.

Supports downtown vitality and locally owned businesses.

Treats childcare, transportation, and housing as economic-development issues.

- Supports strengthening connections among businesses, workforce partners, schools, and entrepreneurs.
- Supports downtown vitality and locally owned businesses.
- Treats childcare, transportation, and housing as economic-development issues.

Economy

Alex SIPPLE

Allison "Ali" BLAIR

Barry D. POYNTER

Brooke KING

Dan SIPPLE

John PAYNE

Katie STARTZMAN

Mike BARNETT

Regina HUDSON

Ronnie TERRILL

Steve CAUDILL

Teresa L. WREN

- City council members make up the legislative body of the city's government and are responsible for the public's health, safety, and welfare. Its legislative duties include enacting ordinances, levying taxes, and adopting a budget. 
- The city council has the authority to investigate all activities of the city government and its employees. 
- City councils in Kentucky typically have between 6 and 12 council members. They serve two-year terms except in Louisville and Lexington where some members serve four-year terms. 
- Council members can be elected to represent a single district or the city at-large. Elections take place in even-numbered years. 

Passes laws and regulations for your city.