About Mayor Linda Gorton | City of Lexington, Kentucky

Linda Gorton earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky. She lives with her husband, Charlie, and has two adult children and five grandchildren. 

Linda Gorton- 2018 Candidate Questionnaire

Linda is a retired registered nurse. She worked in a U.S. Army field hospital.

Linda Gorton - Ballotpedia

Linda currently serves as the Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky. She was first elected in 2018 and is serving her second term. She previously served as a city council member for the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council from 1999-2015.

As a city council member, initiated a city-school communication and support network to better advocate for teachers and public employees.

- As a city council member, initiated a city-school communication and support network to better advocate for teachers and public employees.

Education

Supports affordable housing development to address homelessness.

Supports affordable housing development to address homelessness and job training for parents of homeless students.

Supports the expansion of Lexington’s Affordable Housing Program.

Plans to expand the scope of Lexington’s Affordable Housing Program.

Plans to create a reliable funding source for the Affordable Housing Program, reducing costs for developers and increasing housing stock.

Wants to dedicate a reliable funding source to the Affordable Housing Program, reducing costs for developers and increasing housing stock.

- Supports affordable housing development to address homelessness and job training for parents of homeless students.
- Plans to expand the scope of Lexington’s Affordable Housing Program.
- Wants to dedicate a reliable funding source to the Affordable Housing Program, reducing costs for developers and increasing housing stock.

Housing & Urban Development

Plans to address public safety by targeting drug dealers and violent offenders, using Lexington's resources for addiction treatment and rehabilitation, and identifying individuals at risk of addiction.

Supports a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to combat the opioid crisis, emphasizing prevention, education, empathy, and coordination with various sectors, while also supporting needle exchange programs to reduce disease spread and facilitate recovery.

Plans to make community policing standard practice and ensure diversity in hiring.

Will direct the public safety commissioner and chiefs to make community policing standard practice and ensure diversity in hiring.

Supports expanding the One Lexington program to promote neighborhood safety and at-risk youth mentoring.

Supports expanding the One Lexington program to promote neighborhood safety and at-risk youth mentoring while providing opportunities for incarcerated individuals.  

- Plans to address public safety by targeting drug dealers and violent offenders, using Lexington's resources for addiction treatment and rehabilitation, and identifying individuals at risk of addiction.
- Supports a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to combat the opioid crisis, emphasizing prevention, education, empathy, and coordination with various sectors, while also supporting needle exchange programs to reduce disease spread and facilitate recovery.
- Will direct the public safety commissioner and chiefs to make community policing standard practice and ensure diversity in hiring.
- Supports expanding the One Lexington program to promote neighborhood safety and at-risk youth mentoring while providing opportunities for incarcerated individuals.  

Public Safety

Will pursue a multifaceted approach to planning that revolves around promoting arts, culture, and tourism through ensuring safety at parks, green initiatives within existing buildings, and promoting accessible green space.

- Will pursue a multifaceted approach to planning that revolves around promoting arts, culture, and tourism through ensuring safety at parks, green initiatives within existing buildings, and promoting accessible green space.

Public Services

Seeks to address the rising congestion issues in Lexington by engaging with the state to find solutions, piloting smart traffic signals, and encouraging telecommuting.

- Seeks to address the rising congestion issues in Lexington by engaging with the state to find solutions, piloting smart traffic signals, and encouraging telecommuting.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Supports creating a comprehensive strategy to address labor gaps, retraining, and reentry programs to assist those struggling in the workforce.

Prioritizes creating a comprehensive strategy to address labor gaps, retraining, and reentry programs to assist those struggling in the workforce.

Supports creating strategic collaborations between city hall, regional and state partners, educational institutions, workforce and community agencies, economic development entities, and employers to better leverage resources and information and to effectively deliver training and education.

Vows to create strategic collaborations between city hall and various groups to better leverage resources and information and to effectively deliver training and education to residents.

Supports initiatives like the Minority Business Expo that assist minority-owned businesses.

- Prioritizes creating a comprehensive strategy to address labor gaps, retraining, and reentry programs to assist those struggling in the workforce.
- Vows to create strategic collaborations between city hall and various groups to better leverage resources and information and to effectively deliver training and education to residents.
- Supports initiatives like the Minority Business Expo that assist minority-owned businesses.

Economy

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Linda Gorton

Supports strengthening regional partnerships to combat organized crime and drug trafficking.

Supports addressing violent crime through community programs, mentoring at-risk youth, and promoting jail-to-work initiatives for successful reintegration of former inmates.

Supports creating anti-violence networks with hospitals and community groups to focus on crime prevention and rehabilitation.

Plans to create anti-violence networks with hospitals and community groups to focus on crime prevention and rehabilitation.

Wants to create anti-violence networks with hospitals and community groups to emphasize crime prevention and rehabilitation.

Supports the expansion of high-speed internet.

Supports providing infrastructure to attract new businesses and create jobs.

Supports fostering growth and innovation in existing industries and providing infrastructure to attract new businesses and jobs.

Believes success in the 21st Century economy requires reliable high-speed internet access and the ability to innovate.

Supports government agencies collaborating to streamline processes, ensuring oversight while eliminating outdated regulations to foster business creation and development.

Supports equitable access to training and education to create an inclusive economy and eliminate barriers to employment.

Supports collaboration among government agencies to enhance efficiency and transparency, advocating for the removal of outdated regulations to facilitate business creation and development.

Linda Gorton earned her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her husband, Charlie, and has two adult children and five grandchildren. 

Linda is a retired registered nurse. She worked in a US Army field hospital during her husband's time stationed in Germany, and worked as part of a volunteer team, "Operation Babylift" that examined orphans airlifted out of Vietnam in 1974. 

Linda currently serves as Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky. She was first elected in 2018 and is serving her second term. She previously served as a city council member for Lexington Fayette Urban County Council from 1999-2015.

Vows to create strategic collaborations between city hall, regional and state partners, educational institutions, workforce and community agencies, economic development entities, and employers to better leverage resources and information and to effectively deliver training and education.

- Prioritizes creating a comprehensive strategy to address labor gaps, retraining, and reentry programs to assist those struggling in the workforce.
- Vows to create strategic collaborations between city hall, regional and state partners, educational institutions, workforce and community agencies, economic development entities, and employers to better leverage resources and information and to effectively deliver training and education.
- Supports initiatives like the Minority Business Expo that assist minority-owned businesses.

As of March 25, 2026, Linda Gorton’s website did not contain information on this issue.

- The duties of the mayor depend on the type of government within the city, 
- If the city has a mayor-council form of government, the mayor is responsible for the executive and administrative functions of the government. They oversee all city departments, but cannot vote in most council matters. 
- If the city has a mayor-aldermen form of government, the mayor is responsible for executing and enforcing local and state laws. The mayor may appoint city officials with approval from the aldermen. 
- If the city has a mayor-commission form of government, the mayor presides over the city commissioners and can vote within the commission. The mayor is responsible for executing all decisions reached by the commission. 
- If the city has a city manager form of government, the mayor presides over the city commissioners and can vote within the commission. The mayor is recognized as the head of the city department but does not have any regular administrative duties. 
- City mayors are elected during general elections for a four-year term. Most cities in Kentucky hold nonpartisan elections for mayor. 