2026 Kentucky Primary Election

Democrat

Nonpartisan

Republican

Michael is a small business owner. He owns and operates residential construction and remodeling companies, where he works daily with homeowners, subcontractors, inspectors, engineers, and city departments. He previously worked as a journalist covering government at all levels and as a public policy professional making recommendations for reforming how sexual assault kits are handled and successfully lobbying the legislature to pass those recommendations into law.

Council District 5 - Vote Local Lexington

Michael Mclaughlin is a small business owner. He owns and operates residential construction and remodeling companies, where he works daily with homeowners, subcontractors, inspectors, engineers, and city departments. He previously worked as a journalist covering government at all levels and as a public policy professional making recommendations for reforming how sexual assault kits are handled and successfully lobbying the legislature to pass those recommendations into law.

Supports infrastructure investments that reduce long-term maintenance costs.

- Supports infrastructure investments that reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Transportation & Infrastructure

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

Taxes

Supports dramatically increasing the amount of missing middle housing, including duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, to meet the diverse price point needs of households at various income levels and stages of life.

- Supports dramatically increasing the amount of missing middle housing, including duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, to meet the diverse price point needs of households at various income levels and stages of life.

Housing & Urban Development

Supports expanding district-level communication tools to provide clear updates to residents via email or text, making participation easier.

- Supports expanding district-level communication tools to provide clear updates to residents via email or text, making participation easier.

Public Services

Supports prioritizing public safety by ensuring police and fire departments have the necessary resources, training, and support.

- Supports prioritizing public safety by ensuring police and fire departments have the necessary resources, training, and support.

Public Safety

Economy

Education

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Michael Mclaughlin

Isaac Brickman

Mauricio Mendez

Matthew Tomas

Nicholas Wolter is from Lexington, Kentucky. He studied automotive technology and attended Eastern Kentucky University. He lives in Lakeview Estates with his wife and their two young children.

Nicholas is a small business owner and public policy professional. He owns and operates residential construction and remodeling companies. He previously worked as a journalist, covering government and public policy issues, and as a public policy professional, making recommendations for reforms. He also started a beverage distribution company that was later acquired. 

Nicholas Wolter-City Council Candidate for 5th District-First AMA

Nicholas's campaign for Lexington urban county council member, District 5, is his first time running for public office.

Supports addressing traffic safety concerns, including speeding, dangerous intersections, delayed construction, and limited pedestrian crossings to enhance neighborhood safety.

Will push for proven safety measures such as better lighting, clearer markings, traffic calming, and improved signage where appropriate.

Will push for clearer timelines, better communication with residents, and accountability when state or city projects fall behind schedule.

Will advocate for more frequent and safer crossing options, including well-marked crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and designs that protect people walking, biking, or using mobility devices.

- Supports addressing traffic safety concerns, including speeding, dangerous intersections, delayed construction, and limited pedestrian crossings to enhance neighborhood safety.
- Will push for proven safety measures such as better lighting, clearer markings, traffic calming, and improved signage where appropriate.
- Will push for clearer timelines, better communication with residents, and accountability when state or city projects fall behind schedule.
- Will advocate for more frequent and safer crossing options, including well-marked crosswalks, pedestrian signals, and designs that protect people walking, biking, or using mobility devices.

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

Acknowledges the growing visibility of homelessness in Lexington and the increasing strain on public spaces, emphasizing the need for solutions to support those cycling between the street, emergency rooms, shelters, and jail.

Believes housing costs have outpaced wages, resulting in a lack of entry-level housing, and criticizes zoning and process delays as barriers to solutions, stating that camping bans do not address the underlying issues.

Supports dedicating a portion of lodging tax revenue from short-term rentals to fund small-scale, transitional studio housing to help people stabilize and move forward.

Believes in infill development done correctly by rebuilding aging infrastructure alongside redevelopment, rather than overcrowding neighborhoods with failing systems.

- Acknowledges the growing visibility of homelessness in Lexington and the increasing strain on public spaces, emphasizing the need for solutions to support those cycling between the street, emergency rooms, shelters, and jail.
- Believes housing costs have outpaced wages, resulting in a lack of entry-level housing, and criticizes zoning and process delays as barriers to solutions, stating that camping bans do not address the underlying issues.
- Supports dedicating a portion of lodging tax revenue from short-term rentals to fund small-scale, transitional studio housing to help people stabilize and move forward.
- Believes in infill development done correctly by rebuilding aging infrastructure alongside redevelopment, rather than overcrowding neighborhoods with failing systems.

Supports appropriate, transparent, and proportional spending of the new parks tax to improve park systems, prioritizing parks that lack basic amenities, safety upgrades, and accessibility.

Believes parks are not a luxury. They are core infrastructure for families, health, and community life.

- Supports appropriate, transparent, and proportional spending of the new parks tax to improve park systems, prioritizing parks that lack basic amenities, safety upgrades, and accessibility.
- Believes parks are not a luxury. They are core infrastructure for families, health, and community life.

Supports fully staffing our Police and EMS departments and restoring reliable emergency response times.

Believes people experiencing homelessness isn’t solved by ignoring people or ignoring neighborhoods. It’s solved by housing stability, real data, and systems that actually work.

- Supports prioritizing public safety by ensuring police and fire departments have the necessary resources, training, and support.
- Supports fully staffing our Police and EMS departments and restoring reliable emergency response times.
- Believes people experiencing homelessness isn’t solved by ignoring people or ignoring neighborhoods. It’s solved by housing stability, real data, and systems that actually work.

Believes small businesses are integral to community strength and success.

- Believes small businesses are integral to community strength and success.

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Nicholas Wolter

Candidate website

Stephenie Hoelscher is a former professional journalist who now owns and operates her own independent policy and consulting firm.

Supports infrastructure investments that aim to reduce long-term maintenance costs.

Will be an advocate of Lexington's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, supporting traffic-calming efforts, adding safe walking and biking routes, and using data to allocate and deploy enforcement resources.

- Supports infrastructure investments that aim to reduce long-term maintenance costs.
- Will be an advocate of Lexington's Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, supporting traffic-calming efforts, adding safe walking and biking routes, and using data to allocate and deploy enforcement resources.

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

Said, "Lexington is growing, and we need a smart growth strategy that balances necessary development with preserving neighborhood character."

Supports reforms that will lead to a housing market built not just by a handful of the city's most powerful builders, but by homeowners and local, small-scale builders.

Will advocate for the development of affordable, missing middle housing -- multi-family housing that creates walkable and sustainable neighborhoods with easy access to goods, services, and amenities.

- Said, "Lexington is growing, and we need a smart growth strategy that balances necessary development with preserving neighborhood character."
- Supports reforms that will lead to a housing market built not just by a handful of the city's most powerful builders, but by homeowners and local, small-scale builders.
- Will advocate for the development of affordable, missing middle housing -- multi-family housing that creates walkable and sustainable neighborhoods with easy access to goods, services, and amenities.

Wants to prioritize public safety by ensuring police and fire departments have the necessary resources, training, and support.

- Wants to prioritize public safety by ensuring police and fire departments have the necessary resources, training, and support.

Stephenie Hoelscher

Twitter

- Urban county council members make up the legislative body of the Lexington-Fayette County 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. 
- The urban county council has 12 district council members and three at-large council members. 
- Council members voted to represent a single district serve two-year terms and those voted at-large serve four-year terms. Elections take place in even-numbered years. 

Passes laws and regulations for your urban county.

Lexington Urban County Council Member, District 5

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Candidates (3)

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