LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After a crowded primary, two Louisville Metro mayoral candidates advanced to November.
Both Republican Bill Dieruf and Democrat Craig Greenberg beat their opponents with sizable margins.
Now, their focus is shifting from campaigning against people in their own party to facing each other and the other third-party candidates that'll be on the ballot come November.
They want to reduce crime and revitalize the city.
Dieruf, the sitting mayor of Jeffersontown, said he's the only candidate with the experience needed to get Louisville on a better path forward.
"We have to be a unified purpose in this community in order for other people want to come here - both safe and a community that loves their community," Dieruf said. "The pride in this community is something that starts at the mayor's office and will filter down through the employees and then it will go to the residents where they'll say, 'I want to raise my grandkids here.'"
Dieruf also said he intends to bring Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders with him downtown if elected.
Sanders has a lengthy resume, which includes being commissioner of the Kentucky State Police and special agent in charge of Chicago's U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) office.
"He understands what policing is," Dieruf said. "As a mayor, I understand what it means to run a police department and help the police department to be the best of the best. J-Town is rated as one of the best in the state."
Dieruf said police officers have come up to him in public to show their support.
"When we go in on day one, we have the officers that support us, we have officers that have left who said they will come back and, literally, they've stopped us at ballgames to say, 'If you and Rick are downtown, we realize what that leadership means and we will be there to support you,'" he said. "They see that and they want to make this community safe again."
Greenberg, a businessman, said if elected he'll unite the city and put a team in place to lift Louisville up.
"I think Louisville is looking for a mayor who can bring our city together - someone who's going to have an inclusive, diverse administration that unifies our cities and reflects the values of who we are in Louisville," Greenberg said. "I think I'm that candidate and I look forward to working with people across the whole city in my campaign and hopefully block beyond the election as well."
Greenberg, who is a victim of gun violence himself, said he crafted his public safety plan after listening to suggestions and concerns from the public.
"It's a comprehensive plan that fully funds and fully staffs the police so that we can have the best police department in America that does community policing, that works to prevent crime," Greenberg said. "I also believe that we can't simply police our way to safety."
Greenberg said there needs to be a focus on violence intervention programs too.
"We need to invest more in mental health treatment for people in need and we need to invest in the root causes of crime and poverty," he said.
According to the Jefferson County Clerk's website, two independents are also registered mayoral candidates - David Ellenberger and Manetta Lemkheitir.
The new mayor will replace the current mayor Greg Fischer, who is term-limited after serving for 12 years.
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