Jim Gray (American politician)

In 1972, at the age of 19, Gray became the second youngest person ever elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, which was held in Miami.[9]

Gray's next foray into politics came two decades later when Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones asked him to chair his Committee on Quality and Efficiency. The committee produced the "Wake-Up Call for Kentucky Report," an audit of executive branch spending that included recommendations to eliminate $1 billion in wasteful state spending.[10]

Gray's first run for office was a bid for Lexington Mayor in 2002. He lost the primary and endorsed Teresa Isaac, who was elected.[11]

In 2006, Gray ran for one of three Council-at-Large seats in the Lexington City Council and was elected. As the largest vote-getter among the council-at-large candidates, Gray became Vice Mayor and served from 2007 to 2010.[11]

In his role as Vice Mayor, Gray positioned himself as a guardian of rate-payers and tax-payers, challenging Mayor Jim Newberry on overspending at the Blue Grass Airport and potential water-rate hikes.[12][13] He opposed the Owen County Kentucky-American water treatment plant that cost Fayette County rate payers $164 million.

In 2010, Gray entered the race for mayor, challenging the incumbent Jim Newberry.[14]

During the campaign, Gray developed the "Fresh Start Plan," containing a pledge to run the government like a good business, with increased transparency and efficiency and with reduced spending and debt.[15]

In November 2010, Gray defeated Newberry 53% to 46%.[16]

Before his first day as mayor, Gray had the entire mayor's office moved from the 12th floor of Lexington's government center to a first-floor ballroom, creating an open office atmosphere that was inspired by his own office at Gray. To learn about operations of a city government, the newly elected mayor paid a visit to Mayor Michael Bloomberg.[17]

Gray has publicly stated that his administration is focused on three areas: creating jobs, making government more efficient, and building Lexington into a great American city.[4]

With Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, Gray launched a joint Lexington-Louisville economic-development initiative in conjunction with the Brookings Institution. The Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement (BEAM) project is aimed at building the bluegrass region of Kentucky as a global center for advanced manufacturing.[18]

Gray was re-elected mayor by a wide margin in 2014.[19]

In 2018 Lexington was ranked by WalletHub as the 5th-best-run city in the country.[20]

On January 26, 2016, Gray announced that he was running for the United States Senate in 2016 for the seat then and currently held by U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate Rand Paul.[21] The senate race was described as an "uphill battle" for Gray.[22] Gray won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky on May 17, 2016.[23]

On November 8, 2016, Paul defeated Gray 57% to 43%.[2][24]

On December 5, 2017, Gray announced that he would run for the United States House of Representatives, entering the Democratic primary for Kentucky's 6th congressional district. He was defeated in the May 22, 2018, Democratic primary by Amy McGrath.[25]

On December 2, 2019, Kentucky governor-elect Andy Beshear, announced in a news conference that Gray would be appointed as Kentucky Secretary of Transportation. Gray was sworn in on December 10.[26]