Ward-Pugh Draws Challengers From Both Parties

by Gabe BullardThere are two contested primaries for Louisville's Ninth District Metro Council seat; one Democrat and two Republicans are vying for the seat held by Democrat Tina Ward-Pugh.The Democratic challenger is nonprofit manager John G. Miller, who says Ward-Pugh's two terms on the council are enough. He wants to offer his party's voters another option, and he's proposed making TARC free for all Louisvillians.But the problem, Miller says, is that word of his candidacy has not spread."Well I've been trying, just trying, to let people know there's an alternative," he says. "It's very difficult, you know, the media. My name was not mentioned for four months in the Courier-Journal."Ward-Pugh says her accomplishments on the council with government oversight and environmental issues have made her popular in her district. If voters think she's been in office too long, she says they can say so on Election Day."Every four years, my constituents get a chance to vote me back in or back out based on my performance," she says.The Ninth District includes the Crescent Hill and Clifton neighborhoods. The two Republicans seeking the seat are William Jaggers and Patrick Duerr.