Jerry E. Abramson
Encyclopedia
Jerry Edwin Abramson is a Democratic
politician
who is currently the Lieutenant Governor-elect of Kentucky
.
Abramson previously served as the longest serving Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
. Before his most recent term as the Metro Mayor of the merged city-county government
Louisville Metro
(a merger he championed), Abramson was the only person to have served three terms as Mayor of Louisville, fulfilling the allowed term limit
. Abramson's original third term was extended by one year as part of a state-mandated transition to align the dates of local and federal elections.
Abramson's long period of service to Louisville as its mayor, as well as the fact that Abramson had never faced strong opposition in mayoral elections, led to the nickname of "mayor for life" being used locally, including by Louisville's own popular radio personality
Terry Meiners
. Abramson's popularity resulted in Bluegrass Poll approval ratings ranging from a 91 percent high in 1990 to a 73 percent low in 1994.
From 1993 to 1994, he was President of the United States Conference of Mayors
. He is currently a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City
mayor Michael Bloomberg
and Boston
mayor Thomas Menino
.
On July 19, 2009, Kentucky Governor
Steve Beshear
announced that Abramson will be running for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
on his ticket in 2011. Abramson is currently an executive-in-residence at Bellarmine University
.
. Before serving as a mayor in two different forms of government
of Louisville he worked at Abramson's Market at 738 South Preston Street in Louisville's Smoketown neighborhood, then owned by his father Roy and founded by his grandparents. He graduated from Seneca High School
and served for two years in the Army
, but did not see combat.
While a student at Indiana University Bloomington
, Abramson became active in politics by volunteering for Robert F. Kennedy
's 1968 campaign for president. After graduating from IU
, Abramson attended Georgetown University Law School.
Abramson practiced law with Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, PLLC. Before his first run for mayor, Abramson also served as alderman for two terms and as general counsel
to governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
, revitalized the city’s waterfront with the creation of Waterfront Park
and expanded the local economy by recruiting the international headquarters for Tricon Global Restaurants (known as Yum! Brands, Inc. today), Presbyterian Church (USA)
and UPS
Air Hub 2000.
Subsequent to his first tenure as mayor, Abramson practiced law with the Frost Brown Todd LLC firm and taught at Bellarmine University
.
was approved, the previous term limits no longer applied. Abramson was easily elected Louisville's first Metro Mayor in 2002 by 73.4 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Jack Early, former mayor of Hurstbourne, Kentucky
, a major suburb of Louisville.
One of Abramson's first actions as Metro Mayor was to appoint Robert C. White Chief of the troubled Louisville Metro Police Department
, the first African-American
to hold the post. The move proved to be politically wise, helping to calm criticism of the department from the black community in Louisville.
Abramson was re-elected mayor in November 2006; his opponent was Metro Council
member Kelly Downard
(R
).
Abramson is the first person of Jewish
faith to have served as mayor of Louisville. He lives in the Crescent Hill
neighborhood with his wife, Madeline.
Kentucky Monthly
magazine's readers voted Abramson "Kentucky's Best" civic figure five times (2002–2006).
Steve Beshear
announced that Abramson would step down after his second term as Mayor of Louisville Metro to become his Lieutenant Governor
running mate in his re-election campaign in 2011. This comes after Dan Mongiardo decided to run for U.S. Senate. Since Abramson's planned departure was announced, many candidates announced that they would run to succeed him in 2010. Businessman Greg Fischer
won the Democratic nomination and general election to succeed Abramson.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who is currently the Lieutenant Governor-elect of Kentucky
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
.
Abramson previously served as the longest serving Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Before his most recent term as the Metro Mayor of the merged city-county government
Consolidated city-county
In United States local government, a consolidated city–county is a city and county that have been merged into one unified jurisdiction. As such it is simultaneously a city, which is a municipal corporation, and a county, which is an administrative division of a state...
Louisville Metro
Government of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville Metro is governed by an executive dubbed the Metro Mayor as well as a city legislature dubbed the Metro Council. The second and current Metro Mayor is Greg Fischer , who entered office on January 3, 2011...
(a merger he championed), Abramson was the only person to have served three terms as Mayor of Louisville, fulfilling the allowed term limit
Term limit
A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms a person may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method to curb the potential for monopoly, where a leader effectively becomes "president for...
. Abramson's original third term was extended by one year as part of a state-mandated transition to align the dates of local and federal elections.
Abramson's long period of service to Louisville as its mayor, as well as the fact that Abramson had never faced strong opposition in mayoral elections, led to the nickname of "mayor for life" being used locally, including by Louisville's own popular radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
Terry Meiners
Terry Meiners
Terry Allen Meiners, born January 22, 1957, is an American radio and television personality on WHAS and WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky. On radio, The Terry Meiners Show has aired weekday afternoons from 3-7 since 1985...
. Abramson's popularity resulted in Bluegrass Poll approval ratings ranging from a 91 percent high in 1990 to a 73 percent low in 1994.
From 1993 to 1994, he was President of the United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
. He is currently a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
, an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
mayor Thomas Menino
Thomas Menino
Thomas Michael "Tom" Menino is the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, United States and the city's first Italian-American mayor...
.
On July 19, 2009, Kentucky Governor
Governor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
announced that Abramson will be running for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
on his ticket in 2011. Abramson is currently an executive-in-residence at Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
.
Early life
Abramson grew up in the Louisville suburb of Strathmoor Village, KentuckyStrathmoor Village, Kentucky
Strathmoor Village is a Sixth Class city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 625 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Strathmoor Village is located at ....
. Before serving as a mayor in two different forms of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...
of Louisville he worked at Abramson's Market at 738 South Preston Street in Louisville's Smoketown neighborhood, then owned by his father Roy and founded by his grandparents. He graduated from Seneca High School
Seneca High School MCA
Seneca High School MCA is a Louisville, Kentucky, USA, public school. It is located at 3510 Goldsmith Lane, Louisville, KY 40220, in the Hikes Point neighborhood and is part of Jefferson County Public Schools.- Academics :...
and served for two years in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, but did not see combat.
While a student at Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, Abramson became active in politics by volunteering for Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
's 1968 campaign for president. After graduating from IU
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
, Abramson attended Georgetown University Law School.
Abramson practiced law with Greenebaum Doll & McDonald, PLLC. Before his first run for mayor, Abramson also served as alderman for two terms and as general counsel
General Counsel
A general counsel is the chief lawyer of a legal department, usually in a corporation or government department. The term is most used in the United States...
to governor John Y. Brown, Jr.
John Y. Brown, Jr.
This article is about one of four John Young Browns, from Kentucky, that have served political office. For others see: John Young Brown ...
Mayor of Louisville
Abramson's tenure as mayor from 1985 to 1998 was marked by high popularity as Louisville's economy grew and the decline in urban population that began in the 1950s slowed greatly. Abramson began the nonprofit civic beautification program Operation Brightside, led the $700 million expansion of Louisville International AirportLouisville International Airport
Louisville International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport centrally located in the city of Louisville in Jefferson County, Kentucky, USA. The airport covers 1,200 acres and has three runways. Its IATA airport code SDF is based on the airport's former name, Standiford Field...
, revitalized the city’s waterfront with the creation of Waterfront Park
Louisville Waterfront Park
Louisville Waterfront Park is a municipal park adjacent to the downtown area of Louisville, Kentucky and the Ohio River. Specifically, it is adjacent to Louisville's wharf and Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, which are situated to the west of the park....
and expanded the local economy by recruiting the international headquarters for Tricon Global Restaurants (known as Yum! Brands, Inc. today), Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
and UPS
United Parcel Service
United Parcel Service, Inc. , typically referred to by the acronym UPS, is a package delivery company. Headquartered in Sandy Springs, Georgia, United States, UPS delivers more than 15 million packages a day to 6.1 million customers in more than 220 countries and territories around the...
Air Hub 2000.
Subsequent to his first tenure as mayor, Abramson practiced law with the Frost Brown Todd LLC firm and taught at Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University
Bellarmine University is an independent, private, Catholic university in Louisville, Kentucky. The liberal arts institution opened on October 3, 1950, as Bellarmine College, established by Archbishop John A. Floersh of the Archdiocese of Louisville and named after the Cardinal Saint Robert...
.
Metro Mayor
After the merger of Louisville and Jefferson CountyJefferson County, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 693,604 people, 287,012 households, and 183,113 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 305,835 housing units at an average density of...
was approved, the previous term limits no longer applied. Abramson was easily elected Louisville's first Metro Mayor in 2002 by 73.4 percent of the vote over Republican challenger Jack Early, former mayor of Hurstbourne, Kentucky
Hurstbourne, Kentucky
Hurstbourne is a city in Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 3,884 at the 2000 census. The land was surveyed by John Floyd in 1774 and part of a military land grant to Henry Harrison. It was first settled by William Linn, who build a stockade, Linn's Station, along...
, a major suburb of Louisville.
One of Abramson's first actions as Metro Mayor was to appoint Robert C. White Chief of the troubled Louisville Metro Police Department
Louisville Metro Police Department
The Louisville Metro Police Department began operations on January 6, 2003, as part of the creation of the consolidated city-county government in Louisville, Kentucky. It was formed by the merger of the Jefferson County Police Department and the Louisville Division of Police. The Louisville Metro...
, the first African-American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to hold the post. The move proved to be politically wise, helping to calm criticism of the department from the black community in Louisville.
Abramson was re-elected mayor in November 2006; his opponent was Metro Council
Louisville Metro Council
The Louisville Metro Council is the city legislature of Louisville, Kentucky . It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court .The Metro Council consists of...
member Kelly Downard
Kelly Downard
Patrick Kelly Downard is the Republican Councilman for the 16th District of Louisville Metro in Kentucky in the United States of America and served as Metro Council President from 2004 to 2005. Downard previously held the title of President of Louisville Community Development Bank, which he was...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
).
Abramson is the first person of Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
faith to have served as mayor of Louisville. He lives in the Crescent Hill
Crescent Hill, Louisville
Crescent Hill is a neighborhood four miles east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky USA. Area was originally called "Beargrass" because it sits on a ridge between two forks of Beargrass Creek....
neighborhood with his wife, Madeline.
Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly
Kentucky Monthly is a general interest regional magazine about the U.S. state of Kentucky and Kentuckians. Founded in 1998 by Stephen M. Vest, publisher, Michael Embry, editor, and business manager Kay Vest, it featured actor George Clooney on its first cover and has featured such Kentucky...
magazine's readers voted Abramson "Kentucky's Best" civic figure five times (2002–2006).
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
On July 19, 2009, Kentucky GovernorGovernor of Kentucky
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of the executive branch of government in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Fifty-six men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky. The governor's term is four years in length; since 1992, incumbents have been able to seek re-election once...
Steve Beshear
Steve Beshear
Steven Lynn "Steve" Beshear is an American politician who is the 61st Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A Democrat, Beshear previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1979, was the state's Attorney General from 1980 to 1983, and was Lieutenant Governor from...
announced that Abramson would step down after his second term as Mayor of Louisville Metro to become his Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky
The office of lieutenant governor of Kentucky has existed under the last three of Kentucky's four constitutions, beginning in 1797. The lieutenant governor serves as governor of Kentucky under circumstances similar to the Vice President of the United States assuming the powers of the presidency...
running mate in his re-election campaign in 2011. This comes after Dan Mongiardo decided to run for U.S. Senate. Since Abramson's planned departure was announced, many candidates announced that they would run to succeed him in 2010. Businessman Greg Fischer
Greg Fischer
Gregory E. Fischer is a businessman and Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Louisville's Trinity High School and Vanderbilt University, entrepreneur, and community leader....
won the Democratic nomination and general election to succeed Abramson.
See also
- Government of Louisville, KentuckyGovernment of Louisville, KentuckyLouisville Metro is governed by an executive dubbed the Metro Mayor as well as a city legislature dubbed the Metro Council. The second and current Metro Mayor is Greg Fischer , who entered office on January 3, 2011...
- Louisville Metro CouncilLouisville Metro CouncilThe Louisville Metro Council is the city legislature of Louisville, Kentucky . It was formally established in January 2003 upon the merger of the former City of Louisville with Jefferson County and replaced the city's Board of Aldermen and the county's Fiscal Court .The Metro Council consists of...
- Louisville mayoral election, 2010Louisville mayoral election, 2010The 2010 mayoral election in Louisville Metro took place on November 2, 2010 alongside other federal, state and local elections.Incumbent Mayor Jerry Abramson was re-elected with 67% of the vote in 2006, after being elected to his first term with 74% of the vote in 2002...