JCTA-backed candidates sweep Jefferson County Board of Education elections

The Jefferson County Board of Education will have several new members next year, according to unofficial election results reported late Tuesday.

Voters chose former Louisville Metro Council legislative aid Trevin Bass to fill the District 4 seat representing southwest Jefferson County. Bass won against Barbara Lewis with 55% of the 25,100 votes cast.

In District 1, the only other contested school board race, incumbent Gail Logan Strange beat Mark Gatton by a wide margin with 75% of the vote. The school board appointed Strange to fill a vacancy in District 1 late last year.

Both Strange and Bass had the support of the Jefferson County Teachers Association and its political action committee, Better Schools Kentucky.

Taylor Everett ran unopposed in District 7. Everett is the father of a JCPS high school student and works for a staffing firm.

District 2 also had just one candidate after former member Chris Kolb dropped out of the race and later resigned from his seat. Another challenger also withdrew. Attorney Tricia Lister, who ran unopposed, will continue to represent District 2. The board appointed her to fill the vacancy left by Kolb in September.

The new board will be tasked with selecting a new superintendent for Jefferson County Public Schools. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio announced that he will retire at the end of the school year.