Jim Gray (American politician)

Jim Gray
Secretary of Transportation of Kentucky
Assumed office
December 10, 2019
GovernorAndy Beshear
Preceded byGreg Thomas
Mayor of Lexington, Kentucky
In office
January 2, 2011 – January 6, 2019
Preceded byJim Newberry
Succeeded byLinda Gorton
Personal details
Born (1953-08-18) August 18, 1953 (age 71)
Glasgow, Kentucky, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationEmory University
Western Kentucky University
Vanderbilt University (BA)

James P. Gray II (born August 18, 1953) is an American politician who is the Kentucky Secretary of Transportation in the administration of Governor Andy Beshear. He is the former two-term mayor of Lexington, Kentucky. Gray served as the city's vice-mayor from 2006 to 2010 before being elected mayor in November 2010. Gray won re-election to another four-year term on November 4, 2014.[1] In 2016, he ran for the United States Senate seat held by U.S. Senator Rand Paul. Gray won the May 17 Democratic primary with nearly 60% of the vote, becoming the first openly gay man to win the U.S. Senate nomination of a major political party. Gray lost the November 8 general election to Paul.[2]

Prior to serving as mayor, Gray was Chairman and CEO of Gray Construction, an engineering, design, and construction company headquartered in Lexington.[3] Once elected, he took an advisory role as Chair of the Board of Directors to focus on his role as mayor.[4]

  1. ^ "Gray, Gorton inaugurated as Lexington mayor, vice mayor". Kentucky.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011.
  2. ^ "Rand Paul defeats Jim Gray to keep his Senate seat". kentucky. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
  3. ^ "Gray Construction - History of Gray Construction | Gray Construction". Gray.com. 1960-10-11. Retrieved 2013-12-03.
  4. ^ "Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Lexington, Kentucky : Mayor Jim Gray". Lexingtonky.gov. 2013-09-13. Archived from the original on 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2013-12-03.