Teresa Isaac, an

American politician The politics of the United States function within a framework of a constitutional federal republic and presidential system, with three distinct branches that share powers. These are: the U.S. Congress which forms the legislative branch, a bic ...

, served as

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

from 2003 to 2007.

Political life

Isaac was elected to the

Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

council as an At-Large member in 1988. In 1992, she was reelected to the Urban County Council (UCC) becoming the Vice-Mayor. She served in that capacity until 1999. In 1996, Teresa Isaac ran for the Democratic nomination for

Kentucky's 6th congressional district Kentucky's 6th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Kentucky. Based in Central Kentucky, the district contains the cities of Lexington (including its suburbs), Richmond, and Frankfort, the state capital. The ...

. She came in third. Isaac returned to elected office in 2002 as the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

. In that race, she defeated attorney Scott Crosbie. Crosbie had previously served on the City Council. Isaac's victory was credited to her tireless campaigning and a light turnout in the suburbs, which represented Crosbie's political base of conservatives. Her term as mayor was marked with controversy, as her controversial attempts to use

eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...

to condemn the local water company and the Lexington Mall both failed due to public resistance. The Mayor cites the following accomplishments: * Eminent domain proceedings to gain local ownership of Lexington's water utility from a foreign-owned conglomerate * Increased pay for police, firefighters and corrections personnel * Budget cuts to every other area of government, including significant cuts to her own office budget However, on November 7, 2006, Vote NO won and condemnation of the water company ended. In 2006, Isaac ran for reelection but lost to political newcomer and Lexington corporate attorney

Jim Newberry Jim Newberry (born December 16, 1956) was mayor of Lexington, Kentucky from December 31, 2006, until January 2, 2011. He defeated incumbent mayor Teresa Isaac by the largest vote margin in the history of Lexington-Fayette's merged "Urban County" g ...

. Most recently, Isaac has been employed as a campaign staffer for Kentucky businessman

Bruce Lunsford William Bruce Lunsford (born November 11, 1947) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician from Kentucky. He has served various roles in the Kentucky Democratic Party, including party treasurer, Deputy Development Secretary, and Head o ...

. Lunsford made an unsuccessful attempt to win the Democratic nomination for Kentucky Governor in May 2007. Isaac currently practices law and teaches as an adjunct professor at several Kentucky colleges. She has been a crusader for same sex marriage and LGBTQ rights. She currently is championing the cause of the Green movement and seeks to curtail or end all coal fire burning plants and factories in the United States including Kentucky's own coal industry which says claims is destroying the natural beauty of Kentucky. She said her downfall was the ill-fated forced attempt of the government takeover of the Lexington water company, which ruined her chances at a second term as Mayor of Lexington.

References

Kentucky Democrats Mayors of Lexington, Kentucky Women mayors of places in Kentucky Transylvania University alumni Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American women {{Kentucky-mayor-stub