Jerry Abramson

Jerry Edwin Abramson (born September 12, 1946) is an American Democratic politician who served as the 55th lieutenant governor of Kentucky (2011–2014). He also served as the mayor of Louisville for an unprecedented two decades. He was the only person to serve three consecutive terms as mayor of the city of Louisville (1986–1999). He later served two terms as the first mayor of the consolidated city-county of "Louisville Metro" (2003–2011). He was also the first Jewish person to serve as mayor of Louisville.

Abramson's long period of service to Louisville as its mayor, as well as the weak opposition he faced in mayoral elections, led to the local nickname of "mayor for life", a title frequently used 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, Abramson was president of the United States Conference of Mayors. He was 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.

Abramson was elected lieutenant governor of Kentucky in 2011, taking office in December of that year. On November 6, 2014, Governor Steve Beshear announced that Abramson would step down from his position, to accept the job of Director of Intergovernmental Affairs in the Obama White House. He was succeeded by former State AuditorCrit Luallen. At the conclusion of Obama's second term, Abramson returned to Louisville to serve as executive-in-residence at Bellarmine University. He had previously served in the same post in 2011. He departed Bellarmine in 2018 and is currently serving as executive-in-residence at Spalding University.