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CREDIT JIM GRAY FOR KENTUCKY / FACEBOOK

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray’s Primary win in the U.S. Senate race will likely mean a heavy dose of speaking engagements across the Commonwealth the next five months. Lexington’s vice mayor doesn’t expect that to impact his work at city hall substantially.

Lexington Vice Mayor Steve Kay says Gray can do both, continue to run city government and run for U.S. Senate. The businessman turned politician is in his second term as Lexington mayor. So, Kay says Gray has a solid team of administrators in place. “If this were Mayor Gray’s first or second year in office and he was still pulling together his team and learning basically what it takes to run the city, I would be much more concerned about the fact that he will now be campaigning for the senate,”

Kay has spent the last five and a half years on council and a year and a half as vice mayor. Although not seeking it, Kay believes he’s got sufficient experience to serve as mayor full time. “Oh, I think I could do a good job and I’ve learned a lot about what it would take to do that work. So, I’m fully prepared to do it. I just don’t have a burning ambition to take on that job,” explained Kay.

One of the primary items on the current city hall agenda is passing a new budget. Kay says the mayor and council are generally on the same page when it comes to this spending plan. After budget approval in June, the council takes a month break. Kay anticipates the mayor will probably have a pretty hectic campaigning schedule during the break.