Decision 2022: Still in custody, Quintez Brown will appear on Metro District 5 ballot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Louisville Metro District 5 in the West End includes the Chickasaw, Shawnee, Portland, and Russell neighborhoods.

Democratic Councilwoman Donna Purvis is coming to the end of her first term and seeking a second. After several attempts to reach Purvis – beginning more than a month before Election Day – she officially declined an election-relation interview with WAVE News on Oct. 11, saying she was “not available.”

The incumbent Purvis won her spot on the ballot in a close primary by just 35 votes.

There is no Republican on the ballot for District 5, but Purvis does technically have a challenger: independent candidate Quintez Brown. This Quintez Brown, 21, is the same man charged with shooting at Democratic Louisville Metro mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.

Brown filed his candidacy on Dec. 13, 2021. Almost exactly two months later, on Feb. 14, 2022, Brown is accused of walking into Greenberg’s campaign office and opening fire. Greenberg’s clothing was grazed by one of the multiple bullets. No staff members were hit.

Brown is ordered to stay in a detention facility until his trial. He is facing both federal and state charges for the shooting.

So why is Brown still on the ballot?

The Jefferson County Board of Elections told WAVE News that it is because Brown is considered innocent until proven guilty – which has not happened. Otherwise, he still meets the qualifications for candidacy.

Before Brown’s arrest, the West Louisville native was a University of Louisville student and considered a rising star of the Black Lives Matter movement.

As for Purvis, some of her recent initiatives include pushing for random inspections as a way to better enforce property maintenance standards. She is also working to transform a vacant lot in Russell into a useful community space.

Purvis’s committee appointments include Labor & Economic Development, Government Oversight and Audit, and Parks and Sustainability.

If Brown receives more votes than Purvis, new questions arise. State law says Brown can’t hold office if he’s convicted of a crime and incarcerated for it. As of Election Day, he is in custody but not convicted.

However, if Brown is elected, Metro Council can go through the process of removing him for a variety of reasons including misconduct, incapacitation, or because he would be living out of district as he resides in the Grayson County Detention Center.

Election Day is Nov. 8.

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