News
Thieneman Responds to Editorial
Tue, May 18, 2010
I wasn’t surprised you are endorsing my opponent in the Republican mayoral primary. Let me remind the readers that C-J endorsements often do not coincide with Election Day results and reveal some misconceptions.
Although The C-J indicates that I “lack communication skills,” I won’t apologize for not speaking as a “polished politician.” I agree that I do not sound like an ostentatious career politician, because I am not one and don’t intend to be. My goal is to share the truth, expose corruption, and run government in an accountable and transparent manner.
Mon, May 17, 2010
Thieneman, a developer and All-American University of Louisville football player who had a six-year pro-football career, was canvassing streets around St. Matthews when he spotted 74-year-old Gene “Buzz” Harned struggling to uproot a bush from his front yard. Some of the roots were 2 inches thick, said Harned, who asked Thieneman for help.
The burly candidate twisted the bush free.
“I wasn’t going to vote for Chris before today. But now he’s definitely got two votes,” said Harned, referring to himself and his wife. “I’ve lived here for 16 years, and he’s the first candidate from either party to come calling on us.”
Thieneman began his campaigning Saturday with U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul at a rally in Westport Village. He and about 40 supporters then hit the streets with the intent to visit 6,000 homes through the weekend.
Wed, May 12, 2010
With only days until the primary election, voters are about to head to the polls. Mayoral candidates had one of their last chances to pull in voters at Wednesday’s mayoral forum. Surprisingly, bridge tolls were not the main focus of the candidates at the forum. Instead, candidates seemed to talk mostly about unemployment.
It was a chance for voters to meet and greet who could become Louisville’s next mayor. The Lyndon Area Business Association hosted the mayoral forum Wednesday at the Lyndon City Hall. Eleven candidates are running in the primary election, and all the Republicans showed up, and the majority of Democratic candidates were there. It may be one of the last chances candidates have to get voter support.
“We cannot allow our money to go out of town, to out of town developers, millions of them, and not be accountable,” said Chris Thieneman, a Republican mayoral candidate.
In a room buzzing with small business owners, the hot topic at the mayoral forum was job growth.
Thieneman Ad Focuses On Heiner
Tue, May 11, 2010
The latest television advertisement from Republican candidate Chris Thieneman goes after Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, R-19, over job attraction.
Check it out:
Republican Candidates Prepare For Final Primary Push
Mon, May 10, 2010
In eight days, Republican voters in Jefferson County will choose a nominee who’s hoping to become Louisville’s first GOP mayor in decades.
The two frontrunners in the Republican primary are asking voters to choose between experience and activism. The experience candidate is two-term Metro Councilman Hal Heiner. The activist is Chris Thieneman. Both are developers in their private careers.
In the first poll from the Courier-Journal and WHAS-11, Heiner held 30 percent of the vote…4 points behind Thieneman
Thieneman’s Jobs Tour
Sun, May 09, 2010
From my inbox to the blog. Here are updates from a few campaigns.
Chris Thieneman
Louisville has an historic opportunity this November to break with a generation of political malpractice and economic stagnation caused by career politicians. I offer a business-tested plan to create jobs and long term prosperity for Louisville.
Fri, May 07, 2010
Thieneman Slams Bridge-Toll Proposal
Thu, May 06, 2010
Five candidates for Louisville mayor spoke out Thursday morning against tolls on existing bridges — one possible financing option for the $4.1 billion Ohio River Bridges Project.
The candidates criticized both the scale of the project, which calls for two new spans and a redesigned Spaghetti Junction, as well as possibly charging drivers to cross existing bridges.
In particular, Thieneman complained that the Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority, the body deliberating funding plans, is made up of unelected members.
Young Professionals Association of Louisville Interview with Thieneman
Tue, May 04, 2010
Q: What is the most pressing issue for Louisville’s next mayor?
A: The most pressing issue for Louisville’s next Mayor, is to get the corruption out of local Government, and bring back accountability into the Mayor’s office.
Q: How can young professionals best serve their communities?
A: Young professionals can best serve their communities by getting involved. We must embrace the young leaders of today, with open arms. I am a former member of the “Young Professionals Association of Louisville” and of “40 Leaders Under 40 – from across the State of Kentucky, whose goal was to assist in leading our State into the new Millennium. I am not a participant of the “good ole boy” system, and it will no longer exist in my administration.
Tue, May 04, 2010
In Republican ChrisThieneman’s first television commercial of the mayoral primary, he says “City Hall is broken. I will fix it.”
Click here to watch the Thieneman commercial.
Thieneman does not mention GOP primary rival Hal Heiner by name, but Heiner’s photo is used next to Mayor Abramson’s photo when Thieneman knocks “career politicians.”
Thieneman Launches first TV ad
Tue, May 04, 2010
Later this week, Republican mayoral candidate Chris Thieneman will unveil his economic development plan, but the Louisville developer has just launched his first television advertisement that began airing this week.
Check it out:
Mon, May 03, 2010
Mon, May 03, 2010
Republican candidate for mayor Chris Thieneman has released his first TV ad. You can watch it here.
Thieneman has positioned himself as the most anti-Abramson candidate in the race, but as LEO points out, it may not work; the current GOP frontrunner is Metro Councilman Hal Heiner, who is visually compared to Abramson in the clip, but has been a frequent opponent of the mayor on the council.
Sun, May 02, 2010
Here is the new Chris Thieneman for mayor campaign commercial for your review. Chris points out the fact that he is not a career politician which today is a good thing. Check it out below:’
Fri, April 16, 2010
Blog Talk Radio - KY Grassroots Radio
Kentuckiana GrassRoots Radio aires live tonight at Monday night at 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM Eastern Time. We will talk with informative candidate Chris Thieneman running for Louisville, Kentucky Metro Mayor. Also the latest current events from Louisville Metro, Kentucky, Indiana, and the entire nation from the perspective of freedom loving Americans.
Call-in Number: (347) 637-3086
Thieneman Talks Transparency in New Ad
Mon, March 29, 2010
The fallout from the Kentucky Auditor Crit Luallen’s examination of Metro government continues to spill into the 2010 mayoral campaign. Citing his activism over the city’s controversial $950,000 loan agreement with The Cordish Cos., which the state auditor criticized, Republican mayoral candidate Chris Thieneman has put out a new campaign advertisement trumpeting the virtues of transparency.
Though he provides no specific policies to promote open government in the advertisement, Thieneman has been at the front lines in the fight for more transparency.
Mayoral Profile: Chris Thieneman
Sun, March 28, 2010
Chris Thieneman says he’s always felt like he’s been fighting the system.
“And I said ‘Why not change the system?’ instead of fighting,” he said.
Thieneman led the charge against the library tax in 2007, a fee the city hoped would have helped finance the expansion and renovation of the library system.
Fri, March 26, 2010
It’s no surprise that Republican Mayoral candidate Chris Thieneman is quick to pounce on the state audit of local government. In fact, he takes credit for pressuring the city on Cordish and other aspects in this new spot just released this weekend.
Assumption Hosting Mayoral Candidate Forum on March 30
Tue, March 23, 2010
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Assumption High School’s student newspaper, The Rosecall, is hosting a forum for the mayoral candidates and all high school students in Louisville. This forum will focus on the issues facing high school students in today’s world, and will give the candidates an opportunity to reach teenagers with their message.
This is the only forum in the Louisville area where both parties have been invited to speak specifically to all high school students.
The forum will include Louisville mayoral candidates Tyler Allen, Greg Fischer, Jackie Green, Hal Heiner, Jim King, Jonathan Robertson, David Tandy, Chris Thieneman, Shannon White, high school media and students from public and private high schools.
Thieneman Speaks at Energy Rally Along with Paul and Grayson
Thu, March 18, 2010
Coal industry supporters rallied in downtown Louisville Thursday.
Speakers at the morning rally in Jefferson Square included Republican Senate candidates Rand Paul and Trey Grayson, who urged federal officials to back off pursuit of what they contended was anti-coal legislation.
Other speakers included the Republican candidates for the 3rd district seat in Congress and Republican mayoral candidate Chris Thieneman.
Live Blog: Mayoral Debate with Allen and Thieneman
Wed, March 17, 2010
7:06 p.m. It’s another debate this week on Ed Springston’s “My View Matters” radio show, this featuring candidates for Louisville Mayor Democrat Tyler Allen and Republican Chris Thieneman. Thieneman is the front-runner in the Republican primary, with 34 percent of likely voters supporting him, according to a C-J poll that came out on Sunday. Allen received 8 percent support in that poll.
In their endorsement interviews, the Courier’s editorial board seemed to have it out for both of these candidates. They pressed Allen on the bridges project for about 40 minutes of the allotted hour, trying to convince him, it sounded, that his long campaign against the project was ill-informed. They also pushed Thieneman in his interview, asking for specific answers to questions they didn’t seem to expect from the other candidates they’ve talked to. Springston’s show is starting momentarily, I’ll update when it gets interesting.
Wed, March 17, 2010
A recent Courier-Journal/WHAS-TV Bluegrass Poll leads me to believe that the race will only get uglier. The poll showed Thieneman with a 34 percent to 30 percent lead over Heiner, with a margin of error of 4.7 percent. When races are this tight, they are never pretty.
I can guarantee you that this poll shocked almost everyone except Chris Thieneman. The conventional wisdom had Heiner cruising to victory in his primary, but it looks like he has a fight on his hands.
This is a strange year for Republican candidates. Republicans who are perceived as being “establishment” (e.g. Trey Grayson and Hal Heiner) are facing tougher than expected challenges from candidates who have positioned themselves as outsiders.ough.
Sun, March 14, 2010
Republican Primary Poll results:
Thieneman 34%
Heiner 30%
Robertson 6%
Undecided 30%
Interpreters Help Spread the Word for Mayoral Candidates
Mon, March 08, 2010
The Americana Center in the Beechmont neighborhood is where Louisville comes to meet the world.
But on Monday night, it was the place where the world met Louisville’s mayoral candidates.
Sun, March 07, 2010
Republican candidate Chris Thieneman’s Facebook page immediately asks people to sign up as volunteers. A recent post on his Facebook wall asks his supporters to join his “bloggers coalition.” Thieneman, who also blogs on his campaign site, said he wants bloggers all over the city writing about him.
He doesn’t worry about losing control of the message.
“I believe all publicity is good publicity, even if it criticizes me,” Thieneman said. “The more people talking about me, the better.”
Mayoral Forum to have International Flavor
Sat, March 06, 2010
Mazungumzo ya wa kubwa wa muji ya Louisville, ya ta fanyika katika luga ine iyi siku ya kwanza mangaribi .
That’s Swahili for: The mayoral debate Monday can be heard in four languages.
Thieneman Endorsed by the Jefferson County Teachers Association
Fri, March 05, 2010
This release is in from the Thieneman for Mayor campaign:
Re: For Immediate Release
Louisville, KY. Chris Thieneman, Republican candidate for mayor, is pleased to accept the endorsement of Better Schools Kentucky, the political arm of the Jefferson County Teachers Association.
Fri, March 05, 2010
Louisville, KY - Chris Thieneman, Republican candidate for mayor, is pleased to accept the endorsement of Better Schools Kentucky, the political arm of the Jefferson County Teachers Association.
“It is an honor to receive the endorsement of the Jefferson County Teacher’s Association,” Thieneman said. “I’m humbled and encouraged to have the teachers standing with me to make Louisville a better place for our families and children.”
The Jefferson County Teachers Association represents over 6,000 teachers, librarians, speech clinicians, physical therapists and occupational therapists in every public school in Jefferson County.
Thieneman Led the Effort Against the Library Tax
Mon, March 01, 2010
Check out the release below from Mayor Jerry Abramson’s office. The Mayor and the local library system, you remember, had this huge plan to pay for expanding the city’s library system. To pay for it, the city mounted a huge media campaign in 2007 to persuade voters to vote for a library tax.
It failed overwhelmingly, as an organized opposition sprung up, led by Chris Thieneman (now a candidate for Mayor), that campaigned against it. Despite the city’s full-fledged backing and plenty of prominent locals backing the measure, a small percentage of the population believed the library plan was worth a special tax.
Thieneman’s Answers about Bridge Projects at Recent Mayoral Forum
Wed, February 17, 2010
The first question was “Which bridge do you think should be built first, the East End Bridge or the Downtown Bridge?
The candidates who took a strong, unequivocal position that the East End Bridge should be built first and foremost are Tyler Allen (D), Jonathan Robertson (R), Chris Thieneman (R) and Shannon White (D). The EE Bridge is scheduled to be completed first in the ORBP plan.
Thieneman said “We need it now.”
Mayoral Candidates to Tackle Downtown News
Tue, February 16, 2010
Suburban and urban tax rates, new Ohio River Bridges, and providing incentives for local businesses were among the questions Louisville mayoral candidates were asked to address Tuesday, during a 90 minute forum sponsored by the Louisville Downtown Management District.
Republican Chris Thieneman, a developer, said the issues separating the candidates shouldn’t come down to political parties. “I don’t see it as a Republican or Democratic way of running the city,” he said. “It needs to be a business approach. This city is taxed (more) than almost any other city in the country.”
Black History Month: Louise Reynolds
Fri, February 12, 2010
As part of a sweep that put Republicans in all 12 seats of the old Louisville Board of Aldermen, Louise E. Reynolds was elected Nov. 7, 1961, to represent the 11th Ward. She was the second woman elected to the board and six years later was the only one of those Republicans left standing following another Election Day sweep, this time by Democrats.
From her eight years on the Board of Aldermen, Reynolds was perhaps most proud of the open-housing ordinance passed in 1967. After several attempts to pass an ordinance banning discrimination in housing had failed earlier that year, Reynolds and her newly elected Democratic colleagues passed the law on Dec. 13, 1967.
Thieneman Rolls Out a Campaign Spot
Wed, February 10, 2010
Chris Thieneman’s first campaign TV commercial doesn’t mention his main Republican opponent, Hal Heiner, but instead focuses on one of Thieneman’s big issues—governmental transparency and the shortcomings of Jerry Abramson.
The spot rolls with mentions of issues—the Southfields Police dispute, financial support of Cordish Companies—in arguing in favor of Senate Bill 80, which would require the Louisville mayor to take more steps toward transparency in spending.
Mayoral Forum Highlight Reel: Arts Forum
Wed, February 10, 2010
So a couple of hundred hardy souls braved the forecast of inclement weather and came to listen to 12 candidates for mayor talk about their views on the arts in Louisville, and how arts would fit into their administrations. It was the fourth such mayoral forum—the third that has drawn more than a few candidates—and the only two candidates missing were Chris Thieneman (who posted a statement on his new website) and Nimbus Couzin (who had a seat saved for him but was MIA).
11 Candidates Line Up to Run for Metro Mayor
Thu, February 04, 2010
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The field is set for the 2010 primary elections. Tuesday afternoon, the deadline passed for candidates across Kentucky to file to run for office. In Jefferson County, the big race is for Louisville Metro mayor and it is a big one.
With the “Mayor for Life” soon to be mayor no more, a long line of people are lining up to try to take the job. Eleven people have signed up to run.
This Time, Budget Transparency Bill Loaded with Mayoral Politics
Tue, January 19, 2010
What’s the biggest difference between the Mayor of Louisville Metro and the Governor of Kentucky? We’re talking the office here, not the person who holds it. It’s not the size of the charter plane, or how close the seats are to the finish line on Derby Day, or even the small fact that one gets to mobilize a National Guard.
If you ask Chris Thieneman and Dan Seum, it’s budgetary power. Thieneman, the mayoral candidate, and Seum, the Republican state senator from Louisville, both think the budgetary duties of the mayor are too lax, and are supporting a bill in the state Senate that they say will make the mayor more accountable to the Louisville Metro Council.
