Mayor Craig Greenberg has appointed Deputy Mayor David James to serve out the remainder of former Jefferson County Sheriff John Aubrey’s term following his death.
Aubrey died peacefully Sept. 23, according to his obituary. He was the county’s longest-serving sheriff after first taking office in 1999.
Earlier in the year he was named sheriff of the year by the National Sheriffs’ Association, an organization he led in 2014-15.
Aubrey, a Democrat, was elected to seven terms as Jefferson County’s sheriff. Before his first win in 1999, he spent 28 years with the Louisville Police Department — Louisville’s police force prior to the merger of the city and county’s governments — and was in the Army Reserves for 32 years, where the Kentucky Association of Counties reported he retired as a colonel.
Aubrey announced in March that he would not seek reelection in 2026.
Craig Greenberg, left, thanks Louisville Metro Council President David James for his endorsement in the Louisville mayoral race.
In May, Aubrey endorsed former Louisville Metro Police Department Col. Steve Healey to take his place as sheriff. In a Facebook post Sept. 24, Healey wrote, “Our community has lost not only a great leader, but also a man whose integrity, service, and dedication will never be forgotten.”
Healey, who now leads Pewee Valley Police, is registered as a Democrat. Also currently running in the 2026 primary for sheriff are Richard Breen, a lawyer and former mayor of Glenview, and Stephen Yancey, a longtime sheriff’s office employee who ran against Aubrey in the 2022 primary.
Aubrey’s death was the second in September that left an elected county office vacant. Former Jefferson County Clerk Bobbi Holsclaw died Sept. 10 at age 81, The Courier Journal reported. Holsclaw, a Republican, was elected for her seventh term in 2022.
Reach Killian Baarlaer at kbaarlaer@gannett.com or @bkillian72 on X. Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Greenberg names David James interim sheriff after John Aubrey’s death