Emma Curtis won Brenda Monarrez's seat by a slim margin in 2024, becoming the first transgender person elected to city council. At the time, Monarrez was battling sexual assault allegations from a former council member — claims she has consistently denied— and was barred from city hall by a protective order.
Tuesday night, the candidates engaged in a rematch, with Monorrez reclaiming the seat after a campaign that saw both sides accusing the other of misleading voters.
Curtis argued Monarrez falsely gave the impression that she had the backing of neighborhood associations, a claim that did lead to changes on the candidate's website. In turn, Monarrez suggested Curtis was telling supporters that her challenger was kicked out of the Kentucky Democratic Party. Monarrez was banned from KDP events in 2024.
In a post-election Facebook post, Curtis accused her opponent of running a "sore loser campaign" and "embracing homophobia and transphobia." Curtis told supporters the election eliminated LGBTQ+ representation on council.
"So to any trans kid who is watching that, who's watching these results tonight... I want you to know that you are loved, that you have a home here," she said.
Curtis has vowed to "keep working every day to do as much good for as many people as I can."
Monarrez posted that voters had rejected a "last minute publicity stunt and attempt to silence your voices." She went on to lament what she described as negative campaigning, personal attacks and attempts to mislead voters, and thanked her backers for believing "the truth — that I am innocent."