Craig Greenberg

Craig Greenberg
Greenberg in 2025
Mayor of Louisville
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 2, 2023
Preceded byGreg Fischer
Personal details
Born (1973-08-22) August 22, 1973
Commack, New York, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseRachel
Children2
Education
WebsiteCampaign website

Craig Greenberg (born August 22, 1973)[1] is an American businessman, lawyer,[2] and politician serving since 2023 as the third mayor of the consolidated city-county of "Louisville Metro" in Kentucky.[3][4] During his mayoral campaign, he was the target of an assassination attempt at his campaign headquarters, but emerged unscathed.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Greenberg was a lawyer at Frost Brown Todd in Louisville. In 2006, he co-founded 21c Museum Hotels, of which he served as chief executive officer and president. In January 2021, Greenberg and Matt Jones, a sports radio host, purchased Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Early life and career

Greenberg was born in Commack, New York.[2] His family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 1980.[5] He graduated from Ballard High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan in 1995, where he was president of the student government, and his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1998.[6][7][2][8][9]

Greenberg began his law career at Frost Brown Todd in Louisville.[10] As an attorney with the firm, he worked on its ancillary business initiatives.[7]

In 2006, Greenberg met art collectors and investors Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown, and with them co-founded the 21c Museum Hotels chain.[11][8][2] He was named the company's president in 2012 and chief executive officer in 2017.[12] He stepped down from 21c Museum Hotels in June 2020.[13]

In January 2021, Greenberg and Matt Jones, a sports radio host, purchased a majority stake in Ohio Valley Wrestling.[14] Greenberg was also involved in the development of Louisville Museum Plaza[8] and Whiskey Row, and served as a trustee for the University of Louisville.[15][16]

Mayor of Louisville

Campaign

In April 2021, Greenberg announced his candidacy for mayor of Louisville in the 2022 election, seeking to succeed Greg Fischer, who could not run for reelection due to term limits.[17] He ran on a platform of public safety, affordable housing, universal pre-K, cracking down on illegal guns, supporting abortion rights, and cleaning up the city.[18]

Attempted assassination

On February 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, a 21-year-old social justice activist and prominent voice in the Black Lives Matter community who was running as an independent for the Louisville Metro Council, walked into Greenberg's campaign headquarters office near downtown Louisville and allegedly fired several shots from a 9 mm Glock semi-automatic pistol at Greenberg from the doorway.[11][19][20] A bullet passed through Greenberg's shirt and sweater but did not injure him.[21][22][23][24][10] Brown then fled, as a member of the office staff was able to slam its door closed and the rest of staff barricaded the door with tables and desks.[19][21][25] Brown was soon arrested less than half a mile away, carrying a 9 mm handgun and loaded 9 mm magazines, and was charged with several crimes, including attempted murder.[26][27][28][29][30][31] Louisville Metro Council President David James called the incident an "attempted assassination".[32] Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell characterized the shooting as "what appears to be an assassination attempt against a Jewish mayoral candidate".[22]

The next day, Black Lives Matter Louisville, a chapter of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, and the Louisville Community Bail Fund jointly posted bail of $100,000 for Brown.[30][33] Greenberg said he was "traumatized" by Brown's release, adding, "it is nearly impossible to believe that someone can attempt murder on Monday and walk out of jail on Wednesday."[22] Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker and incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell expressed disapproval of Brown's release. McConnell called it "jaw-dropping" and Booker agreed that Brown should have remained incarcerated.[34][31]

Brown was later rearrested on new federal charges, held as a federal prisoner at the Grayson County Detention Center in Leitchfield, Kentucky, and ordered to remain in custody ahead of trial.[24][19] In March 2022, a grand jury indicted him on state charges of one count of attempted murder and four counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.[19] In March 2023, lawyers for Brown announced they would pursue the insanity defense.[35] Brown pleaded guilty to all federal charges in July 2024, and was sentenced to seventeen and a half years in prison in January 2025.[36][37] In July 2025, Brown pleaded guilty in state court to attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment, which resulted in an additional 10 years in prison.[38]

2022 election

Greenberg won the Democratic primary election in a field of eight candidates in May, finishing 20 percentage points ahead of the second-place finisher.[18][39] In the November 8 general election, he defeated the Republican nominee, Bill Dieruf, by five percentage points, becoming mayor of Louisville.[18][40][41]

Reelection campaign

Greenberg announced his candidacy for reelection at an October 2025 rally, at which he emphasized public safety, economic development, education, and affordable housing as priorities.[42] He was endorsed by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and other state and local Democrats.[43] The 2026 Louisville mayoral election will be nonpartisan following a 2024 change in state law, meaning no political party designations will appear on the ballot.[44][45]

Greenberg finished first in the May 2026 primary election with more than 52% of the vote, according to unofficial election-night results. He faces runner-up Shameka Parrish-Wright, a progressive member of the Louisville Metro Council, in the November general election.[46][47]

Personal life

Greenberg met his wife, Rachel, in Boston. She works as a public school teacher and they have two children. Greenberg is Jewish.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Craig Greenberg - MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs". moxietalk.com. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d "Building for the future: Attorney Craig Greenberg hopes to make Louisville better through involvement with 21c, Museum Plaza," Archived May 8, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Bizjournals.
  3. ^ "Craig Greenberg sworn in as Louisville's 51st mayor" Archived January 18, 2023, at the Wayback Machine WHAS11
  4. ^ "Local Officials". kipda.org. Kentuckiana Regional Planning & Development Agency. Retrieved November 8, 2025.
  5. ^ Jones, Michael L. (October 14, 2022). "Why Craig Greenberg wants city government to be responsive to the business community". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "March 22, 1993 (vol. 103, iss. 100) -". Michigan Daily Digital Archives. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "Craig Greenberg," Archived December 8, 2022, at the Wayback Machine Moxie Talk (interview).
  8. ^ a b c d "Craig Greenberg: Focused on 'new direction' if voted Louisville mayor". Courier Journal. October 17, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Finley, Marty (January 3, 2018). "IN PERSON: For Craig Greenberg, growth of 21c has been a funky and enriching ride". Louisville Business First. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Special Subscription Offers". cm.courier-journal.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Bailey, Jason M. (February 15, 2022). "Louisville Mayoral Candidate Says Gunman Shot at Him in Campaign Office". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  12. ^ "21c Museum Hotels founder Steve Wilson stepping down as CEO". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  13. ^ Fox, Jena Tesse (June 30, 2020). "21c Museum Hotels names new brand leader". Hotel Management. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  14. ^ "Ohio Valley Wrestling bought by Craig Greenberg and KSR's Matt Jones". Courier Journal. January 5, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  15. ^ "111 Whiskey Row to offer food, shops, living". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  16. ^ "Former 21c CEO, Whiskey Row developer joins Louisville mayoral race". WLKY. April 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  17. ^ "Craig Greenberg, former 21c hotels CEO, running for Louisville mayor". Courier Journal. April 14, 2021. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c "Craig Greenberg". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  19. ^ a b c d "UPDATE: Records unsealed in mayoral candidate shooting attempt". WTVQ. April 29, 2022. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  20. ^ Cleary, Tom (February 14, 2022). "Quintez Brown: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Grady, Danielle (February 15, 2022). "$100k Bond Set For Prominent Louisville Activist Charged In Attempted Craig Greenberg Shooting". LEO Weekly. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  22. ^ a b c "Louisville mayoral candidate outraged by campaign office shooting suspect's release". NBC News. February 18, 2022. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  23. ^ Grady, Danielle (November 9, 2022). "Democrat Craig Greenberg Louisville's Next Mayor". LEO Weekly. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Wallace, Danielle (November 10, 2022). "Louisville Democrat who survived BLM activist's alleged assassination attempt wins mayor election". Fox News. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "Bond raised for man accused of shooting at Louisville mayoral candidate, mental evaluation planned". WLKY. February 15, 2022. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  26. ^ Rogers, Zachary (February 17, 2022). "Local BLM chapter posts bail for man charged with attempted murder of mayoral candidate". WSET-TV. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  27. ^ "Louisville mayoral candidates at In Focus – Kentucky News". LocalToday. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  28. ^ "Louisville mayor candidate Craig Greenberg shot at, shirt grazed". Courier Journal. February 14, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  29. ^ "Louisville mayor candidate shot at: Quintez Brown accused of shooting". Courier Journal. February 14, 2022. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Lovan, Dylan; Hudspeth Blackburn, Piper (February 16, 2022). "Bond posted for Kentucky man accused of firing at candidate". apnews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  31. ^ a b Choi, Joseph (February 17, 2022). "McConnell: Black Lives Matter bailing out shooting suspect in Kentucky 'jaw-dropping'". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  32. ^ Balevic, Katie. "A Louisville activist was charged in the 'attempted assassination' of a candidate for mayor". Insider. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  33. ^ Rogers, Zachary (February 17, 2022). "Local BLM chapter posts bail for man charged with attempted murder of mayoral candidate". ABC4 News. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  34. ^ Hudspeth Blackburn, Piper; Lovan, Dylan (February 17, 2022). "Louisville mayoral candidate outraged by suspect's release". apnews.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  35. ^ Wolfson, Andrew (March 2, 2023). "Louisville man charged with shooting at now-Mayor Craig Greenberg to mount insanity defense". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  36. ^ Schneider, Bruce (July 19, 2024). "Man pleads guilty to federal charges in attack on Louisville mayoral candidate". APnews.com. AssociatedPress. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  37. ^ Brightwell, Derek (January 24, 2025). "Man who attempted to shoot Louisville mayoral candidate sentenced on federal charges". wave3.com. Wave3. Retrieved September 22, 2025.
  38. ^ Keck, Matthew (July 10, 2025). "Quintez Brown pleads guilty to state charges for shooting at Greenberg during mayoral campaign". WLKY. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  39. ^ Kobin, Billy (May 17, 2022). "Craig Greenberg, Bill Dieruf win 2022 Louisville mayoral primaries". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  40. ^ Kobin, Billy (November 8, 2022). "Louisville mayor 2022 election: Craig Greenberg beats Bill Dieruf". Courier Journal. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  41. ^ Roldan, Roberto (November 3, 2022). "Democrat Craig Greenberg wins Louisville mayor's race". Louisville Public Media. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  42. ^ Baarlaer, Killian. "Craig Greenberg kicks off campaign for second term as Louisville mayor". Courier Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  43. ^ Baarlaer, Killian. "Andy Beshear endorses Craig Greenberg for second term as Louisville mayor". Courier Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  44. ^ McCrary, Eleanor. "Louisville elections are becoming nonpartisan. Here's how they'll work". Courier Journal. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  45. ^ "24RS HB 388". apps.legislature.ky.gov. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
  46. ^ Baarlaer, Killian; Giffin, Connor (May 21, 2026). "Which areas supported Greenberg, Parrish-Wright in primary election". Courier Journal.
  47. ^ Roldan, Roberto; Rhoden, Giselle (May 20, 2026). "Mayor, Metro Council incumbents win big in Louisville primary". Louisville Public Media. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
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