Jonathan Joseph
From Ballotpedia
This page was last updated during the official's most recent election or appointment. Please contact us with any updates.
Tenure
2025 - Present
Term ends
2029
Years in position
0
Predecessor
Jonathan Joseph (Republican Party) is a member of the Louisville Metro Council in Kentucky, representing District 12. He assumed office on January 6, 2025. His current term ends on January 1, 2029.
Joseph (Republican Party) ran for election to the Louisville Metro Council to represent District 12 in Kentucky. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Joseph completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Jonathan Joseph was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He earned a bachelor's degree from Lindsey Wilson College in 2015 and a graduate degree from the University of the Cumberlands in 2017. His career experience includes working as a teacher.[1]
Joseph has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- Jefferson County Public Schools
- Southeast Christian Church
- Suda E. Butler Alumni Association
- Kentucky YMCA Youth Association
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Jefferson County Republican Party
Elections
2024
See also: City elections in Louisville, Kentucky (2024)
General election
General election for Louisville Metro Council District 12
Jonathan Joseph defeated incumbent Rick Blackwell in the general election for Louisville Metro Council District 12 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Jonathan Joseph (R)  | 50.3 | 6,240 |
 | Rick Blackwell (D) | 49.6 | 6,149 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 16 | ||
| Total votes: 12,405 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent Rick Blackwell advanced from the Democratic primary for Louisville Metro Council District 12.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Louisville Metro Council District 12
Jonathan Joseph defeated Ryan Thompson and Jennifer Brown in the Republican primary for Louisville Metro Council District 12 on May 21, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jonathan Joseph | 59.1 | 726 |
 | Ryan Thompson | 23.5 | 289 | |
| Jennifer Brown | 17.3 | 213 | ||
| Total votes: 1,228 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Joseph in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jonathan Joseph completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Joseph's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Jonathan "JJ" Joseph is a lifelong resident of Southwest Louisville. Jonathan graduated from Butler Traditional High School in 2011 and has since been invested in his alma mater as the Dual Credit Government, Oral Communications, and Civics Teacher since 2015. After the school day ends, Jonathan is the sponsor of the Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA), Kentucky United Nations Assembly (KUNA), Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and National Honor Society (NHS) groups. “JJ” as he is known by many within his community, graduated from Lindsey Wilson College (‘15) and was engaged in student life with numerous clubs and organizations including as the Student Government Association President, Bonner Scholar, and was a founding member and president of the Lindsey Wilson College Republicans. Jonathan earned a B.A. in History and Communication and has his Rank I in Teacher Leadership and a Masters of Art in Teaching from the University of the Cumberlands. One of Jonathan’s greatest joys is leading a young adults home group and serving with students at his home church, Southeast Christian Church (Southwest Campus) each week.
- I care deeply about the Southend and our people. This area is where I have lived my entire life. From my memories of cheering on Valley Sports Little League at Bonnie and Clyde's Pizza to attending Butler Traditional High School as a student and then coming back as a teacher four years later once I finished by Bachelor's Degree to being a member at Southeast (Southwest Campus) Christian Church. I love the Southend and I am proud of who and where I have came from. I get the Southend and have always felt like the Southend "got" me.
- I believe that some of the best teachers within our lives are those who know how to be good students. My grandpa told me many times throughout my life "Jonathan, listen to what others have to say. You already know what you are going to say, but if you listen to others - you may learn a thing or two." I have learned so much from the Southend voters and what matters to them and their households. I am thankful to have the opportunity to listen and learn from our community over the months. I always want to be a councilman who does not just hear the people, but one who listens to them. As your councilman, I commit to listening to the stakeholders and our community. I will walk step by step with our District 12 community.
- I believe that for the Southend - it is our time. I want to bring a seat to the table on the Metro Council that represents our community. Opportunities such as looking at Dixie Highway and working towards opportunities for more businesses, restaurants, shopping locations, etc. that we do not have where we then have to leave our area of town to spend money in other areas of town. Other opportunities include looking at the Community Center within the Sylvania community with a desire to restore/renovate the building for our youth within the community. Going door to door has allowed me to listen to the hearts of southend families. This election is their time and it is our time. To be the councilman of District 12 would be the honor of my life.
Civic Engagement, Education, Criminal Justice, Elections/Voting, Local Business (Small and Corporate), Transportation, etc.
Metro Council is the legislative branch of the city government. I oftentimes share with others that city government can have an impact on the life of a member of my community as much if not more than state and national government.
Without a doubt, it is my mother. My mom is the strongest woman that I know and is such a quality human being. She is as selfless as they come and is always there for me and my siblings. My mom is there to lend an ear when I need it, she is who I go to when I have great news and when I have had a rough day, and she is the one who always tells me the truth and what I need to hear (whether it hurts or not). She never misses a practice, a church service, an event for her children. I know that I have the very best mom in the world and I cannot thank her enough for the support she has given me. In this life, I hope I can be half of the person she has been to me and to so many others.
There is not one that comes to mind, but if an individual wants to understand my life's philosophy better, read the poem "The Dash". It is not the year you are born or the year you pass away that matters so much as it is the dash in between. That dash represents you and how you lived your life.
Leading by example, empathy, and honesty. I want my elected officials to be individuals that can real and genuine with their community and who community members feel they can go to about any matter and will be listened to and not just heard. Elected officials should be on the ground with their community members as much as possible. An elected official works for the people... not the other way around.
My heart, love, and passion for my community would be what I would hope others would say are my strongest qualities for this position.
To care about and invest in their community. A Metro councilman should always desire to go towards the issues the communities (and their people) has/have. An individual that is on Metro Council should be one of the most proud members of their given community and desire to make it the best version of itself.
The older that I get, the more I think about this question. As a high school teacher and volunteer within the high school community in church, I have come to learn that we often will never get to sit in the shade of the trees from the seeds that we try to plant. However, I hope that one day, some people will be able to sit under the shade of a seed or two that was planted years ago through something I was part of. The people may very well never know me or my name, but to have an impact on the lives of others and help make their lives (their dashes) as fulfilling as possible... that is what it is all about to me. If I can give my life by giving it to others and they have a higher quality of life, that is as good as it gets for me. Ultimately, we do not get to decide who tells our story. I can only hope that my legacy one day lives beyond me.
The first event that comes to my mind is/was 9/11. I was in third grade and eight years old at Beth Haven Christian School. September 11 just happens to also be my birthday and I was the "line leader" that day. I remember on our way to the bathroom, adults running by saying that the Pentagon had now been hit. Third grade Jonathan had no clue what that meant, but I kept seeing the adults in tears. Fairly quickly, students started getting signed out. My mom came in for lunch that day and my third grade friends talked about wanting to go to the military to "fight the bad guys."
I worked for the Neighborhood Youth Board at Farnsley Middle School for six months of my sophomore year. It was a program that Metro Parks sponsored for high school students that paid six months stipends and allowed us to participate in activities such as tutoring middle school students, participating in workshops, etc.
The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch. In this book (which is based on a true story), the author is giving his last lecture to his class as he is dying from terminal cancer. Throughout the book, he is talking about life's greatest lessons that he learned. So much of the book puts into perspective what matters in the moment and what really does matter within this life. I remember being in high school and one of our last projects was to create our own last lecture and reflect on the lessons of life that we had learned to that point.
Either This Is My Story by Southeast Worship, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, or Drops of Jupiter by Train
My weight and body image issues would probably be my biggest struggle. When I was very young, I had a couple really bad seizures and the medication I was required to take, I just so happened to be allergic to. That medication made me gain a lot of weight as a small child very quickly. I have always been aware that I was "bigger" than others. I hope I will always be able to say though that I never let it get in my way.
Most discussion, issues, and voting that deals with zoning properties runs through our Metro Council.
I believe that having an idea of how the government works can be highly beneficial, but certainly does not have to be a requirement. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer on many campaigns before running for Metro Council and being a Government and Civics Teacher for nine years has allowed me to get a strong feel of the pulse of the community and what issues matter to them. I have a strong ear, heart, and mind to what matters to individuals in this area of town because I have been exposed to it and keep up with my government for most of my life.
Empathy, Trust, and Determination. I want to love my fellow neighbors and be able to always step back and listen to their concerns, their ideas, and their hearts. I desire for my community members to know "JJ" and feel that they can always come to me and that I will listen... and to know if Jonathan Joseph does not know the answer, I will find someone who does. I also want to be a councilman that "goes to them". I believe it is important to be out and about within the community and be engaged and involved with our neighbors.
Where was the Declaration of Independence signed? At the bottom...
When I go door to door, I often hear about the distrust that citizens have within their government - local, state, and national. They are tired of feeling like their voices do not matter and that their government is not being genuine with them. As a Civics and Government Teacher, I can see where many families have given up on their government and have zero trust. When it comes to financial transparency, both personal and within Metro Council, it is critical to be an open book and have nothing that our citizens cannot know about.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rick Blackwell (D) |
Louisville Metro Council District 12 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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