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Harvey I. Sloane | |
|---|---|
| 52nd & 54thMayor of Louisville | |
| In office January 4, 1982 – January 6, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | William B. Stansbury |
| Succeeded by | Jerry E. Abramson |
| In office December 1, 1973 – December 1, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Frank W. Burke |
| Succeeded by | William B. Stansbury |
| 3rd Judge/Executive of Jefferson County | |
| In office January 6, 1986 – January 1, 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Bremer Ehrler |
| Succeeded by | David L. Armstrong |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1936-05-11)May 11, 1936 (age 89) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | Melville E. Ingalls(great-grandfather) |
| Alma mater | Yale University Case Western Reserve University |
| Occupation |
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Harvey I. Sloane (born May 11, 1936), a physician and Democrat, served two terms asmayor of Louisville, Kentucky, and also a term as county judge-executive ofJefferson County, Kentucky. He narrowly lost two Democratic primaries forgovernor of Kentucky and lost a race for theUnited States Senate to incumbentMitch McConnell.
Sloane grew up in an affluent family and graduated fromYale University and from the medical school atCase Western Reserve University. He worked as a surgeon in federal programs for the poor, including in easternKentucky and later inSouth Vietnam during theVietnam War. Returning to the United States in 1966, Sloane opened a community health center in Louisville's mostly black West End. He also developed Louisville's first emergency ambulance squads and was active in leading local efforts againstair pollution.
In 1973 Sloane ran for mayor of Louisville. He faced Carroll Witten in the Democraticprimary; Witten was president of theBoard of Aldermen and favored to win, but Sloane upset him, winning in all twelve of Louisville's aldermanic wards. Sloane defeated Republican formerpolice chief C. J. Hyde by a greater than two to one margin in the general election.
Sloane's first term as mayor was from December 1, 1973, to December 1, 1977. Due to state law at the time, Sloane could not run for re-election as mayor. During his first term, Louisville was hit by atornado during theSuper Outbreak on April 3, 1974, and faced astrike by sanitation workers that same year. A federal court ordered busing to desegregate Louisville's schools. Sloane established Louisville's mass transit system, theTransit Authority of River City (TARC), which is still in existence today. Sloane also began Louisville's Emergency Medical Service. Sloane also helped establish the Louisville Galleria project.
In 1981 Sloane ran for a second term as mayor and won, defeating Republican nomineeLouie R. Guenthner Jr., a member of theKentucky House of Representatives, by almost a two to one margin. A change in the law resulted in Sloane's second term beginning January 1, 1982 and ending January 1, 1986.
In 1979 Sloane ran forgovernor of Kentucky but was narrowly defeated in a crowded Democratic primary byJohn Y. Brown Jr. who went on to win the office. Sloane won 139,713 votes statewide to finish second; Brown won with 165,188. Terry McBrayer finished third with 131,530 votes, CongressmanCarroll Hubbard finished fourth with 68,577 votes,Lieutenant GovernorThelma Stovall was fifth with 47,633 and four minor candidates split another 14,175 votes.[1]
In 1983 Sloane ran forgovernor of Kentucky a second time, losing by a small margin in the Democratic primary toLieutenant GovernorMartha Layne Collins. Sloane again finished second, winning 219,160 votes to Collins' 223,692; Grady Stumbo finished third with 199,795 and three minor candidates split 15,807 votes.[2]
As Sloane's second term as mayor came to an end, he ran for the office of Jefferson County Judge-Executive and won, serving in that capacity from January 4, 1986, to January 1, 1990. He won the office by defeating Republican nominee George Clark by a two to one margin.
In 1990 Sloane was the Democratic nominee for theUnited States Senate against incumbentMitch McConnell. GovernorWallace G. Wilkinson, angry that Sloane had not supported him in the 1987 gubernatorial primary, had John Brock, the state superintendent of public instruction, run against Sloane in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat, exhausting some of Sloane's resources. Wilkinson refused to assist Sloane in the general election and the state Democratic party leadership, following the governor's lead, did little to assist Sloane. Despite these obstacles Sloane held McConnell to 52% of the vote but McConnell was reelected.
The 1990 campaign would be Sloane's last inKentucky. In 1991, with his term as judge-executive at an end, Sloane left Louisville to work on health care projects inWashington, D.C. In 1995, Sloane became the public health commissioner for theDistrict of Columbia but was later fired by MayorMarion Barry because Sloane issued a public health advisory to boil water without having notified Barry first.
In 2023, Sloane publishedRiding The Rails, My Unexpected Adventures In Medicine, City Hall and Public Service.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky December 1, 1973–December 1, 1977 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky January 1, 1982–January 1, 1986 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Jefferson County Judge/Executive (Kentucky) January 4, 1986–January 1, 1990 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee, United States Senate (Class 2) from Kentucky 1990 | Succeeded by |
