Via press release
Louisville, KY — Robert LeVertis Bell, a teacher, community organizer, and veteran of Louisville’s progressive movement, has announced his campaign to represent Kentucky House District 43 in the 2026 Democratic primary. Bell, a 45-year-old West Louisville native, is a seventh grade English teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools.
In 2022, Bell, a longtime leader in the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), ran for the same seat and lost narrowly to incumbent Pam Stevenson, despite the death of his mother at the end of the campaign and the full weight of the Democratic establishment backing his opponent. This time, the seat is open, as Stevenson is vacating it to run for US Senate.
“I ran in 2022 under very difficult circumstances and still came within just a few hundred votes of victory,” Bell said. “Now, our movement is stronger than ever—and we’re ready to win.”
Bell is entering the race at a moment of rising momentum for democratic socialist candidates across the country. His campaign draws inspiration from New York Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s recent upset victory in the New York City mayoral primary, where Mamdani, backed by DSA and a coalition of labor and progressive organizations, defeated a prominent establishment figure on a platform of housing justice and public investment.
“Zohran’s win shows what’s possible when working-class people organize to take power back from developers and the political class, “ Bell said. “Here in Louisville, especially after JP Lyninger’s Metro Council win last year, we’re building something just as real: a grassroots campaign that speaks to the everyday concerns of renters, workers, and families in District 43—and that isn’t for sale to the highest bidder.”
Bell’s experience includes serving three years as the vice-president of the Shelby Park Neighborhood Association. As a leader in the rapidly growing neighborhood, he advocated to preserve and expand affordable housing and protect current homeowners and tenants from rapidly-rising rents and predatory developers. He has remained an active and visible organizer in the area.
“You can’t really represent your community if you aren’t putting in the time and effort, showing up consistently over time when people need you. “ Bell said. “Leadership requires presence, being someonepeople can see fighting for them and being reliable. I have years of experience being there for my community, and I will continue being there for them in Frankfort.”
Bell has been a fixture in DSA’s local electoral, labor and political education organizing. He was instrumental in the election of DSA member and District 6 Louisville Metro Councilmember JP Lyninger, and has remained a fixture in Louisville’s grassroots political scene. Bell’s political roots also run deep—he is the grandson of Louisville civil rights legend Mattie Jones. He currently teaches English at Frederick Law Olmsted Academy North, an all-boys public school in South Louisville where Bell had also served as a JCTA union representative.
“I grew up in this community. I’ve been a public school teacher, a union rep, a neighborhood leader, and an organizer, “ said Bell. “I talk to people every day and I know what they want: they want housing they can afford, schools that work with real, well-paid teachers, jobs that pay, and air that doesn’t make their kids sick. Our campaign isn’t photo ops or advancing a political career—it’s about showing up, doing the work, and fighting for the people who make this city and state run.”
Bell’s platform centers around four key planks: strong schools, safe and affordable housing, and real political power for working people. His proposals include:
Raising the minimum wage and cracking down on wage theft
Funding high-paying jobs in public schools for professional educators to teach children with best practices rather than relying on screens and AI.
Expanding union rights and collective bargaining across the public and private sectors
Fully funding public schools and universal Pre-K
Expanding renter protections, including local control over tenant laws and a pathway to rent control
Repealing Kentucky’s anti-trans legislation (SB 150) and restoring abortion rights
A Kentucky Green New Deal that resists data center pollution, reins in LG&E, and pushes for public ownership of utilities
Securing local revenue authority for Louisville and reversing state interference
“As a proud union member, I know that workers in Kentucky have the power to build a Commonwealth that truly empowers all of us. “ Bell said. “For centuries, powerful business interests have built their wealth on the blood and sweat of Kentucky’s workers. Legislators in Frankfort too often side with big business and Donald Trump over the needs of ordinary workers. It’s time that we fight back. We need to build a movement for real change: real wages, real benefits, real teachers in our schools, and real power for Kentucky’s workers. We’re in for the fight of a generation to earn the Kentucky we deserve and it starts here in District 43.”
Bell will host a campaign launch party on Saturday, July 26th at 2 p.m. at Portal at 1512 Portland Ave. More information on Bell and his platform can be found at www.bell4ky.com.
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