Meet Phillip Baker, the new Louisville Metro Council District 6 Representative

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Louisville Metro Council is getting some new faces to fill the vacant seats left behind by Keisha Dorsey and former Council President David James.

Two days and 28 applicants later, the council voted to have Kumar Rashad represent District 3 and Phillip Baker represent District 6.

However, it only took a few minutes for Phillip Baker to be voted and sworn in as District 6′s next Councilman.

“It’s still sobering, because this seat, there’s a reverence to it that I think nobody wants to mess up and there’s a reverence because all of those people are qualified,” Baker said.

By day, Baker is a Family Resource Coordinator at Coleridge Taylor Montessori Elementary School, a Line Agent for State Farm Insurance and at one time he was the Community Liaison for District 6.

“You’re getting someone who is strong about their faith, you’re getting someone who is a husband, who is a father and someone who is a part of this community,” Baker said. “I’m not a ‘Johnny come lately’. My birth certificate says Methodist Hospital Louisville, Kentucky.”

Baker said he has a laundry list of goals, including bringing down crime, making Louisville safer and investing in the community to enhance the overall environment in District 6.

“I want to be able to uplift our youth and provide programs and initiatives,” Baker said. “I also want to give health and wellness. We have people facing homelessness, addiction, opioid crisis. Life is lifing for people right now.”

Ultimately, Baker said he wants to serve as a leader in the community and be someone kids in his district can look up to.

“When you see what these kids can be, people want to feel safe, people want to have the tools they need,” Baker said. “They don’t want to have to look over their shoulder and I want kids to look at somebody like me and say if he can do it, then I can do it too.”

Because of how he took over, Baker’s term will end in November and there will have to be a special election to elect a full-term representative.

Baker said he plans to run in November to retain his seat.

Copyright 2023 WAVE. All rights reserved.