general election to succeed Abramson. The Beshear-Abramson ticket won in a landslide against Senate President David Williams and his running mate Richie Farmer. Abramson took office as the 55th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky on December 13, 2011. His political future had been a subject of considerable speculation, but in an August 2013 speech before the Elizabethtown Rotary Club, he announced that he would not run for governor in 2015, saying,I would like to in the next chapter of my life focus on one thing I really believe will make a significant difference in the development of Kentucky. And that focus is on education. Resignation as Lt. Governor and Presidential Appointment On November 6, 2014, Abramson announced that he had been appointed by President Barack Obama to the position of Deputy Assistant to the President and White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Abramson also informed Gov. Beshear of his intention to resign as Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky effective November 13, 2014, at 5:00 PM. Gov. Beshear also announced on November 6 his appointment of former State Auditor Crit Luallen to serve out the remainder of Abramson's term. Return to Bellarmine University In early 2017, upon Obama's exit from the White House, Abramson rejoined the faculty of Bellarmine University as its Executive-in-Residence. Move to Spalding University in 2018 In late 2018, Abramson left Bellarmine to join Spalding University in Louisville as its Executive-in-Residence. At Spalding, the university named a lecture series after Abramson in early 2019. "The Abramson Leadership Exchange" was a partnership with Ignite Louisville and Young Professionals Association of Louisville, with the former Mayor chairing the events, the Abramson Leadership Exchange brought the university's Ed.D. students, alumni, and community leaders together for panel discussions on cutting-edge topics related to public affairs, government, media, and business. See also Government of Louisville, Kentucky Louisville Metro Council Louisville mayoral election, 2010 References External links Beshear/Abramson 2011 Mayor's webpage on Louisville Metro Government website Profile in The Economist The U.S. Conference of Mayors website |- |- |- 1946 births 21st-century American Jews American gun control activists Bellarmine University faculty Georgetown University Law Center alumni Indiana University Bloomington alumni Jewish American people in Kentucky politics Jewish mayors of places in the United States Kentucky Democrats Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky Living people Mayors of Louisville, Kentucky Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors Seneca High School (Louisville, Kentucky) alumni