Aaron Yarmuth

After weighing a possible Congress run when his father — U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth — announced that he would retire at the end of his term, former LEO Weekly owner Aaron Yarmuth said on social media today that he won’t be campaigning for the seat. In a written statement that was posted to Twitter, he said that unlike when his father first ran, there are “many strong, Democratic leaders capable of carrying the progressive mantle in Congress,” and that his young son also impacted the decision.

We didn’t know this was coming. Yesterday, LEO’s founder and U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth, who has represented Louisville in the House of Representatives for the last decade and a half, announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of his current term. By the end of the day, LEO’s former owner and John’s son, Aaron Yarmuth, told the Courier Journal that he was “considering” running for the seat. Before the news about Aaron Yarmuth broke, the race to fill John’s seat was already heating up.

John Yarmuth speaks to reporters at the Louisville Muhammad Ali Airport a day after announcing his retirement. | Photo by Scott Recker. When news broke yesterday that U.S. Congressman John Yarmuth, who has represented Louisville in the House of Representatives for the last decade and a half, would be retiring, and not seeking reelection at the end of his current term, it created an instant political scramble, highlighting the major political vacuum that had suddenly formed.