The embattled mayor of London, Kentucky has been removed from the November ballot. A judge disqualified Randall Weddle’s reelection bid over his residency.
A judge has disqualified London Mayor Randall Weddle from the upcoming general election.
Laurel Circuit Judge Michael Caperton ruled on Tuesday that Weddle isn’t a “bona fide candidate” because he failed to meet the residency requirement to be a mayoral candidate.
State law requires a mayoral candidate to have been a resident of the city for at least a year prior to an election. While Weddle owns a property in London, he actually lives in the Laurel County town of Keavy.
A hearing was held last month in which neighbors said they had never seen Weddle or any activity at the London address. Law enforcement also testified about providing security at the Keavy address, but not at London property.
"In addition to the foregoing testimony, the Court has also reviewed other evidence of record, including various filings from the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office, all of which list either Weddle or his wife as a registered agent for a given company, and all of which include the Keavy address," Caperton wrote in his order. "The Court has also reviewed filings from a legal action by American Express National Bank, which lists Weddle’s residence as the Keavy property, including statements issued as recently as March of 2026."
Caperton added the court conducted a personal inspection of both properties and the Keavy property appeared to be the primary residence in which Weddle and his family "live their day-to-day lives and spend the majority of their time."
Weddle testified during the May hearing that tensions in the city kept his family from staying at the London address full-time. The court found his reasoning legally insufficient.
As a result of the ruling, Matt Orr will be the only mayoral candidate on the November ballot, according to a notice issued by Laurel County Clerk Tony Brown.
Mayor Weddle released a statement on social media saying he disagrees with the decision, but accepted it.
"Serving as your mayor has been one of the greatest honors of my life. My focus now is exactly where it has always been: serving this city," Weddle wrote. "I intend to finish my term strong, continue working every day on behalf of our community, and keep doing the job the people elected me to do."
Weddle’s term in office has been mired in controversy. The London City Council removed him from office, but he was reinstated by court order.
In April, he pleaded not guilty to making illegal campaign contributions in support of Gov. Andy Beshear’s 2023 reelection.
