(WHAS11) -- Three hours after balloting started, the Louisville Metro Council remains deadlocked in a vote to decide who will succeed the late George Unseld as Sixth District Metro Councilman. Yet, the arrival of an absent council member could end the suspense.
The vote has come down to Downtown Management District operations manager Ken Herndon and attorney Neeka Parks Thompson.
The Louisville NAACP has pushed the council not to change the racial makeup of the council. Unseld was African-American. Herndon is white. Thompson is black.
Herndon has garnered the votes of nine white Democrats, two white Republicans and one African-American, Judy Green.
Thompson has the support of seven white Republicans and four African-American Democrats.
Balloting resumed at 8:05pm with the council members going through a succession of five identical votes, now with only 21 members present.
The council then voted to recess for 15 minutes with the expectation that council member Jim King was expected to arrive by 8:30pm. King is now in City Hall and is expected to cast his vote for Ken Herndon. With that as the backdrop, there appears to be little motivation for any council members to change their votes.
Ballot votes are as follows:
17th ballot - 12 - 9 Herndon over Thompson
18th ballot - 12 - 9 Herndon over Thompson
19th ballot - 12 - 9 Herndon over Thompson
20th ballot - 12 - 9 Herndon over Thompson
21st ballot - 12 - 9 Herndon over Thompson
22nd ballot - 8-7 Herndon - Glen Stuckel changes vote from Herndon to Thompson
23rd ballot - 11 Thompson - 8 Herndon
24th ballot - 11 Thompson - 8 Herndon
25th ballot - 11 Thompson - 10 Herndon
26th ballot - 11 Thompson - 11 Herndon
Jim King arrived at 8:42, then voted for Ken Herndon.
27th ballot - 12 Herndon, 11 Thompson
28th ballot - 12 Herndon, 11 Thompson
29th ballot - 12 Herndon, 11 Thompson
If Glen Stuckel had not changed his vote, the King vote would have put Herndon over the top.
Republican Kevin Kramer is reportedly due to fly into Louisville from Washington, D.C. in the next hour, which would potentially make him the deciding vote.
At this point, there is no sign of anyone else breaking ranks.
Metro Council take a one hour recess at 9 p.m.
The council members voted more than 30 times and aroun 10 p.m.they voted for Deonte Hollowell; who is a professor at the University of Louisville.
