“Learn about his track record as a strong conservative protecting our tax dollars and fighting for a more transparent and ethical city government,” the GOP statement reads. The official announcement will be at the Tumbleweed restaurant (1201 River Road) tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Councilman Heiner was unavailable for comment, but in previous interviews he told LEO Weekly he was seriously considering entering the race and would make a decision by mid-September. By entering the campaign to be the next mayor, Heiner will lose his seat on the council because he cannot run for two Metro offices at the same time, which plucks him from the 10-member Republican caucus, where is considered of one their more competent lawmakers.

“We will have fresh blood and have gotten that in the past. Change is sometimes good,” says Steve Haag, minority caucus director. “I think it shows guts. We don’t intend to lose him. We intend to work hard with him the future. Again, it’s an opportunity.”

“The opportunity to serve Louisville Republicans as Chairman has been the greatest professional joy and challenge of my life to this point,” Cummings said in a statement. “We have accomplished much in the time I have been in office, working hard to unite Republicans across Jefferson County and taking on a mayor who has overstayed his welcome.”

Recently, Cummings laid out a scathing case against Mayor Jerry Abramson, blasting the administration for its questionable hiring practices, the city’s economic decline and the oft-criticized forgivable loans given to The Cordish Cos., the developer of Fourth Street Live. Though Abramson denied the GOP chairman’s comments played a role in his decision to not seek another term, local Republicans certainly believe the widely covered press conference helped push out the “Mayor for Life.”

Louisville Republicans have elected J. T. “Jerry” Miller as the new GOP chairman yesterday after Cummings abrupt resignation. Miller is a CPA, former health care executive and a former commissioner of Kentucky’s State Parks.