In The News

Lexington Business Leader Raquel E. Carter Announces Intent to Run for Mayor in 2026

Meet Raquel E. Carter: Business Leader. Community Advocate. Lexington Proud.

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Raquel E. Carter has spent her life in Lexington — raising a family, building a business, and creating pathways to opportunity for others. As CEO and principal broker of Guide Realty, Inc., Raquel has led one of Kentucky’s most respected real estate firms, helping hundreds of families become first-time homeowners and mentoring dozens of real estate professionals along the way.

 

But her journey hasn’t been easy — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Raquel didn’t choose real estate. Her late mother, Phyllis Williams Alexander, saw its potential and pushed her daughter to take a leap. Together, they launched Guide Realty in 2008 with a simple but powerful mission: to transform communities through homeownership and wealth-building.

 

Over time, Raquel became not just a business owner, but a community builder. She opened The Compass Center to promote professional development and engagement. She was appointed to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission by Governor Andy Beshear. In 2024, she was named the SBA’s Kentucky Women Small Business of the Year.

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In the midst of this success, Raquel received a life-altering breast cancer diagnosis. Rather than retreat, she responded with focus, faith, and determination — continuing to lead her company and her family while undergoing treatment. That experience, along with the loss of her mother, brought urgency to her purpose.

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“It gave me a true sense of responsibility," she said. “God doesn’t bless you with gifts just to better yourself. You are required to do something more.”

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Now, Raquel is answering that call by stepping further into public service. She is running for Mayor of Lexington because she believes leadership means creating solutions, lifting others up, and building a future where everyone has a chance to thrive — no matter their background or zip code.

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She lives in Lexington with her husband and their two children.

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Raquel E. Carter is ready to lead Lexington forward — with heart, vision, and action.