Six Indy City-County Council primary races to watch

Retirements, along with newly-redrawn districts, are leading to some lively election battles in the May 2 primary for seats on the Indianapolis City-County Council.

Three Democratic incumbents—Keith Potts, William “Duke” Oliver, and Jason Larrison—aren’t seeking reelection, and it is Oliver’s departure that’s leading to one of the more hotly contested Democratic races in a district that includes the Indiana State Fairgrounds area along Fall Creek. (Ethan Evans, a former Democrat turned independent, also isn’t seeking another term, but the primary races for his seat aren’t contested).

Even a few Democratic and Republican incumbents appear to be facing strong primary challenges, including Monroe Gray, David Ray, Kristin Jones and Paul Annee.

Whichever candidates win their party’s endorsement in the May 2 primary, Republicans probably have little hope of breaking the council’s Democratic supermajority in the fall election. However, some political pundits say redistricting could allow Republicans to pick up a seat or two on the 25-member council, which now has 19 Democrats.

But before they get that chance, the parties have to elect their nominees. Here are six hot races to watch in the May 2 primary.

STRONGLY CONTESTED OPEN SEATS

District 6: Democratic battle created by redistricting

Three Democrats are running to represent the newly-drawn Council District 6, which encompasses parts of Pike and Washington townships.

They are the Rev. Carlos Perkins, precinct committeewoman Rosemary Turentine and attorney Maurice Scott.

Perkins, senior pastor of Bethel Cathedral African Methodist Episcopal Church, was an educator for 24 years, including 14 years as a principal in Pike Township.

Through organizations such as Faith in Indiana and the Black Church Coalition, Perkins advocated for mental health initiatives like the clinician-led response team the city is creating through the Office of Public Health and Safety.

Perkins is also on the board of directors for Earth Charter Indiana, a not-for-profit climate advocacy organization.

He told IBJ his campaign’s focus is on safety and the creation of affordable housing. 

Rosemary Turentine, who is also active in the Black Church Coaltion, is a licensed minister, the owner of a cleaning business, an author and an artist. Turentine retired from a position as an executive assistant to the assistant superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools in 2012.

She’s involved in Marion County and state politics. Last year she made an unsuccessful bid for Marion County Democratic Party chair, a position now held by county auditor Myla Eldridge. Turentine was also selected as a precinct committee person for the Democratic party last year.

She said her priorities will be advocating for road funding for the district and creating programs that assist homeless youth and grandparents who have become primary caretakers for their grandchildren.

Scott is an attorney with Stevenson Legal Group LLC. He formerly served as assistant corporation counsel for the City of Indianapolis. He’s also been active within the party and volunteered in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s first two campaigns.

Scott said he wants to diversify and improve the condition of housing for individuals on Section 8 vouchers. To do this, he said the city government could work with local community development corporations and small developers to build “scalable” homes.

Scott would also aim to improve the conditions of parks in the district. He said Northwestway Park has outdated equipment and floods for days at a time.

In an effort to address root causes of crime, Scott said the city needs to audit programs that receive crime prevention grants to ensure that money is being used to promote education and growth opportunities for Indy’s youth.

No Republican has filed to run in District 6.

District 8: Up for grabs after incumbent Democrat Duke Oliver’s withdrawal

District 8 includes the State Fairgrounds and much of Fall Creek. The area is currently represented by Democratic Councilor William “Duke” Oliver, but Oliver’s decision to withdraw from the race left it wide open for the two community leaders vying for the position now.

Danita Hoskin and Ron Gibson are the only remaining candidates in a once-crowded field after three candidates withdrew or had their candidacy stricken by the Marion County Election Board. 

The heavily Democratic north-side district does not currently have a Republican candidate on the ballot.

Gibson, an at-large councilor from 2000 to 2007, works as a network relations manager for Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. He’s also the leader of the Devington Communities Association.

In July 2006, the then-councilor was accused of public intoxication and battery against a police officer, but a special prosecutor later found no evidence of the alleged altercation. Charges were dropped in Oct. 2007. But Gibson lost his reelection bid.

Gibson said would like to bring his neighborhood focus back to the council.

“I know the needs and concerns, and I just really want to be a voice for just getting things done,” Gibson said. He said his biggest focus is on infrastructure.

Hoskin leads the Crown Hill Neighborhood Association and works for not-for-profit organization Midtown Indy as a community builder. The charity aims to positively impact the quality of life and economic vitality of neighborhoods between White River and Fall Creek. 

These roles translate well to a spot on the council, Hoskin said, as she’s accustomed to meeting with residents about their concerns and maintained a positive working relationship with Councilor Oliver. 

Her biggest priorities are  affordable housing, public safety, education and access to healthy and nutritious food.

“We should have the ability to go to the neighborhood grocery and obtain fresh produce and vegetables, and not have to worry about eating processed foods that are oftentimes laden with salts, or excess sugars that add to the health disparities that many already face,” Hoskin said.

No Republican has filed to run in District 8.

INCUMBENTS FACING LIVELY PRIMARY CHALLENGES

District 22: GOP councilor with deep roots has two challengers

Two political newcomers are challenging first-term Republican City-County Councilor Paul Annee, grandson of former Indianapolis police chief Paul A. Annee.

He faces Jim Sullivan, who works in real estate and has connections to the Chin and Burmese communities, and Kellie Calaway, who recently retired from the medical field to take care of her family.

Sullivan is a property manager for Sexton Companies and is a member of the Perry Township Board. Sullivan said he’s lived in the area for nearly 3o years and is concerned about  what he sees as an increase in crime in Perry Township.

“I’m running because I think I can make a difference,” Sullivan said. “I do think that we need a more vocal representative of the area.”

Sullivan also teaches civics and citizenship classes at the Chin Center, which has led to support for his campaign from the Chin and Burmese communities. Sullivan said he hears concerns from these southside immigrants about a rise in the frequency of gangs and a desire for more connection to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the city government. He hopes to someday get a Chin candidate to run for office, Sullivan said.

Calaway has lived on the same property in Perry Township for 57 years. Though she has no prior political experience, she had been considering a run for political office for several years before filing to run for council. She was partially motivated by issues with potholes on the southside, and fixing the issue is one of her main priorities.

“The crappy roads that we have in this city that will literally tear your car, that is one of them,” Calaway told IBJ.

She said she’s also concerned with rising crime and trash that piles up along the roads.

She’s currently piloting two initiatives to clean up the litter. One would engage local churches, and another would work with Perry Meridian High School to give students in need of community service hours an opportunity to clean up the community.

Calaway attended the “Stop the Steal” rally at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but was not among the protestors that forcefully entered the building. When asked if she still has concerns about the validity of President Joe Biden’s win in November 2020, Calaway said she does, and that Democrats are concerned about election security, too.

Annee was elected in 2019. He said he’s proud to serve on the council as  the city provided $2.5 million in improvements to Perry Park and the opening of a library on the west side of Perry Township.

“When I got on the council… I was really amazed to find out that Perry Township was one of the most, if not the most, underserved township when it came to parks and green spaces,” Annee said. If reelected, Annee said he would remain focused on finding extra dollars for southside greenspaces.

Annee also highlighted bipartisan solutions to infrastructure issues, like Circle City Forward’s most recent phase focused on residential streets, and investments in law enforcement and public safety during his tenure.

“Those resources and benefits have been seen on the south side because we’re working to get more officers on the southeast and southwest districts,” he said.

Annee said his grandfather, who served as chief of the then-Indianapolis Police Department from 1986 to 1991, is his inspiration for a career in public service. Stories from the former police chief about the revitalization of downtown Indianapolis motivated him to run for office to recapture the spirit of the southside, he said.

No Democrat has filed to run in District 22.

District 2: Longtime Democratic councilor challenged by up-and-coming leader

Brienne Delaney, whose career includes eight years as Marion County’s Director of Elections and four years as a deputy prosecutor, is seeking to oust incumbent Councilor Monroe Gray. 

Delaney is an alum of Hoosier Women Forward, a political and leadership training program for Democratic women in Indiana. Candidates like Sen. Andrea Hunley and former Secretary of State hopeful Destiny Wells went through the program.

As a former deputy prosecutor, Delaney said one of her main focuses on the council would be on mental health issues as they relate to crime. She said the city is making good progress through the creation of the Assessment and Intervention Center at the Community Justice Campus and programs like the Mobile Crisis Assistance Team within the police department. But this work needs to continue to be funded and monitored, she added.

“What I would advocate for is studying these programs and making sure that we’re allocating money efficiently,” Delaney said.

If elected, Delaney said she would bring a fresh voice to the council and increase the percentage of women on the governing body, which is currently less than 25% female.

“That is a huge motivation for me as well, to bring that perspective, in addition to the criminal justice perspective,” Delaney told IBJ.

Gray has been on the council for 30 years. He is currently the chair of the Municipal Corporations Committee, which regulates organizations like IndyGo and the Indianapolis Public Library.

Some of his accomplishments include assisting in the creation of the crime prevention grant program and his advocacy for diversity within the Indianapolis Fire Department. He was the first president of the Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association, and in 2019 the department renamed a station in his honor.

Gray believes his age and experience on the council is an advantage.

“I always say that young people are for war and old people for wisdom,” Gray said. “I have the wisdom and I just have scars to show that I was in the war.”

Matt Hills and Mark Small are seeking the Republican nomination in District 2.

District 14: Newcomer challenges Democratic incumbent in reconfigured Irvington district

Redistricting would have pit incumbent Democratic Councilors David Ray and Jason Larrison against each other in this Irvington district, but Larrison decided against running for reelection. 

Ray is now running against Andy Nielsen, a policy analyst with Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute.

Nielsen said his main priority is to highlight and fix street safety issues in the district, which includes the intersection of East Washington Street and North Ritter Avenue, where 7-year-old Hannah Crutchfield was hit and killed in September 2021 while crossing the street.

“Making our physical infrastructure work better for human beings is a top priority of mine. And that means dedicating funding to school zones to make them safer, designing our roads to accommodate multimodal forms of transportation, including expanding transit,” Nielsen told IBJ.

He also plans to push for a more aggressive housing-first approach for homeless Indianapolis residents, following the model of cities such as Milwaukee.

Nielsen said that, too frequently, big issues are not taken on by the council. At a minimum, he said, conversations need to be had on the council rather than just referred to the mayor.

“It’s not just the role of the executive branch of government to solve all the problems in our city,” he said. “There are 25 city councilors who are elected by their constituents to bring ideas, and to show leadership, and thought leadership on these issues, or at least bring them forward and have an honest conversation and dialogue about it.”

If elected, Nielsen said he would make being a councilor his full-time job. The City-County Council is a part-time job for most councilors, especially because the current base salary is $11,400. Under a recently-passed ordinance, that base salary will increase to $31,075 at the beginning of 2024.

Ray is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 481 and works in an administrative role for the organization.

Since his election in 2016, the council has increased funding for the Pennsy Trail and begun a test lawsuit challenging out-of-state landlords of nuisance properties, which Ray said exist on the east side frequently as short-term hotels.

Ray emphasized that his council seat is his highest political aspiration. If elected for another term, he said he will focus on promoting economic development brought on by the IndyGo Blue Line, infrastructure improvements and crime prevention efforts.

The winner will face Republican Brenda Bishop-Kyle in the fall.

District 18: Established Democratic leader challenged by former city exec

Incumbent Councilor Kristin Jones and new candidate Matt Impink are running to represent District 18, which encompasses the southern portion of downtown.

Until February, Impink served as the first executive director of Indy Achieves, a program supporting education out of Employ Indy, the city’s workforce development cabinet. Before that, he worked for three years as the director of policy and civic engagement for the Indy Chamber.

Impink and his family live in Fletcher Place. He said he decided to run to shed light on pedestrian and cyclist safety issues and a lack of affordable housing, problems he said aren’t given enough attention by the city.

Jones, the incumbent, said she’s been successful at moving along stalled projects. She noted that her district is the future site of the Elanco Animal Health Headquarters.

“That is a project I advocated for and I fought for,” Jones said.

Jones ran to represent Indiana Senate District 46 last year, but was beaten in the primary by now-Sen. Andrea Hunley.

Her priority, if elected to another council term, is to improve infrastructure. One way she plans to do that is by finding a funding mechanism for her district’s alleys.

“A lot of my residents don’t have driveways, we have detached garages and we’re using our alleys for streets,” Jones said.

No Republican has filed to run in District 18.