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rev. charles harrisonThe wide open 2015 Indianapolis Mayor’s Race just got more interesting as Rev. Charles Harrison filed documents to form an Exploratory Committee.  Harrison, long time Pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church and founder and President of the Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition has formed the committee to examine a possible run for Mayor to succeed Mayor Greg Ballard who’s not running for a third term.  In his only interview with African-American media, Rev. Harrison appeared on Afternoons with Amos to talk about his decision to run for Mayor of the 11th largest American city.  Rev. Harrison said he was looking at running because there’s a lot of voices who are not being heard regarding the policies and directions of the city. Asked what he would do differently if elected Mayor than what’s currently being done, Rev. Harrison didn’t specifically address that. Only saying that he planned to spend the next couple of months listening to and talking to people in all parts of the city/county.  Rev. Harrison isn’t the first African-American to run for Mayor.  Judge Z. Mae Jimison ran against Mayor Steve Goldsmith in 1995. Four years ago, then City-County Councilman Ron Gibson and Julia Carson’s son Sam Carson ran in the Democratic primary against Melina Kennedy.  On the same day Rev. Harrison filed his exploratory committee paperwork, Democratic mayoral candidate Rep. Ed DeLaney withdrew from the race; leaving Joe Hogsett as the only declared candidate of any party for Mayor.  Asked directly if he was running as a Democrat, Republican or Independent, Harrison refused to say what option he was learning towards.  Under Indiana law, candidates with an exploratory committee can legally raise campaign funds for a possible campaign. Asked why his campaign treasurer was an individual who ran as a Republican four years ago for City-County Council, Rev. Harrison said his campaign was supported by “Democrats, Republicans, Independents”. Rev. Harrison said he’d received permission from the Bishop of the United Methodist Church to make explore a mayoral run and that if he runs for Mayor he would take a leave from the Ten Point Coalition. Asked by Amos when he’d make a final decision, Rev. Harrison said by February. Click the Media Player to Hear the Afternoons with Amos Interview with Prospective Mayor Candidate Rev. Charles Harrison. Runs 15 Minutes. ©2014 WTLC/Radio One.