Jose Evans, the only African-American Republican on the Indianapolis City-County County dropped a bombshell Saturday announcing that he is NOT running for re-election. The news was uncovered during the Marion County Republican Party’s Slating (Endorsement) Convention January 31st. Afternoons with Amos’ Amos Brown who was present reporting on the convention discovered that Evans wasn’t among the candidates Republicans were slating (endorsing) in the 2015 Council elections. Brown immediately flashed the news on Twitter:
Minutes after Amos’ tweet, Councilman Evans confirmed the news, also on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/joseevans/status/561549313684566016
Jose Evans was first elected to the Council in 2007 as a Democratic from District 1 in Pike Township and was the first Democrat to win that formerly Republican district on the northwest side of the city/county. Evans attempted to run for Mayor in 2011 in the Democratic Primary against Melina Kennedy, Ron Gibson and Sam Carson, but dropped out of that race to run for re-election to the Council. Then 17 months after winning re-election as a Democrat, Jose Evans stunned his district and the city by switching parties – from Democrat to Republican – the first City-County Council member to ever switch parties. Evans’ withdrawal didn’t leave the GOP time to find and endorse a replacement candidate. So, right now the party doesn’t have a candidate to endorse in the race. Besides Evans, three other Republican City-County Councillors aren’t seeking re-election: Will Gooden (old District 3), Virginia (Ginny) Cain (old District 5) and Jefferson Shreve (old District 23).
Republican Mayor Candidate Chuck Brewer
Chuck Brewer with Mayor Ballard at GOP Slating Convention
Meanwhile at the GOP Slating Convention, the party officially slated Charles (Chuck) Brewer as their candidate for Mayor. Brewer is described by Republican officials as a local entrepreneur owning two downtown eateries, a 23 year Marine who served two combat tours in Iraq, an individual with Masters Degrees from Harvard and Northwestern and who spent ten years working for a Fortune 500 company. However, the 41 year old Brewer has lived in Indianapolis only since mid-2011 and is virtually unknown, even to many Republicans and party activists. Brewer had been invited to appear this week on AM1310 The Light’s Afternoons with Amos, but begged off citing scheduling conflicts. No new date has been set for Brewer to make his first appearance on Indianapolis Black media to introduce himself to the African-American community and talk about the issues in the campaign. Meanwhile two African-Americans well known to the community, both Republicans and the Black community are running hard against newcomer Chuck Brewer for Mayor. Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams didn’t go through the GOP’s slating process and he is running against Brewer for Mayor. So is political veteran and longtime activist Jocelyn Tandy-Adande, who is African-American and two other candidates. Making the Republican primary for Mayor into a spirited affair. Meanwhile, Republicans also slated (endorsed) candidates for 18 of the city/county’s 25 Council districts. Just one of those candidates, Susan Smith, is African-American, running in the new Council District 12 located on the middle eastside and includes Irvington, Ellenberger Park, the area around Community East Hospital. The District is 20.7% Black; 11.7% Hispanic, 67.7% non-Hispanic white.
