Mayor-Elect Joe Hogsett
WELCOME! To The AM1310 The Light Afternoons with Amos LIVE BLOG of the 2015 General Election Returns for Indianapolis/Marion County. As the returns come in we’ll be blogging the results, the trends shown and what they mean. When I feel enough votes have come in to determine a clear cut WINNER we’ll tell you that. Our goal is not to be FIRST to declare a winner but to be RIGHT! Refresh this post often to get the LATEST information.
NOV 2015 INDIANAPOLIS MARION COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS
In a smashing victory, Joe Hogsett, the former Indiana Secretary of State in the late 1980’sand early 1990’s, then United States Attorney during the Obama Administration was elected the 49th Mayor of Indianapolis/Marion County in a landslide win over former Marine and businessman Chuck Brewer. Mayor-elect Hogsett swept to victory winning 62.1% of the vote to Brewer’s 37.8%. Then in a cliffhanger, Democrats retained control of the City-County Council winning unexpected in a southwest side district as newcomer Jared Evans beat Republican incumbent Councilman Robert Lutz by a conformable 284 votes. Three other incumbents lost. Democrats Kip Tew lost to challenger Colleen Fanning in the northside District 2 and Republican Ben Hunter lost to challenger David Ray in an upset in the eastside District 19. In the faceoff between incumbents, Democrat Pam Hickman was defeated by Republican Christine Scales. In the first election since the Republican controlled Legislature eliminated Indianapolis at large Council seats in a scheme to give Republican control again of the Council, Democrats will retain control by a 13 to 12 margin. In Lawrence, Democratic Mayor Dean Jessup lost his bid for a second term to Republican Steve Collier. But in a first, Democrats took control of six of the nine seats on the Lawrence City Council for the first time. Turnout was down, around 23%, but much better than anticipated. Mayor-elect Hogsett will take office on January 1, 2016.
9:14PM – DEMOCRATS RETAIN CONTROL OF CITY-COUNTY COUNCIL
9:00pm – DOWN TO DISTRICT 22 ON THE CITY’S SOUTHSIDE TO DETERMINE COUNCIL CONTROL. With 17 of 21 precincts counted, Democrat Jared Evans has a 53 vote lead over Republican incumbent Robert Lutz. If Evans holds on, he wins the seat and Democrats retain control of the Council.
8:48PM – LAWRENCE MAYOR OUSTED, BUT DEMOCRATS WIN CONTROL OF LAWRENCE COUNCIL! Dean Jessup the one term Mayor of Lawrence lost his race, 45% to 55% to Steve Collier. BUT, democrats seem to be on verge of taking control of the Lawrence City-Council. Dems have won six of the nine council seats and could win one or two more.
8:35PM – NO BLACK REPUBLICANS ON INDY COUNCIL. For the first time in 3 years and perhaps for the next four years if no one changes parties or there’s a GOP Council vacancy, there will be NO African-American republicans members of the City-County Council. The three Black GOP Council candidates all lost tonight – Adrianne Slash, Susan Smith and Terry Dove. The Legislature’s elimination of At large Council seats directly is the reason there will be no Black Republican Councilpersons for the next four years.
8:25PM – MORE COUNCIL WINNERS!
Mike McQuillen
WINNERS! Mike McQuillen Dist 4 on northeast side re-elected.
Jeff Coats
WINNER! Jeff Coats (R) elected in District 5 on northeast side. WINNER! Janice McHenry (R) re-0elected on west and northwest side.
Leroy Robinson
WINNER! Leroy Robinson (D) re-elected in District 1.
WINNER! Monroe Gray, dean of the Council, re-elected in District 8.
Blake Johnson
WINNER! Black Johnson (D) elected in District 12 on the eastside.
Susie Cordi
WINNER! Susie Cordi (R) elected in District 18 on southside.
8:16PM – COUNCIL CONTROL IS CLOUDY. As of writing this, Democrats have won are are in leading in Districts 1,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,17,19 and 21. Republicans have won or leading in Districts 4,5,6,15,16,18,20,23,24,25. Too close to call Districts 2,3,22. It may come down to last votes.
8:05PM BREWER CONCEDES. Joe Hogsett, former United States Attorney now Indianapolis Mayor-Elect.
8:06PM – MORE COUNCIL WINNERS.
Marilyn Pfisterer
WINNER! Marilyn Pfisterer (R) District 15 re-elected on the westside.
Jason Holliday
WINNER! Jason Holliday (R) District 20 re-elected on the southwest side.
Aaron Freeman
WINNER! Aaron Freeman re-elected in District 25 on the southside.
7:59PM – MORE COUNCIL WINNERS.
Maggie Lewis
WINNER! Maggie Lewis (D) In District 10 on northwest side.
Joe Simpson
WINNER! Joe Simpson in District 7 on north and northwest sides.
William Oliver
WINNER! William Oliver in District 9 on eastside.
LaKeisha Jackson
WINNER! Lakeshia Jackson in District 14 on far eastside.
7:51pm – COUNCIL RACES ARE VERY FLUID – There are some CLOSE Council races brewing. On the southside in District 22, Democrat Jared Evans has a surprising lead against Republican Robert Lutz. In a supposed GOP district. Republican Ben Hunter is in a tight race right now against Democrat David Ray. The Colleen Fanning/Kip Tew race is very close. Right now Democrats are leading in 12 Council Races. Republicans in 10. Three are too close to call. The race for control of the Council is too, too close to call as we approach 8pm.
7:43PM – HALF OF THE VOTE IS IN. – With 51% of the vote in Joe Hogsett is pulling away with 62% of the vote to Chuck Brewers 38% of the vote. The vote margin is some 18,000 votes.
7:40pm – COUNCIL WINNERS DECLARED!
Rev. Stephen Clay, District 13
WINNER! – Rev. Stephen Clay (D) has been elected in District 13 on the eastside.
Vop Osili, District 11
WINNER: Vop Osili (D) has been elected in District 11 on the north and west of downtown.
Zach Adamson, District 17
WINNER: Zach Adamson (D) has bee re-elected in District 17 on the eastside. COUNCIL CONTROL? Dems 3 – GOP 2.
7:15pm 14.5% OF VOTE IN. HOGSETT STILL WITH COMFOTABLE LEAD. BUT SEVERAL CLOSE COUNCIL RACES. Joe Hogsett still in the lead 57% to 43%. But the Council races in District 2 – Kip Tew and Colleen Fanning and District 3 Pam Hickman and Christine Scales are VERY CLOSE. With 10% of the vote in District 2, Fanning leads Tew by 43 vots. In District 3, Hickman leads Scales by 43 votes. This’ll go to the wire.
7:07PM – RESULTS COMING IN FROM ALL OVER THE CITY/COUNTY. INCLUDING STRONG GOP AREAS. With 6% of the total vote in, Joe Hogsett has 56% of vote 3,719 to Chuck Brewer’s 44% or 2,948. Told you the margin would tighten a bunch. No trends in Council races other than the two I called for the Republicans when the polls closed.
6:51PM – RESULTS COMING EARLY FROM DEMOCRATIC AREAS The very early returns, 11 precincts so far, are coming from strong Democratic areas. Joe Hogsett’s strong margin will shink a bit as the evening goes on. Right now with less than 2% of vote in Hogsett 63%, Brewer 36%.
6:49pm – FIRST RETURNS – With 4 of 603 precincts counted, Hogsett leads Brewer 60% to 40%. No trends in any council races.
6:33pm – COUNCIL RACES TO WATCH TONIGHT – Districts 2 (Kip Tew and Colleen Fanning) and District 3 (Christine Scales and Pam Hickman) on the northside; District 6 (Janice McHenry and Frank Islas) on the westside; District 12 (Blake Johnson and Susan Smith) on the eastside; District 16 (Emily Shrock and Jeff Miller) just south of downtown; District 21 (Frank Mascari and Anthony Davidson) southside and Beech Grove.
6:01pm – POLLS CLOSED. 1ST WINNERS DECLARED! Now that the polls are closed we can declare a couple of winners in the City-County Council Races. And Start Our Count On Council Control.
Jack Sandlin
Scott Kreider
WINNER: Council District 24 – Jack SANDLIN (R) was unopposed as is re-elected! WINNER: Council District 23 – Scott KRIEDER (R) ran against Libertarian Douglas McNaughton. This district is a safe Republican one on the southside and we feel comfortable calling this race this early. COUNCIL CONTROL? – Republicans 2 – Democrats 0.
LIVE BLOGGING WILL START SOMETIME AFTER 6PM THIS EVENING! Trends to look for. How strong will Joe Hogsett’s victory margin be over Chuck Brewer? If Hogsett wins, will his margin be strong enough to help Democrats win a majority of 13 Council seats? Republicans currently hold 13 Council seats. Can they hold all their current district seats? If they do, they maintain the majority. If they pick off a couple of Democratic held seats, they’ll increase their majority hold of the Council. There are three African-American Republicans running for Council seats. Will any of them (Adrianne Slash, Dist 7; Susan Smith, Dist 12 and Terry Dove, District 14) win? If not, the Council could be without any African-American Republicans for the first time in three years and facing a full term without any African-American GOP representation for the first time in UniGov history. In the hotly contested battle of Lawrence Mayor will Democratic Mayor Dean Jessup win a second term? Or will Republican challenger Steve Collier take the Mayor’s office in Lawrence back for the Republicans? Will the GOP continue to control the Lawrence City Council, or can Democrats finally gain control? Which party will capture the Beech Grove Mayor’s Office? Seems that race always see-saws back and forth between the two parties.
