Elections across Ind. see shake ups, sweeps

Even with the confusion and counting issues surrounding and delaying polling results, Bloomington’s city elections were hardly exciting, hotly contested races.

Mayor Mark Kruzan, City Clerk Regina Moore and five city council members all ran unopposed. Things played out differently across the state, however, with some Indiana cities seeing big shake ups, sweeps and close finishes.  

INDIANAPOLIS
Despite endorsements from prominent advocacy groups and the Indianapolis Star, IU graduate Melina Kennedy was not able to beat Republican incumbent Mayor Greg Ballard.

Ballard was reelected as mayor of Indiana’s capitol by a margin of just 7,500 votes.

GARY
Though Gary’s mayoral race was far from close or unexpected, the election was one of the evening’s most historic.

Democrat Karen Freeman-Wilson became the first African-American woman to serve as mayor of any city in Indiana’s history.

MUNCIE
In another historic win, State Rep. Dennis Tyler was elected Muncie’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years.

The resounding win against Republican Mayor Sharon McShurley was part of a Democratic sweep in the city, as Democrats became the majority in the city council and City Clerk Phyllis Reagon was reelected.

HAMMOND
Despite an expected strong showing from Republican candidate George Janiec, Democrat incumbent Thomas McDermott soundly defeated his rival to win a third term as mayor of northwest Indiana’s largest city.

McDermott received 80 percent of the vote.

SOUTH BEND
Democrat Pete Buttigieg won South Bend’s mayoral race, despite having never previously held public office.

At 29, Buttigieg will be the youngest mayor of a city with more than 100,000 residents in the country and the second-youngest mayor in the city’s history.

EVANSVILLE
Republican Lloyd Winnecke defeated Democrat Rick Davis to become the city’s new mayor.

The Fifth Third Bank vice president is only the third Republican to become Evansville’s mayor since 1955.

­— Jake New