Politics

Amanda Barge, then a 2019 Bloomington mayoral candidate, speaks at a press conference Feb. 22 at her campaign headquarters. Barge announced Monday she would be resigning as a Monroe County commissioner following sexual harassment allegations.

Barge resigns as Monroe County commissioner amid harassment accusations

Apr 8, 2019 12:52 pm

Barge would have been up for re-election in 2020.

There are 20 candidates on the Bloomington City Council ticket this year. Six out of the 20 are under 40 years old.

Council candidates say 2016 election, demographic representation made them run

Apr 7, 2019 6:45 pm

Some candidates are running to represent their age group or social class.

The Monroe County Democratic Party has called for Monroe County Commissioner to step down from office after the Indiana Daily Student broke a story detailing allegations of sexual harassment.

Monroe County Democratic Party calls for Amanda Barge to resign

Apr 7, 2019 5:39 pm

Barge is one of three Monroe County commissioners.

Students are fighting to discuss Israel at Hillel. It’s complicated.

Apr 5, 2019 1:02 am

An event originally intended to open up discussion on Israel ended with a protest.

An early voting sign is posted at Monroe County Election Central. Early voting for the city primary elections will begin April 9.

Voter registration for Bloomington primary ends Monday

Apr 4, 2019 8:32 pm

Early voting for the city primary elections will begin April 9.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signs Senate Bill 1 in 2018, which legalizes carryout sales of alcohol on Sundays. Holcomb signed a bill April 3 that aims to create hate crime protections.

Holcomb signed a hate crimes bill. Some at IU have mixed feelings about it.

Apr 4, 2019 7:56 pm

The bill does not explicitly list sex, age or gender identity under its protections.

Monroe County Commissioner Amanda Barge announces her run for mayor Jan. 22. Barge spoke Wednesday morning to deny the sexual harassment allegations against her by former county contractor Brandon Drake. Drake alleged Barge repeatedly expressed feelings for him and asked him to date her beginning in 2017.

Amanda Barge denies allegations again, Monroe County releases second statement

Apr 3, 2019 4:21 pm

The statements were read at Wednesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce organized an event April 2 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre for the city council candidates to speak on issues and why they should be elected. Topics discussed included the Fourth Street parking garage decision and housing development in Bloomington.

Council candidates discuss Fourth Street parking garage, housing development

Apr 2, 2019 9:58 pm

The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce organized the event.

Protesters march to the Bloomington Police Department during the Black Lives Matter protest in 2016. BLM activists in Bloomington are calling for Amanda Barge to resign from her seat on the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.

Black Lives Matter activists call for Amanda Barge to resign as county commissioner

Apr 2, 2019 6:23 pm

The call comes after allegations that Barge sexually harassed a county contractor.

Kate Rosenbarger is running for Bloomington City Council’s District 1 seat. Rosenbarger got her bachelor's in policy analysis from IU’s then-School of Public and Environmental Affairs, now known as the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, in 2005.

Executive director of TEDxBloomington running for city council seat

Apr 1, 2019 6:33 pm

Kate Rosenbarger is trained as a lawyer and has worked on seven campaigns.

Less than 24 hours after the Indiana Daily Student broke a story on sexual harassment accusations against county commissioner Amanda Barge, she suspended her campaign for mayor of Bloomington. Her name will still appear on ballots, and she can still win the mayoral primary.

Here’s what you need to know in the aftermath of allegations against Amanda Barge

Mar 31, 2019 6:36 pm

What happened and what does it mean?

Nile Arena is running for mayor of Bloomington as an independent candidate. Arena decided to announce he was running after Amanda Barge suspended her campaign, but he had been planning to run well before then.

Independent Nile Arena announces run for mayor after Barge drops out

Mar 31, 2019 5:15 pm

Arena had planned to run as an independent even before Barge dropped out of the race.

Jim Blickensdorf, who was running as a District 3 Bloomington city council candidate, dropped out of the race Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement on his campaign website.

Blickensdorf drops out of city council race, resigns from parking commission

Mar 27, 2019 4:57 pm

Ron Smith will now be the only candidate actively running for District 3.

Amanda Barge, 2019 Bloomington mayoral candidate, holds a press conference Feb. 22 at her campaign headquarters. Barge, 46, spoke in response to the State of the City Address given by Mayor John Hamilton on Feb. 21 at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.

UPDATED: Amanda Barge suspends mayoral campaign after sexual harassment allegations

Mar 26, 2019 4:18 pm

The announcement came less than one day after the IDS broke the harassment allegations.

City Council at-Large candidates speak to Bloomington residents at an open forum March 25 at the Monroe Public Library Auditorium. The forum, organized by the political action committee Democracy for Monroe County, allowed the candidates to elaborate on their campaign platforms.

At-large city council candidates talk climate, development, equality at forum

Mar 26, 2019 12:35 am

The five candidates at the forum were diverse in age, background, ethnicity and sexual orientation.

Brandon Drake sits in his Bloomington home March 19. He alleges that 2019 Bloomington mayoral candidate Amanda Barge sexually harassed him for over a year.

‘She should've known better.'

Mar 25, 2019 10:28 pm

Bloomington mayoral candidate Amanda Barge is accused of sexual harassment.

Ron Smith is running for the Bloomington City Council’s District 3 seat. Smith has spent most of his life as an advocate for underrepresented populations in Indiana.

District 3 candidate Ron Smith to advocate for ‘responsible’ development,' neighborhoods

Mar 25, 2019 7:27 pm

Smith is especially concerned about the Kmart redevelopment.

Robert Mueller testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in February 2011 in Washington, D.C. Attorney General William Barr told Congress on Sunday that special counsel Robert Mueller did not find that Donald Trump's presidential campaign "or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia" in 2016.

Mueller report finds no Trump-Russia conspiracy

Mar 24, 2019 4:59 pm

President Trump speaks March 21 before signing an executive order to require colleges and universities to support free speech on campus or risk loss of federal research funds during an event in the East Room of the White House.

IU responds to Trump administration’s free speech executive order

Mar 24, 2019 4:26 pm

The document promotes free speech on college campuses.

Democratic mayoral candidates Amanda Barge and John Hamilton joined Bloomington residents Monday night at the Monroe County Public Library for a candidate forum. The event revealed differences in the candidates’ views on progressivism.

Hamilton and Barge clash on the definition, importance of progressivism

Mar 18, 2019 11:44 pm

The two Bloomington mayoral candidates spoke Monday night at a public forum.