Bart May Be Safe, But As For the Council…
Now that we are in 2007, everyone can turn their attention to Municipal races. Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson is likely to announce soon that he will run for a third-term in office. Third terms can be tricky for elected officials. By the end of eight years, voters, although they like you, are usually ready for someone else. And while the Mayor’s internal polling shows him in the high 60s for likeability, only about 55-percent of those think he should be re-elected. I would argue that could make this year’s mayoral race competitive under the right circumstances.
However, from what I’ve been able to gather, the GOP has still not settled on a candidate. Eric Dickerson is not interested in the job and Council Member Ike Randolph is still working out a couple issues before making a final announcement. I do think it says something when the two named front runners on the GOP side for Mayor are both moderate-conservative Black Republicans.
As far as some of the other names go, GOP Chief Murray Clark doesn’t want the job. U.S. Attorney Susan Brooks likely won’t do it for personal reasons. And Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi would only do it under certain extreme circumstances. So I think for the most part, the Mayor is safe for now. Although I strongly believe he still vulnerable on the crime issue with last year being one of the worst homicide rates in the city’s history, that vulnerability can only be exploited by the right candidate, with the right campaign and the right amount of cash.
So while Hizzoner may be safe, the Council on the other hand is a completely different story. I strongly believe the Democratic-controlled Council could change hands, but once again, under the right circumstances. Marion County is trending more Democratic, as explained by the large number of straight-ticket voters, but I would argue, the council’s biggest weakness starts and ends with its President, Monroe Gray.
When crime was out of control, Monroe Gray played politics with the Prosecutor’s office and stifling a plan to increase jail space because he wanted to use his “juice,” which by the way allowed a convicted child molester to go free and molest again before being re-arrested. When questioned about any financial involvement with 300 East, the controversial bar in a government building, political columnist Matt Tully had to put the major squeeze on Gray to get him to tell the truth and confess that Gray’s wife was an investor in the establishment. Gray also said the bar was necessary so Black people could have a place to hang out away from white people. Thirdly, a crime may have been committed when the Council’s Office put out literature on Council letterhead saying members would not only pledge their re-election support for each other, but also candidates who ran against Republicans. Expect formal complaints to be filed about this by Republicans and Libertarians.
The list goes on. Gray’s dropping of the f-bomb on the Government Channel to describe the budget during last year’s hearing. His allowing a 75-percent council pay raise to show up on the agenda. His blocking a proposal to non-violent ex-offenders a chance at employment. His threatening to run candidates against Angela Mansfield, Patrice Abdullah and Sherron Franklin when they would not go along with the program.
Although each council seat is won or lost by the candidate, making the election about Monroe could mean a change in local government and Republicans can do at the county level what Democrats did at the state and national level. Of course, the Democrats could decide to pick a new President and neutralize my argument, but somehow I don’t see that happening.
