Republicans look for Indy council gains
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Early voting is underway at the City-County Building. Photo: James Briggs/Axios
Jared Evans is a unicorn — a Democrat who keeps winning in a Donald Trump-leaning district.
Why it matters: Evans is running for a third City-County Council term on the west side and his seat is one of the most likely pickups for the GOP to slice into Democrats' dominance in Indianapolis and regain more influence over city government.
What's happening: All 25 council seats are on the ballot Nov. 7.
- Candidates are running unopposed in 10 races, while incumbents are heavily favored in most of the contested elections, leaving only a handful of seats in play.
Flashback: Democrats won a 20-5 council majority in 2019, but redistricting last year created a map slightly more favorable to Republicans.
- Five districts in the conservative southern portion of Marion County are expected to be easy wins for Republicans, plus they expect to be competitive in a couple of east- and west-side districts.
Zoom in: Evans is perhaps the most at-risk incumbent, fending off a challenge from Republican Lisa Schmitz, a longtime human resources executive and consultant who co-founded the nonprofit Mars Hill Arts Center.
Between the lines: Republicans could make meaningful gains if their candidates convince voters they'll be better at wrangling infrastructure projects — even as small as filling potholes — to their districts.
What they're saying: Evans says that's why he's survived in a Republican-leaning district, pointing to more than $100 million of infrastructure projects he's had a hand in, including streets, stormwater, sidewalks and more.
- "People recognize that's what a councilor's job is: Make sure tax dollars are coming back here," Evans tells Axios.
The other side: Schmitz says the fruit of Evans' work isn't apparent, and that's why she's running.
- "Most people I'm talking to when I'm out knocking on doors say they haven't seen it," she tells Axios. "We just haven't seen a lot of the things being promoted."
What we're watching: The open District 4 race in Lawrence features two candidates who represent the youth of their parties.
- Natalie Goodwin, 34, a Republican who graduated from Lawrence North High School and has worked for former U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks and Sen. Todd Young, is facing Nick Roberts, 23, a Democratic activist who has raised more than $100,000.
- "I'm looking at my friends who grew up here, but are choosing to live a mile north in Hamilton County when raising their family," Goodwin tells Axios. "It's frustrating to me that we can't get people to want to stay here and lean in and fix problems."
The intrigue: Roberts has utilized social media and data while knocking on tens of thousands of doors, while Goodwin has also hit the trail hard, barely taking time off after delivering her third child, a girl named Ren, last week.
The bottom line: Democrats will retain a large council majority and either support Mayor Joe Hogsett in a third term or serve as a check on Republican Jefferson Shreve, depending on who wins the mayoral race.
Go deeper: Four Indianapolis City-County Council races to watch (IBJ)