Democratic-curious Zionsville returns to Republican
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Zionsville will once again have a Republican mayor.
Why it matters: Zionsville is the kind of Democratic-curious suburb — well-educated, affluent and historically Republican-leaning — where the party is gaining strength across the U.S. But now Democrats are handing back the top elected office without a fight.
What's happening: Former WTHR-TV anchor John Stehr is running unopposed as a Republican in next week's mayoral election.
Between the lines: Kristi Jones, executive director of the Boone County Democratic Party, told Current that the party didn't have enough time to find a candidate after Mayor Emily Styron opted not to run for re-election.
Catch up fast: Styron won four years ago by 88 votes, upsetting Republican incumbent Tim Haak to become Zionsville's first Democratic mayor, and she's had a tumultuous term.
- Styron lost a legal battle with the all-Republican town council over her efforts to terminate the fire chief.
- She generated criticism for an expletive-laden Facebook exchange over guns last year.
What they're saying: Styron announced her decision to step aside in January, telling the IBJ she wanted to "go out on a good note."
- "I know I can do a lot of good work in the state of Indiana outside of being an elected official," she told the IBJ. "I'm ready to go on to something new."
The bottom line: Democrats are competing for spots on the seven-person Zionsville Town Council, but the party's hold on the mayor's office was short-lived.