Marion County’s two major political parties officially “slated” or endorsed their candidates for mayor Saturday. Republicans slated incumbent Mayor Greg Ballard and Democrats slated former deputy mayor Melina Kennedy.
Meeting at the Convention Center, Democrats cheered Kennedy as she criticized the mayor’s travels “to India and Brazil, while 35,000 jobs were lost at home.”
Kennedy also blasted Ballard’s handling of public safety saying there’s “too much bureaucracy and not enough (police) officers on the streets.” Kennedy also said there’s been “too much talking from a public safety director who’s never even walked a beat.”
Kennedy also challenged Mayor Ballard to debate the issues. She cited an invitation both had received from Drug Free Marion County, which Kennedy had accepted, but Ballard declined.
Democrats also endorsed candidates for City-County Council at-large and district contests.
Four council races were contested. Many Democratic precinct committeepersons questioned the endorsement process for at-large candidates. Instead of past years when the four top vote getters were the party’s endorsed candidates, this time candidates were placed in one of four quadrants and competed against others in those quadrants.
That set up a battle between Pat Andrews and Annette Johnson, who competed against John Barth and Leroy Robinson.
Democratic committeepersons chose Barth over Andrews and by an extremely close margin of 14 votes, Robinson bested Johnson.
For the seat of retiring Councilwoman Doris Minton-McNeil, architect Vop Osili beat former Wayne Township Trustee David Baird.
In District 11 on the Eastside, incumbent Councilman Paul Bateman, whose vote helped pass the controversial ordinance selling the city’s parking meter system for 50 years to a private vendor, failed to be endorsed by county Democrats.
Former Council President Steve Talley received the party’s blessing – despite concern by some councilors and other Democrats over Talley’s maverick ways before he resigned from the council for health reasons in 2006.
Other candidates who received the Democrats’ endorsement for the May 3rd primary were: City-County Council at-large: Joanne Sanders and Zach Adamson and in districts Jose Evans (District 1); Angela Mansfield (District 2); Len Farber (District 3); Kostas Poulakidas (District 4); Brett Voorhies (District 6); Maggie Lewis (District 7); Monroe Gray (District 8); Joe Simpson (District 9); William “Duke” Oliver (District 10); Regina Marsh (District 12); Brian Mahern (District 16); Mary Moriarty Adams (District 17); Vernon Brown (District 18) and Dane Mahern (District 19).
Democrats endorsed 10 African-American candidates for council district seats – Brown, Evans, Gray, Lewis, Marsh, Oliver, Osili, Robinson, Simpson and Talley.
Marion County Republicans gathered to slate (endorse) candidates at Brebeuf High School. Besides endorsing Mayor Ballard for re-election, Republicans endorsed two incumbent at-large City-County Councilors, Barbara Malone and Angel Rivera, two new at-large candidates, Jackie Cissell and Mike Kalscheur, and district candidates Susan Blair (District 1), Ryan Vaughn (District 3); Christine Scales (District 4); Ginny Cain (District 5); Janice McHenry (District 6); Stu Rhodes (District 8); Mike McQuillen (District 12); Bob Lutz (District 13); Marilyn Pfisterer (District 14); Gary Whitmore (District 17); Jeff Miller (District 19); Susie Day (District 20); Ben Hunter (District 21); Jason Holliday (District 22); Jeff Cardwell (District 23); Jack Sandlin (District 24) and Aaron Freeman (District 25).
Cissell, who ran for council at-large in 1999, and incumbent Malone were the only GOP African-American candidates endorsed Saturday.
