INDIANAPOLIS — The feeling for Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett is that there is still more to accomplish as mayor of the Circle City.
Hogsett wants to seek a third term as mayor which would make him the second longest-serving mayor in the city’s history. He tells All Indiana Politics that many of his plans for the city got derailed because of the COVID pandemic.
“I hope that if allowed by the voters to be mayor for another term that we’ll be able to pick up where we left off when the world was overcome by the pandemic,” Hogsett said.
Hogsett will have a primary opponent on the Democratic ticket next year in State Rep. Robin Shackleford. She’s the leader of the Black Legislative Caucus at the Indiana Statehouse. Hogsett isn’t worried about having a primary opponent given what he says is his record of bipartisanship.
“In the first two campaigns I’ve faced primary opposition,” he said. “That doesn’t really affect how I try to lead the city. I think my record is pretty clear in working with the council in what many consider a ‘bipartisan way’. I like to consider it non-partisan.”
Shackleford has been critical of Hogsett’s handling of violent crime in Indianapolis accusing him of not being proactive enough. In particular, she said that Hogsett has focused too heavily on enforcing laws and not preventing violent crime in the first place.
“I would beg to disagree in terms of a $45 million commitment over three years to community-based neighborhood organizations that are not enforcing anything but the peace,” Hogsett said. “The numbers are trending in the right direction.”
Hogsett reaffirmed that if re-elected that it would be his last term as mayor.
