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(INDIANAPOLIS) – Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett led a big night for the mayors of Indiana’s largest cities.

Hogsett (D) clobbered State Senator Jim Merritt with 71{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3} of the vote, while Democrats added six seats to their council majority, defeating Council Minority Leader Mike McQuillen and two other incumbent Republicans en route to a 20-5 majority.

Westfield Mayor Andy Cook (R), the only mayor in Hamilton County to face a general election challenge, defeated Libertarian Donald Rainwater with 61{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3} of the vote. But Democrats celebrated other victories in Indy’s once unshakably Republican northern suburbs. Democrat Emily Styron ousted Zionsville Mayor Tim Haak by 88 votes, while Democrats won two city council seats in Fishers and one in Carmel, the first time they’ve ever held council seats in either city.

Democrat Tom Henry in Fort Wayne and Republican Lloyd Winnecke in Evansville posted landslide reelections. In Indiana’s fourth-largest city, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is running for president, but he was back in South Bend to celebrate with his Democratic successor, James Mueller, who racked up 65{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3} of the vote against Republican Sean Haas.

Only four of Indiana’s 25 biggest cities changed parties — 10 of those races were uncontested. But Republican Tyler Moore easily won in Kokomo, where Democratic Mayor Greg Goodnight didn’t seek reelection. And scandals in the administrations of retiring incumbents helped carry Republicans to victory in Muncie and Democrats in Elkhart, where former City Councilman Rod Roberson will become the city’s first African-American mayor. In Portage, Republican Jim Snyder’s bribery conviction forced him from office in February. His successor, John Cannon, lost his bid for a full term to Democrat Sue Lynch.

Indiana’s longest-serving mayor, Republican Bill Graham, lost his bid for a ninth term as mayor of Scottsburg to Democrat Terry Amick. He was one of 17 mayors defeated for reelection, joining three who lost in the primary.

Independents peeled off one mayoral seat from each party, with Richard Strick winning in Huntington and Bill Rock in Gas City. They’ll join reelected independent mayors Shane Evans in Delphi and Alan Weiss in Greendale. Independents came close to upsets in two other cities. Republican Mayor Duke Bennett of Terre Haute held off independent Pat Goodwin by just 216 votes, 42-40{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3}. And in Michigan City, where Democratic Mayor Ron Meer was hit with criminal charges days before the election, Republican Duane Parry squeaked past Meer 30-28{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3}, with independent Damon Carnes at 27{46ff1f14221e6e90aab6104ff16614ca22b12c1f029f774ee196565ca96b3af3}.

Independents’ total of four mayor’s seats is a decline of one. Republicans had a net gain of nine, while Democrats lost eight. A total of 32 city halls changed parties, including Mitchell, where Mayor J.D. England, elected as an independent in 2015, won reelection as a Republican.

(Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)