INDIANAPOLIS — State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) has announced that she will run for mayor of Indianapolis next year.
If elected, she would be the city's first Black and female mayor.
"As I weighed my decision to run, fueled by close friends and family, some asked me why I was even considering it. I have a fulfilling, successful tenure of service in the Indiana General Assembly. It came down to one phrase that kept running through my head: 'We can do better,'" Shackleford said during her announcement.
"Indianapolis is a tale of two cities – one with good roads, where residents don’t worry about putting food on the table and feel safe in their homes - and another with pothole-ridden streets where residents struggle to get enough to eat and worry that at any moment a stray bullet will travel through their wall and strike their child," she added.
The full announcement can be viewed below.
Shackleford said she plans to focus on tackling crime in the city by addressing its root causes, warding off gun violence and increasing youth engagement and improving the relationship between citizens and police.
She also emphasized making healthcare more affordable and food more accessible.
Shackleford represents Indiana's 98th district, which is on Indianapolis' east side. She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves as the ranking minority member of the public health committee.
She is also on the Courts and Criminal Code and the Financial Institutions and Insurance committees.
Shackleford previously served as chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and vice president of the Indiana POWER Caucus and worked as the diversity affairs director under former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson and as a policy and research specialist for the Indiana Health Care Association.
Joe Hogsett, Indianapolis' current and 49th mayor, took office in 2016. Before that, he served as Indiana's secretary of state and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
Hogsett has not said whether he plans to run for reelection.
-
IU plans for a bronze statue of former coach Bob Knight in Assembly Hall lobby
Indiana plans to build a bronze statue of longtime coach Bob Knight inside Assembly Hall, where he led the Hoosiers to national championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987.
Indiana plans for a bronze statue of former coach Bob Knight
Indiana plans to build a bronze statue of longtime basketball coach Bob Knight inside Assembly Hall, where he led the Hoosiers to national championships in 1976, 1981 and 1987.
54-year-old man dies following house fire in Bartholomew County
The death of a 54-year-old Taylorsville man remains under investigation following a house fire Monday afternoon in Bartholomew County.
IMPD investigating fatal hit-and-run crash involving pedestrian
Police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash involving a pedestrian on the city's west side Tuesday morning.
