Democrats are set to lose one of their most outspoken voices in the Indiana Senate.
Sen. Andrea Hunley, a former Indianapolis Public Schools teacher and principal elected in 2022, isn’t running for a second term. She’s believed to be eyeing a run for Indianapolis mayor.
That leaves her Senate seat up for grabs.
Election 2026
With a population of 135,000, Senate District 46 includes all of downtown and stretches from Hawthorne on the west side to Warren Park on the east side and Garfield Park on the south side.
The three Democrats running in the primary May 5 to replace Hunley are Allissa Impink, director of advocacy for the Women’s Foundation of Indiana and an IPS board member; Clif Marsiglio, an eastside neighborhood advocate and project manager at Indiana University; and Sam Glynn, a staffer in the Marion County Treasurer’s Office.
There are no Republicans running in the solidly blue district.
Allissa Impink would focus on affordability
Impink is a former teacher and child welfare case manager who serves on the IPS board.
As a trained advocate and former president of the Fletcher Place Neighborhood Association, Impink has experience working with neighbors to solve problems. As an IPS board member, she’s seen how policy decisions at the state and federal level have made it difficult for residents to make ends meet.
The most common complaint she’s heard from constituents? Affordability.
“What I hear from them is that they are doing everything right — working, raising kids, contributing to their community — and they still can’t keep up,” Impink said.
If elected, Impink said she would support efforts to expand child care and affordable housing, though she knows her priorities will face challenges in an Indiana Senate that has 40 Republicans and 10 Democrats.
“I understand that working across the aisle won’t be about changing who I am,” Impink said. “It’s going to be about me being disciplined enough to find alignment where it exists, and strong enough to stand firm where it doesn’t.”
Impink also wants to see two bills repealed, which would be a tall task in the GOP-controlled legislature.
State lawmakers last year passed House Bill 1423, which created the Indianapolis Public Education Corp., a nine-member board that will oversee buildings and transportations for both traditional public schools and charter schools. It also has the power to collect property taxes.
Critics say those decisions should be decided by elected board members of Indianapolis Public Schools, not by an appointed body.
She also wants to see lawmakers repeal Senate Bill 285, which makes it illegal to use public land for long-term camping or sleeping.
Born and raised in Indianapolis, she lives in Fletcher Place with her husband, Matt. They have three children.
Clif Marsiglio sees himself as a fighter
Marsiglio is a familiar name to those tuned in to local politics.
A project manager at Indiana University by day, Marsiglio can regularly be seen at City-County Council meetings, neighborhood organization meetups and the occasional Statehouse protest.
As a member of the board of directors for the Near East Side Community Organization, he worked with neighbors in Martindale Brightwood to oppose a data center. He also pushed for the Ransburg YMCA to remain open. Both efforts were unsuccessful.
Marsiglio is an avid cyclist, which has helped him see neighborhoods he otherwise might not visit. His takeaway?
“Neighborhoods have different needs, but they’re kind of universal,” Marsiglio said. “We need good jobs. We need access to health care. We need public schools. And everybody wants the roads fixed.”
Marsiglio, a progressive Democrat, said his campaign is focused on expanding access to health care, fully funding public schools and expanding affordable housing and renter protections.
A local gadfly, Marsiglio isn’t shy about posting his opinions on Facebook — or showing up to Mayor Joe Hogsett’s budget briefings with a big white sign that tells the city’s top official to “Resign Joe.”
“Anybody who knows me knows that I am a fighter,” Marsiglio said. “Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don’t. If it’s something that I think that needs to be done, I’m going to be there, I’m going to be supporting it, and I’m going to be loud. I’m going to get people to change their minds.”
Marsiglio ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in 2024, mayor of Indianapolis in 2023 and the Indiana House of Representatives District 100 in 2020.
Originally from Wayne County, he lives in Holy Cross with his partner, Amy, and her two children.
Sam Glynn wants higher minimum wage, term limits
At 25 years old, Glynn is the Gen Z candidate in the race.
Glynn developed an interest in politics in high school and earned a political science degree from Marian University. They work as a staffer in the Marion County Treasurer’s Office.
Growing up in Noblesville, Glynn felt disconnected from Indianapolis. But when they started attending Herron High School, their perception of the city changed.
“A lot of politicians like to paint it as a very scary city, but I’ve walked downtown all over the place, to and from school and work for the past decade, and I’ve always found it very welcoming and honest,” Glynn said.
If elected, Glynn would work toward raising the state’s minimum wage and instituting term limits for all elected and appointed officials.
“The thing that I’ve heard the most from people is, no matter what party they support, they all are tired of who’s in charge,” Glynn said. “They don’t feel like the people in office represent them, and there’s this mentality that once you win your seat, you win it for life.”
With a full-time job and no campaign infrastructure to speak of, Glynn isn’t expecting a miracle. But they are ready to make an impact.
“I don’t have a lot of connections. I don’t have money,” Glynn said. “I don’t have a lot of time to volunteer or get out in the community and do the work that I believe in, so I thought a good way to start was to run for office so that I could try to do good for my community and make an impact.”
A correction was made on April 14, 2026: An earlier version of this article did not list correct titles for Allissa Impink and Clif Marsiglio. Impink is the director of statewide community engagement for the Women’s Foundation and a former child welfare case manager. Marsiglio serves on the board of directors of the Near East Side Community Organization.
How to vote in the Indiana primary
Marion County residents with a valid government-issued photo ID can vote early at the City-County Building from April 7 through May 5, and at one of nine early voting centers from April 25 through May 5.
On election day, which is May 5, residents can vote at one of the county’s 182 vote centers from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Those still in line when the polls close at 6 p.m. should stay in line to cast their ballots.
The deadline to register to vote is April 6. Visit the state’s Voter Portal to check your registration status.
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Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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