There’s another name in the mix to be the next Democratic mayor of Indianapolis.
Andrea Hunley, a state senator and former high school principal, told IndyStar on April 20 that she plans to run for mayor in 2027.
Hunley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement comes after months of speculation that Hunley planned to run for mayor. The rumors gained steam in January when she announced she wouldn’t seek another term in the Senate.
Hunley is the second Democrat to enter the 2027 race after City-County Councilor Vop Osili announced the launch of his mayoral campaign Jan. 14.
If elected, she would become the first Black woman to serve as mayor.
It’s unclear if Mayor Joe Hogsett, also a Democrat, will seek a fourth term. He has said he expects to make a decision sometime this year.
Hunley’s political journey
Hunley, 42, grew up in Fort Wayne and moved to Indy after graduating from Indiana University to pursue her teaching career.
During her time in the Indiana Senate, which remained under Republican control since she assumed office in 2023, Hunley filed legislation to increase support for maternal health, lower the cost of child care and strengthen protections for renters.
This year, she authored a bill to increase oversight of psychiatric hospitals in response to reporting from Mirror Indy and WFYI.
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Hunley has also spoken critically of local party leaders.
When asked about her mayoral ambitions last year, she told journalist Adam Wren that Mayor Joe Hogsett “has failed his staff” and “failed his people.”
Her comments came days after Osili, council president at the time, ordered the removal of Lauren Roberts from a June 9 council meeting. Roberts was attempting to speak about the sexual harassment and abuse she said she experienced while working for Thomas Cook, Hogsett’s former chief of staff and campaign manager, during Hogsett’s first mayoral campaign.
Years later, Roberts tried to report Cook’s behavior, first to Hogsett directly and later to Indiana Democratic Party officials, but Cook would remain chief of staff for several more years before being asked to resign in 2020 for being in a prohibited relationship with a subordinate.
Hunley said that city leadership “failed to protect” Roberts, and that Democrats in positions of leadership “need to step up and hold our systems accountable.”
Osili later expressed regret for how he handled the incident.
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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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