Incumbent Democrat Ryan Mears and Republican Philip Foust are facing off to become Marion County’s next prosecutor.
The two are running to oversee an office that handles charging decisions in criminal cases.
The prosecutor’s race is being closely watched this year because political insiders believe Mears is eyeing a run for mayor. Voters also will elect five other countywide representatives in the Nov. 3 midterm election. Those races include contested races for county sheriff and clerk, and three Democrats running unopposed for county assessor, auditor and recorder.
Republicans have not won a county office here since 2006.
Mears has led the prosecutor’s office since 2019, when he was elected to replace Terry Curry, who resigned for health reasons. Mears was reelected to his second term in 2022.
In his time as prosecutor, Mears has taken several major policy stands that have angered the Republican-controlled state Legislature. In 2019, he announced that he would not prosecute simple marijuana possession cases.
And after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, Mears said he would not prosecute women or doctors who violate Indiana’s strict abortion law. The law does not allow prosecution of women, but doctors who perform unlawful abortions can be charged with felonies.
He’s also faced significant blowback from Republicans about crime in Indianapolis. In response, Mears has said repeatedly that his office is focusing on violent crimes, and recently touted his office’s 90% homicide conviction rate in an interview with WTHR.
Should Mears be reelected, he said his priorities include reducing violent crime, preventing juvenile crime and building more trust with communities through driver’s license and expungement workshops.
Foust, who once worked under Mears as a deputy prosecutor, hopes to unseat his former boss. Foust is a Harvard law graduate and is currently the town of Speedway’s clerk-treasurer.
Foust has said his top issues are adding harsher penalties for juvenile crimes, reviewing and penalizing people who commit crimes repeatedly and building stronger relationships with IMPD.
Williams vs. Vaughn for Marion County sheriff
Democrat Kelvis Williams and Republican Thomas Vaughn are facing off to become Marion County’s next sheriff.
The Marion County sheriff manages the jail, warrants, security at county buildings and the sex offender registry. The next sheriff will also have to contend with how the jail should interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The winner will replace Sheriff Kerry Forestal, who is running for state Senate in District 31 against Republican Juanita Albright.
Williams has about four decades of experience in law enforcement and currently serves as the executive officer of the sheriff’s office under Forestal. He’s also the commander of the agency’s Homeland Security Division, which provides security at county buildings and events such as the Indianapolis 500.
Vaughn was appointed to run in July after no Republican ran for sheriff in the primary. He previously worked for the sheriff’s office and has served as Southport’s chief of police since 2014.
Sweeney Bell vs. Stewart for Marion County clerk
Incumbent Democrat Kate Sweeney Bell is running against Republican challenger Robbin Stewart.
The county clerk is secretary of the county election board and manages records and payments for the local court system.
Sweeney Bell was first elected as clerk in 2022 after serving two terms as Marion County recorder. She is also the former chair of the Marion County Democratic Party.
Stewart has not previously held public office but ran for the Indiana House of Representatives in 2010.
O’Connor running for Marion County assessor
Joseph O’Connor is running unopposed for Marion County assessor. He was first elected in 2010.
The county assessor is responsible for determining the values of homes and other properties to determine how much people should pay in taxes.
Eldridge running for Marion County auditor
Myla Eldridge is running unopposed for Marion County auditor. She was first elected in 2022. Eldridge is also the current chair of the Marion County Democratic Party.
The county auditor manages the county’s finances and processes payroll for the city of Indianapolis.
Kimbrough running for Marion County recorder
Faith Kimbrough is running unopposed for Marion County recorder. Kimbrough was first elected in 2022.
The county recorder’s office preserves public records of property transactions such as mortgages and deeds.
Mirror Indy reporters Mary Claire Molloy and Peter Blanchard contributed to this story.
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Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus. Contact Claire by email claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org, at 317-759-0249 or on most social media @clairerafford.
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