Ryan Mears has taken himself off the short list of potential successors to Mayor Joe Hogsett — at least for now.
The Marion County prosecutor announced Jan. 27 that he intends to run for reelection this year, temporarily putting rumors to rest that he will run for mayor of Indianapolis.
Speaking to reporters at the Statehouse, Mears said he plans to focus on prosecuting violent criminals and cracking down on public corruption.
“As we move into 2026, you’re going to see some filings related to some of those investigations that we’ve been involved in over the last 18 months,” Mears said.
His office is investigating allegations of ghost employment and misconduct inside Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office. Beckwith has denied any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, a Marion County grand jury is investigating allegations involving unlawful conflicts of interest related to deals struck by Thomas Cook, Hogsett’s former chief of staff. Cook has not commented on the grand jury investigation.
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The investigation follows revelations about deals involving Thomas Cook.
Mears declined to provide any updates on those cases.
“As a prosecutor, you can’t get into the specifics of any one investigation,” Mears said. “Certainly, we want to follow facts that are presented to our office.”
No one else has filed to run for county prosecutor. Mears reported $293,000 in his campaign account in his most recent campaign finance report.
When asked if he was ruling out a run for mayor in 2027, Mears said, “It’s like any conversation: Yes, no, maybe.”
So far, the only one to announce a run for mayor is Vop Osili, former president of the City-County Council. The Democrat reported $514,000 in his account at the end of 2025.
Who is Ryan Mears?
Mears was elected county prosecutor by a caucus vote in 2019 after former prosecutor Terry Curry resigned in office due to health issues.
With Curry’s backing, Mears defeated Tim Moriarty, former special counsel to Mayor Joe Hogsett, in a narrow 157-147 vote.
Mears won reelection in 2022 after defeating Republican Cyndi Carrasco by a wide margin. Carrasco is now a state senator.
Mears has caught the ire of Republicans for refusing to prosecute simple marijuana possession cases, and for saying he doesn’t plan to prosecute women or doctors who violate Indiana’s strict abortion law.
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Marion County’s Democratic prosecutor has long been a Republican target.
His detractors have also accused him of being soft on crime. Mears has said he’s focusing resources on violent crimes, and his office recently touted a 90% guilty verdict rate in murder trials in 2025.
An Indy native, Mears graduated from Cardinal Ritter High School and attended and played basketball at St. Joseph’s College in Northwest Indiana. He obtained his law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
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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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