Hogsett Defeats Brewer In Race For Indianapolis Mayor

INDIANAPOLIS – Joe Hogsett will be the next mayor of Indianapolis.

The Democrat collected nearly 62 percent of the vote Tuesday to easily defeat Republican Chuck Brewer in the city’s municipal election. Brewer called Hogsett to concede the race around 8 p.m. -- just a little over 2 hours after the polls had closed.

In his victory speech, Hogsett thanked Brewer for his service to the community and his service as a United States Marine. Then, he turned his attention to his new job.

“I’m ready to get to work,” Hogsett told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters. “I’m ready to get to work as the 49th mayor of the city Indianapolis.”

Hogsett, who previously served as secretary of state and as a federal prosecutor, enjoyed a sizeable fundraising advantage over the political newcomer Brewer throughout the campaign.  And, his coattails were long enough to pull 13 fellow Democrats to victories in City-County Council races – giving the party a narrow majority.

Voter turnout was low, with just under 23 percent of the county’s 642,344 registered voters casting ballots. In straight party voting, Democrats nearly doubled the Republican tally.