City-County Councilwoman Crista Lee Wells is resigning from her seat representing District 11 effective Oct. 31.
Wells, a Democrat whose westside district includes parts of Wayne and Pike townships, told Mirror Indy she chose to resign so she can prioritize her family. That includes her 16-year-old daughter who’s getting ready for college.
“Being her mom is my most important title anyway,” Wells said.
Wells, 40, also plans to move out of the district soon.
In an announcement on Facebook, Wells wrote that it’s time to “transition into the next chapter of my personal and professional life.”
Councilor Crista Lee Wells talks with journalists after a meeting of the Administration and Finance Committee of the Indianapolis City-County Council, June 17, 2025, at the City-County Building. Wells read a statement calling for the resignation of Mayor Joe Hogsett. Elected in 2019, she became the second Democratic councilor to call for Mayor Joe Hogsett to resign amid an investigation into his handling of sexual harassment allegations against his former top aide, Thomas Cook.
Wells later left the council’s Democratic caucus.
But Wells told Mirror Indy those conflicts didn’t influence her decision to resign.
“I work for the community,” she said, “not for the Hogsett administration or any particular party.”
What’s next for District 11?
The Democratic Party’s precinct committee chairs will appoint a replacement for Wells’ spot on the council within 30 days.
That selection could be short-lived, though. All 25 City-County Council seats are up for election in 2027.
One candidate, Jaclyn Fries, announced Oct. 30 that she wants to fill the vacancy.
Fries launched a campaign for District 11 in January ahead of the 2027 election. According to her LinkedIn, Fries works for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration.
This article first appeared on Mirror Indy and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
