'We're not done building yet': Joe Hogsett wins second term as Indianapolis mayor

Show Caption Hide Caption Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett speaks after winning reelection Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett won reelection on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.

Voters overwhelmingly handed a second term to Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett on Tuesday, but even in victory Hogsett acknowledged more work needs to be done in a city that suffers from gun violence and crumbling streets.

Despite those challenges, Hogsett cruised to victory in great part because his opponent's campaign never seemed to connect with voters — or provide enough distinct and compelling solutions on how he would fix the city's problems.

The win came quickly.

Just a couple hours after polls closed, as thousands of votes were still being counted around 8:30 p.m., Republican State Sen. Jim Merritt called Hogsett to concede the race.

"I am humbled, I am honored and I could not possibly be more excited to serve as the mayor of Indianapolis for another four years," Hogsett, 63, shouted to supporters at the Athenaeum on Tuesday night.

The crowd responded with cheers and a roaring chant: "Four more years!"

Over at the Prime 47 steakhouse Downtown, where Merritt supporters gathered for the evening, the state senator said he was glad he raised concerns about crime and infrastructure during the campaign.

Merritt said he was especially proud for highlighting issues that are affecting African American residents living in Indianapolis. He thinks his campaign will serve as a springboard for the voiceless.

"I’ve seen a lot of forgotten streets. I’ve seen a lot of forgotten neighborhoods," said Merritt, 60. "I’ve seen a lot of forgotten people."

The preliminary vote totals revealed a convincing win for Hogsett — 71% of the vote to Merritt's 27% — that outpaced even his previous victory.

Back in 2015, a wide gap of votes separated Hogsett and his Republican challenger in that contest, Chuck Brewer.

But if that was a gap in 2015, then this election revealed something else: a chasm.

A chasm that was 21 percentage points wider.

The trouncing came as little surprise to those who have watched Merritt's campaign be outfundraised, outspent and generally outmatched by the incumbent's.

Merritt began the summer by pledging to introduce bold solutions to improve the city. He appeared outside crumbling homes to denounce Hogsett's housing program. He rushed to shooting scenes not long after police officers raised crime scene tape. He stood alongside pothole-filled roads and urged residents to demand more from city government.

At times, Merritt met his promise to think outside the box to address Indianapolis' woes, such as when he pitched an idea for creating toll lanes along major city roads to generate more funding.

At other times, though, Merritt's proposals appeared to mimic much of the Hogsett administration's agenda, such as hiring more cops and doubling down on community policing in an effort to halt years of record homicides.

Rarely would Republican city-county councilors appear at press events for Merritt, who once led the county Republican Party. Even in the last week, Merritt did not land a stop on Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's tour through Indiana to support Republican mayoral candidates.

The Merritt campaign ultimately sputtered through the finish line. Two weeks before the election — as Hogsett unleashed a TV ad touting support from a Republican city-county councilor — Merritt found himself apologizing to Hogsett on live TV for a blunder.

The Merritt campaign launched — and then took down after a week of criticism — an attack website including a false claim that said Hogsett failed to pay child support.

Hogsett, meanwhile, attempted to avoid the morass of controversy while enjoying the political advantages of incumbency and a deeper pocketbook (Hogsett raised $5.6 million, according to pre-election campaign reports, compared to Merritt's $782,621).

Indianapolis mayoral race: Jim Merritt speaks after Joe Hogsett win State Sen. Jim Merritt lost the Indianapolis mayoral election to incumbent Joe Hogsett on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.

Hogsett's message, in many ways, emerged as a repeat of his campaign in 2015: fixing roads, hiring police, reducing violence.

Now voters have given him another four years to do just that.

Not that he can necessarily expect to be greeted with an easier journey through the next term.

Merritt will return to his state senate seat, which voters re-elected him to in 2018. He hopes Hogsett will tackle the problems identified during the mayoral campaign.

"I love Indianapolis," Merritt said. "I will do anything I can from the Indiana Senate to make it a better place to live."

Hogsett, for his part, shared a similar hope: that Merritt will carry the promises of the last several months back to the Republican-dominated statehouse.

"That will be the most important legacy of his campaign," Hogsett said.

Now, though, Hogsett will continue facing the challenges confronting Indianapolis.

Roads? It remains difficult to find enough funding to systemically fix broken streets.

Gun violence? The number of shootings have remained stubbornly high.

And as the year comes to a close, winter carries with it the prospect of more potholes.

Residents also will be paying attention to another lingering issue: Will Indianapolis see its fifth straight year of record homicides?

Hogsett may have taken a moment Tuesday night to celebrate alongside his voters and supporters, but he hinted in his speech at the work ahead.

"Tonight, we celebrate a victory that is sweet because, like this building, like this city, it is something we built ourselves," Hogsett said. "It is a monument to something that is uniquely ours. And, my friends, we're not done building yet."

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Contact IndyStar reporter Ryan Martin at 317-444-6294 or ryan.martin@indystar.com. Follow him on Facebook or Twitter: @ryanmartin.

Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at 317-444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.

Call IndyStar reporter Chris Sikich at 317-444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikich.