Indiana elections 2019: Democrats win upset victories in historic Hamilton County election

Show Caption Hide Caption How Democrats won 3 key Hamilton County races Democrats won three council seats in Carmel and Fishers in the 2019 elections. Here's how they did it.

In a historical shift in the state's most staunch Republican Party stronghold, three Democrats claimed upset victories in Hamilton County's city council races on Tuesday night.

Miles Nelson won the newly created west district in Carmel, while fellow Democrats Jocelyn Vare and Samantha DeLong both won city council seats in Fishers.

Every council seat in both cities has been held by Republicans for at least decades and veteran politicos cannot remember the last time a Democrat sat on the councils of either government, even when the two were towns.

"This is a major step for the Democratic party in Hamilton County,” said Joe Weingarten, chairman of the Hamilton County Democratic Party. “It is slowly turning blue and all I can say is wait until next year.”

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Republicans have long counted on Hamilton County's support in elections, and typically the primaries are considered the municipal elections where the winners are determined. But a revamped county Democratic party entered candidates in 13 local races in Fishers, Carmel, Noblesville and Westfield this year, the most since 2003.

"The demographics are changing here with younger, higher income, better educated people moving in," Weingarten said. "This is not the Hamilton County of 30 years ago."

Vare, DeLong and Nelson echoed the same message to voters: one party rule is not in your best interest.

"People feel like their voices are not being heard in a one-party-ruled city and they really wanted someone who simply got out there and listened to their voices,” said DeLong, a homemaker who moved to Fishers 18 months ago.

Vare, a local business owner and civic activist, said voters emphasized their complaints were not being heard.

"We ran this campaign simply listening to the people of Fishers because that is what they wanted," Vare said. "I've been here 21 years and I know the population is far more diverse than it once was and the needs of all are not being met in one-party rule."

Vare captured the third most votes in a four candidate race for three at-large seats in Fishers. Vare had 25.4% of the vote, just edging Republican incumbent Richard Block, who garnered 22.6%. The other two winners were Republican incumbents Cecilia Coble, with 26.2% of the vote and incumbent Todd Zimmerman with 25.6%.

DeLong edged Republican incumbent Eric Moeller in the North Central District, Democratic challenger Samantha DeLong grabbed 51.4% of the vote.

Meanwhile in the newly created Carmel West District, Democrat Nelson, a business owner, made history by becoming the first Democratic Carmel City Council member since Carmel became a city.

He won 56% of the vote, beating Debra Minott, a retired attorney, despite raising less money than her. Democrats watched that district closely because former U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly and state Sen. J.D. Ford, both Democrats, won that district in 2018

"The people of the west district are hoping for an independent voice," Nelson said. "That’s why they elected me. That’s what I said I would be."

Here's a breakdown of other race results:

Carmel

In the Central District, Republican City Council member Bruce Kimball won with 58.1% of all votes, against challenger Democrat Cleaster Davis.

In the Northeast District, Republican incumbent Sue Finkam, who has served on the council since 2012, won with 70.3% of all votes, against Democrat Ti’Gre McNear.

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Republican City Council member Laura Campbell won the north district with 55.6% of the vote, against Democrat challenger William Howard II.

Fishers

Four term Republican incumbent David George defeated Democratic challenger Adam Kaps with 51.7% in the Southwest District race.

Incumbent John Weingardt bested Democrat Lane Skeeters with 54.6% of the vote in the South Central District.

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Noblesville

In the District 5 council race, 10-year Republican councilman Greg O’Connor defeated Democratic challenger Jason Myer with 67.3% of the vote.

Incumbent Republican Megan Wiles defeated Democratic challenger Jeremy Hawk in District 6 in her bid for a second term. Wiles had 61.5% of the vote.

Republican incumbents defended three at-large seats against a lone Democratic challenger three at-large seats. Darren Peterson defeated all candidates with 28.5%, followed by Mark Boice with 27.7%, Brian Ayer with 27.1% and Democratic challenger Paul Jo Gilliam with 16.5%.

Westfield

The only Westfield contested city council race was the District 5 race between Republican Mike Johns and Independent Kate Healey Snedeker.

Johns won with 59.9% of the vote.

Snedeker does communications work for Westfield Washington Schools and other clients and Johns is a real estate agent and president of his neighborhood’s homeowners association.

Meanwhile, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook won reelection.

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Call IndyStar reporter Kaitlin Lange at 317-432-9270. Follow her on Twitter: @kaitlin_lange.

Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Follow on Twitter and Facebook.