1991 Indianapolis mayoral election

none January 2025 September 2023 1991 Indianapolis mayoral election Indianapolis presidential no 34.1%Bodenhamer David J. The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis Indiana University Press 1994 0-253-31222-1 1356 and 1357 https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C 1987 Indianapolis mayoral election 1987 1995 Indianapolis mayoral election 1995 November 5, 1991 File:Stephen Goldsmith (1).jpg 150x150px Stephen Goldsmith Republican Party (United States) 124,100 56.65% File:3x4.svg Louis Mahern Democratic Party (United States) 109,761 40.90% 200px Mayor William H. Hudnut III Republican Party (United States) Stephen Goldsmith Republican Party (United States) The Indianapolis mayoral election of 1991 took place on November 5, 1991, and saw the election of Republican Stephen Goldsmith. Background No Democrat had won the Indianapolis mayoralty since 1963, largely due to the 1970 city-county merger that created the Unigov. This merger added the votes of suburban Marion County to the mayoral electorate, which shifted its composition towards the Republicans.Rickett Christopher Richard Lugar and Uni-Gov: 5 Things About The Government Merger That Redrew Indianapolis https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2019/04/29/richard-lugar-unigov-5-things-about-government-merger-that-redrew-indianapolis/3611406002/ Indianapolis Star 21 April 2020 en 29 April 2019 Prior to the 1970 merger, Democrats had dominated mayoral elections –winning ten of the preceding fourteen elections.Running for Mayor https://collections.libraries.indiana.edu/lugar/exhibits/show/mayor/mayoralcampaign Indiana University Bloomington 11 September 2019 Republicans, however, had won all five Unigov-era mayoral elections held in the twenty-years prior to 1991.McNichol Dunstan County GOP Gets Sobering News; Results of Election to Scramble Race for Mayor https://www.newspapers.com/image/312884172 Newspapers.com The Indianapolis News September 27, 2025 1 en November 7, 1991 After the results of the November 1990 elections, hopes arose that Democrats might break-through with their first Unigov-era mayoral victory. Incumbent four-term mayor William Hudnut III saw a disappointing vote share in Marion County in his unsuccessful campaign for Indiana Secretary of State. Democratic nominee Jeff Modisett won election as Marion County Prosecutor, ending a twelve-year stretch of Republican officeholders. Additionally, Democratic judges obtained a majority of seats on the Marion County Superior Court after the results of the November 1990 county judicial elections. Nominations Primaries were held in May. Democratic primary State senator Louis Mahern won the Democratic primary. Republican primary Following his failed 1990 run for Secretary of State, Hudnut announced in December 1990 that he would not seek reelection in the following year's election.Bodenhamer David J. The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis Indiana University Press 1994 0-253-31222-1 538 and 539 https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C Marion County prosecutor Stephen Goldsmith defeated state senator Virginia Blankenbaker for the Republican nomination. Before the primary, Goldsmith had secured the endorsement of the county Republican caucus. Blankenbaker unsuccessfully sought to win by attracting crossover votes from individuals who usually supported Democrats. Write-in candidates Wayne T. Harris, reverend John Plemons General election General election campaign On education, Goldsmith was a supporter of school choice, increased parental involvement in education, and an opponent of court ordered desegregation busing. Mahern similarly supported school choice and argued for the need to reestablish neighborhood schools. Both candidates supported completing the construction of the Circle Centre mall. Goldsmith, however, promised not to spend any more public funds on it. On crime, both candidates supported community policing. Mahern supported implementing a waiting period for the purchase of guns. Both candidates argued that the city needed to undertake infrastructure improvements. Both candidates opposed raising property taxes to fund such improvements. Mahern was supportive of an increase in the city's sewer tax, and sought to create a commuter tax. Goldsmith was open to increasing user fees to pay for infrastructure expenditures. The two candidates disagreed on the expense of infrastructure demands. Mahern endorsed the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce's report on infrastructure, while Goldsmith contended that between $100 and 200 million could be cut from the report's $1.1 billion cost estimate. Both candidates proposed selling municipal assets in order to raise funds. The campaign saw a heavy amount of negative campaigning, with the two nominees spending a combined $2 million on television, radio, and direct-mail advertisements (a record amount of advertising spending for an Indianapolis mayoral election). By late-1991, Goldsmith had established a clear lead in opinion polls, and the both candidates spent the final weeks of the campaign focused on attracting voters by taking positions on various social issues. Mahern courted the gay community and sought to win-over support from female voters by staking out a pro-choice stance on abortion. Goldsmith ran advertisements touting himself as a supporter of equal opportunities in employment and increased amounts child support for women. Late in the campaign, Mahern quickly endorsed an incentive plan by Mayor Hadnut and Governor Evan Bayh to bring a maintenance facility for United Airlines to the city (adding an expected 18,000 new jobs). Goldsmith held off on initially endorsing the plan, and Mahern attacked him over this. Goldsmith defended his hesitancy to immediately endorse the plan as an example of himself looking out for taxpayer interests, and ultimately backed the plan. General election result Less than half of the city's 417,000 eligible voters participated in the election. Mahern lost a significant share of the traditionally-Democratic Catholic vote, which some experts attributed to his stance on abortion. Mahern received strong support from African American voters. Goldsmith overwhelming won the city's outlying, primarily white, precincts. Democrats flipped four seats in the coinciding City-County Council elections, with the council going from having 22 Republicans and 7 Democrats before the election to having 18 Republicans and 11 Democrats win election in 1991.Marion County Election Board Releases official Totals https://www.newspapers.com/image/313255191 Newspapers.com The Indianapolis News 31 en November 11, 1991 1991 Indianapolis mayoral electionSobol David Municipal Election of 1991 https://indyencyclopedia.org/municipal-election-of-1991/ Encyclopedia of Indianapolis September 27, 2025 March 27, 2021 Republican Party (United States) Stephen Goldsmith 110545 56.65 Democratic Party (United States) Louis Mahern 79817 40.90 write-in Wayne T. Harris 4684 2.40 write-in John Plemons 84 0.04 195130 30,728 Republican Party (United States) Democratic Party (United States) References 1987 Indianapolis mayoral election1991 1995 1991 Category:1991 United States mayoral elections Category:1991 Indiana elections