Will Democrats Gain Ground on Election Day?

If you were running for election in Hamilton County in the past, you had to run as a Republican if you wanted to get the votes.

It used to be that way in Fishers and in Carmel, but no more. The tide is turning.

For many years, Hamilton County has leaned conservative and is mostly known as a Republican county.

Democrats have had little chance when running for political office, so few have thrown their hats into the ring.

However, more recently, more Democrats have been running for office here in the county.

And not all of the candidates with an “R” with their name are as conservative, and some Republicans may even lean more liberal in thought than other Republicans. Critics call them RINOs – Republicans In Name Only.

If you’re voting for a Republican who leans more liberal, the only reason he or she may be elected to the office could be because the individual put an “R” in front of his or her name. Because, with a “D” with his or her name, the individual wouldn’t have gotten there. And once these candidates get in office, they can be more liberal, more Democratic than Republican.

Let’s face it. You get more traction running as a Republican in Noblesville.

In today’s Primary Election, 19 Democrats are running for 18 seats in Hamilton County’s city and town municipal races.

In these municipal races, four years ago, in 2019, 11 Democrats ran for office; in 2015, four Democrats ran for office; in 2011, three Democrats ran for office; and, in 2007, 12 Democrats ran for office.

Yes, the number of Democratic candidates vary from year to year, but this year, the number is the highest for those running for city and town municipal seats.

Should we expect to see the number of Democrats running for office to continue to climb?

Could Hamilton County be slowly turning purple, or from red (Republican) to blue (Democrat)?

According to an article in the Washington Post, renters, who tend to be more liberal, lean more Democrat.

And we are definitely seeing a lot of apartments going up all over Hamilton County. But where are the renters moving from?

When The Levinson opened in 2021 in downtown Noblesville, of the 31 tenants who moved in on opening day, only 10 were from Noblesville. Tenants hailed from Muncie, California, New York City, downtown Indy and outlying areas.

While renters are much less likely to vote than homeowners, according to statistics, in Fishers, there are more Democrats running for political office than ever before, with eight Democrats running for eight seats. This is the largest number to represent the Democratic Party on a Fishers municipal ballot ever, according to the Hamilton County Democratic Party. In Carmel, eight Democrats are also running for eight seats.

And there are a lot of political yard signs up this year for these candidates, showing their growing strength.

In Noblesville, Paula Jo Gilliam, who has run several times for office, including Council, as well as Township Board in the last primary election, is the only Democrat running for a Noblesville office, for Noblesville Common Council, for an At-Large seat.

In Westfield, Alexis Lowry is running for Westfield City Council District 4, and Democrat Gary Lane is running for Westfield City Council At-Large.

In Hamilton County, 45.4 percent of voters voted Democrat in the last presidential election, and 52.2 percent voted Republican, and 2.4 percent voted Independent. In Carmel, President Joe Biden won in 2020.

With Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard retiring, three Republicans are running for the seat, plus one Democrat, Miles Nelson, who has been a member of Carmel City Council since 2019, and is the first and only Democrat to serve on the Council.

In Fishers, Jocelyn Vare is currently sitting on Fishers City Council, in an at-large seat, after being the first Democrat to be elected for a Fishers municipal office. Democrat Crystal Neumann, representing North Central District, also sits on the Fishers City Council. Both are running for re-election

In Noblesville, there have been few Democrat mayors. John L. Dulin was the first Democratic mayor, from 1905-06; and Robert V. Wical was the second Democratic mayor, 1976-1979, and was the first full-time mayor. Murphy White, who was the first African-American elected to Noblesville Common Council, was also the lone Democrat on Council, after Grant Caca, a Democrat who served one term on the Council starting in 1904.

So before you get out and vote today, you still have time to do a little research on your candidates. And you can also find a list of contributors to their campaign funds on the Hamilton County Election website.

Voting is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. today. Find everything that you need to know – including voting location – at www.indianavoters.in.gov

With nearly 200 voting precincts open today for Election Day, find your polling location at www.hamiltoncounty.in.gov/219/electionoffice, where registered voters will also find precinct and district maps, current election information, candidates’ campaign finance reports and more. For more information or to find a polling location, call the Hamilton County Election Office at (317) 776-8476. To read candidates’ campaign reports, visit https://secure2.hamiltoncounty.in.gov/CampaignFinance/

-Betsy Reason writes about people, places and things in Hamilton County. Contact The Times editor Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.