2019 South Bend mayoral election explained

Election Name:2019 South Bend mayoral election
Flag Image:Flag of South Bend, Indiana.svg
Type:presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Year:2015
Next Year:2023
Election Date:November 5, 2019
Turnout:15%
Nominee1:James Mueller
Party1:Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:9,437
Percentage1:63.41%
Nominee2:Sean M. Haas
Party2:Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:5,445
Percentage2:36.58%
Mayor
Before Election:Pete Buttigieg
Before Party:Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:James Mueller
After Party:Democratic Party (United States)

The 2019 South Bend, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 5, 2019, to determine the next mayor of South Bend, Indiana.

On December 17, 2018, incumbent two-term Democratic mayor Pete Buttigieg announced that he would not seek reelection to a third term.[1] Speculation arose that Buttigieg was considering a run for President of the United States,[2] [3] [4] [5] and Buttigieg would later announce his 2020 presidential campaign. The general election race to succeed Buttigieg as mayor was between Democratic nominee James Mueller and Republican nominee Sean M. Haas.[6] Mueller won the election.

The election coincided with races for the Common Council[7] [8] [9] and for South Bend City Clerk.[8] [9] [10]

Nominations

The primaries were held May 7.[11] The filing period for candidates to run in primaries was from January 9 through February 8.

During the primaries, St. Joseph County, where South Bend is located, saw voter turnout of 15.05% in its various primary elections.[8] [9] [12] This was an increase of roughly 3% from the primaries four years prior.[13] This was also greater than the state of Indiana's average of 12.87% voter turnout in counties that were holding 2019 municipal primaries.[12]

Absentee voting ballots in the South Bend primaries numbered at 2,974.[14]

Democratic primary

Speculation began to arise in early 2017, during Buttigieg's unsuccessful campaign in the Democratic National Committee chairmanship election, that he might not seek reelection,[15] with some speculation even existing that he might resign before the end of his second term.[16] Potential candidates, considering runs if Buttigieg were not to run, began to emerge.[15]

While a quite competitive race, the Democratic primary was rather tame in its character, with very little mudslinging between candidates. In early January, immediately before the filing period for candidates would begin, prospective candidates James Mueller, Jason Critchlow, Lynn Coleman, and Aaron Perri held a meeting in which they agreed that, if they ran, they would try to keep the city's Democratic Party unified.[17] [18]

In February, Buttigieg endorsed candidate James Mueller as his preferred successor.[19] Mueller largely ran a campaign promising to continue the progress made under Buttigieg's mayoralty.[20] Buttigieg appeared in campaign ads for Mueller and even donated to Mueller's campaign.[21] Mueller, a first-time candidate for public office, ultimately won a solid victory in a crowded primary field.[22] Prior to launching his campaign Mueller lacked name recognition.[23] Mueller, followed by Critchlow, was the candidate that led in fundraising.[24] [25]

Mueller was not alone in praising Buttigieg's tenure and promising to build upon it. Critchlow, for one, also praised Buttigieg's leadership and promised to continue the progress made under it.

Candidate Regina Williams-Preston was somewhat critical of the incumbent mayor, being particularly critical of his Vacant & Abandoned Properties Initiative[26] [27] [28] [29] (she had first run for her Common Council seat in 2015 as a strong opponent of the initiative).[30] [31] However, she also offered him praise for making more funds and resources available to low-income residents for the purposes of repairing their homes.[30] Williams-Preston is the daughter of George Williams, Jr., who in 1975 ran for the Republican nomination for mayor, the first black man to seek the city's mayoralty.[32] [33]

No ethnic minority has ever been elected mayor of South Bend.[34] This meant that if either Oliver Davis (African American),[35] [36] Shane Inez (Afro-Latin American),[37] Salvador Rodriguez (Hispanic),[38] or Williams-Preston (African American)[39] were elected mayor, they would have been the first ethnic minorities to hold the office. No woman has been mayor of South Bend,[40] thus Williams-Preston would also have been the first female mayor if she had been elected.

On March 5 Indiana University South Bend hosted a debate attended by seven of the candidates for mayor.[41] [42] Further debates and forums were hosted by IU South Bend.[43] [44] A forum was also hosted by the local NAACP.[45]

In the weeks leading up to the primary, Mueller, Critchlow, and Coleman were the three candidates who had the greatest television advertising presence.[46]

Candidates

Withdrawn
Declined to run

Results

Mueller placed first in Districts 1, 3, 4, and 5.[63] Coleman placed first in Districts 2 and 6.[63] The two districts where a plurality of the vote was carried by Coleman are the city's only majority-minority districts.[64]

Two Common Council members running for mayor failed to carry their own districts, with Regina Williams-Preston winning only 119 votes in the 2nd district (finishing 5th-place there) and Oliver Davis winning only 138 votes in the 6th district (finishing 4th-place there).[63]

Results by district
District Coleman Critchlow Mueller Others Total
Votes%Votes%Votes%Votes%
1660 27.95% 473 20.03% 851 36.04% 337 14.27% 2,361
2731 47.01% 247 15.88% 260 16.72% 317 20.39% 1,555
3262 15.47% 456 26.92% 734 43.33% 242 14.29% 1,694
4387 13.80% 679 24.22% 1,399 49.89% 339 12.09% 2,804
5335 14.29% 857 36.55% 946 40.34% 207 8.83% 2,345
6414 33.91% 366 29.98% 244 19.98% 197 16.13% 1,221

Out of 87 voting precincts, Mueller won 41, Coleman won 22, and Critchlow won 17.[63]

Republican primary

Sean M. Haas ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.[11]

With a turnout of 908 voters,[11] the Republican primary is the second-lowest Republican primary turnout in modern South Bend mayoral election history.[65] [66] [67]

Results

General election

Mueller continued to campaign upon promising to continue the progress made under Buttigieg's tenure. One of the themes of a general ad campaign by Mueller was "Working with Pete".[68] In contrast, Haas criticized Buttigieg and adopted the campaign catch-phase "No RePetes" (a play on the word "repeats").[69] Haas called for the resignation of mayor Buttigieg due to his extended absence from the city during his presidential candidacy.[69] [70]

The Republican Party had not been successful in South Bend mayoral elections in decades.[69] Haas did not entirely embrace the identity of the party he was nominated by, declaring that he was more of a "centrist" than a Republican.[69] He openly admitted to not having voted in party primaries in years, and also had admitted that he voted for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.[69] He also stated that in the 2016 presidential election he "probably" voted for a third party candidate, but was not able to recall.[69]

Haas at one point declared himself to be "pro-life" on the issue of abortion, but later stated that he that believes that abortion should be, “safe, legal, and rare," but that, in the years since Roe v. Wade, he believes abortion, "hasn't been rare enough".[69]

Both candidates were in favor of retaining the city identification card program that had already been launched.

Each candidate had laid out plans to address crime and public safety in the city.[71] Mueller outlined 32 actionable items categorized into four groups.[71] [72] The four categories of Mueller's plans were reducing violence; recruiting and retaining a diverse police force; building more relationships through community policing and improving resident participation; and officer training and policies.[71] [72] Key components of Mueller's plan included expanding the Group Violence Intervention program, establishing a summer youth jobs program, creating a community advisory board, and collaborating with Mishawaka and St. Joseph County leaders to incorporate the existing metro homicide unit into a “major crimes unit".[71] [72] Haas stated that his public safety plans started with a focus on "building relationships" between the community and its police force.[71] Haas stated that he would also seek more "micro-community policing", under which officers create specially-designed crime-fighting plans for specific areas of the city.[71] Haas also desired to revive Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs in South Bend schools.[71] Haas also had promised to add 50 or more officers to the city's police force.[71] Mueller had disagreed with Haas' proposal to budget for more police officers, arguing that, while Haas had claimed that there are only 210 police on the streets of the city, the city is budgeted for a police force of 240 officers, a ratio of 2.36 officers per every 1,000 residents. Mueller claimed that this ratio outranks those of Indianapolis, Elkhart, and Mishawaka.[71]

Haas had proposed reforming the city's Board of Public Safety to have, in addition to the three members appointed by the mayor, four additional members. One additional member to be an elected judge and the other three would be elected to the board by the city's voters.[73]

Mueller's campaign also placed an emphasis on racial justice reform, with Mueller arguing that there needed to be community wide changes as well as changes within the police department to achieve this.[74]

The sole debate between the two candidates was held October 1 at Indiana University South Bend.[75] During the debate, Haas denied that systemic racism exists.[69] [75] Those comments drew criticism.[76]

Endorsements

Results

Turnout among registered voters was approximately 15%, up 1% from the previous mayoral election.[64]

Vote totals were 14,882.[64] This was below the average of vote totals for South Bend mayoral elections since 1999, which was 15,826.[64] The vote total, however, would rank at the median among South Bend mayoral elections since 1999.[77] [78] [79] [65] [67]

Mueller's victory marked the 13th straight South Bend mayoral election in which a Democrat has won.[80] The last South Bend mayoral election won by a Republican was in 1967.[80] Democrats have won all South Bend mayoral elections since 1971.

Mueller carried four of the city's five districts. Haas carried the city's 5th district (winning 51% of the vote there)[64] The 5th district has some strongly Republican precincts,[81] and for decades has been represented on South Bend's common council by a Republican (being the city's only district represented by a Republican ever since 1991).[82]

Mueller performed strongest in majority-minority neighborhoods.[64] The 2nd and 6th districts are the city's only majority non-white districts. In the combined vote of these two districts, Mueller enjoyed 68% of the vote.[64]

External links

Campaign websites

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Byrne . Robert . Pete Buttigieg to Step Down as Mayor of South Bend Next Year . Victory Institute . 23 May 2019 . 17 December 2018.
  2. Web site: Brown . Alex . South Bend Mayor Not Seeking Re-Election . Inside Indiana Business . 8 September 2019 . 17 December 2018.
  3. Web site: McKinney . Matt . South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will not run for re-election, fueling presidential run speculation . The Indy Channel . . 16 September 2019 . 17 December 2018.
  4. Web site: Buttigieg Won't Seek 3rd Term As South Bend Mayor, Fueling 2020 Speculation . WFYI Indianapolis/ Associated Press . 17 September 2019 . 17 December 2018.
  5. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Amid 2020 Speculation, South Bend Mayor Won't Seek Another Term . Governing/Tribune News Service . 17 September 2019 . 17 December 2018.
  6. Web site: 2019 General Election Candidates . St. Joseph County . 23 September 2019.
  7. Web site: Mark . Peterson . Voters finally show interest in South Bend primary election . . 17 September 2019 . 6 May 2019.
  8. Web site: Unofficial Results Primary Election St. Joseph County May 7, 2019 Statistics . St. Joseph County . 23 September 2019.
  9. Web site: 2019 Primary Election. St. Joseph County . 23 September 2019.
  10. Web site: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Re: The resignation, vacancy and replacement of Clerk Kareemah Fowler . St. Joeseph County Democrats . 17 September 2019 . 29 July 2019.
  11. Web site: UNOFFICIAL RESULTS PRIMARY ELECTION ST. JOSEPH COUNTY MAY 7, 2019 . 23 May 2019.
  12. Web site: Indiana Election Results . Indiana Election Division . 25 September 2019 . 6 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190506182635/https://indianaenr.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/site/index.html . dead .
  13. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Pete Buttigieg rolls to victory in South Bend mayoral primary . South Bend Tribune . 8 September 2019 . 6 May 2015.
  14. Web site: Peterson . Mark . Voters finally show interest in South Bend primary election . WNDU . 23 September 2019 . 6 May 2019.
  15. Web site: Oliver Davis to run for South Bend mayor if Buttigieg leaves . WNDU-TV . 17 September 2019 . 3 January 2017.
  16. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Who would next lead South Bend if Buttigieg leaves? . South Bend Tribune . 17 September 2019 . 6 January 2017.
  17. Web site: Some potential candidates for South Bend mayor agree to keep party unified if they run . WSBT-TV . 27 May 2019 . 8 January 2019.
  18. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . All confirmed potential South Bend mayoral candidates still mulling race . South Bend Tribune . 17 September 2019 . 8 January 2019.
  19. Web site: South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg endorses James Mueller as his pick to replace him. WSBT-TV . 24 October 2019 . 11 February 2019.
  20. Web site: Hudson . Melissa . Primary election: James Mueller wins Democratic nomination for South Bend mayor . ABC 57 . . 23 May 2019 . 7 May 2019.
  21. Web site: Becker . Lauren . Slew of Democrats hoping to replace Buttigieg busy fundraising, mobilizing voters . . 27 May 2019 . 2 May 2019.
  22. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . James Mueller rolls to victory in South Bend mayoral primary . South Bend Tribune . 23 May 2019 . 8 May 2019.
  23. Web site: Colwell . Jack . Colwell: Another big victory for Mayor Pete, even though he wasn't on the ballot . South Bend Tribune . 27 May 2019 . 12 May 2019.
  24. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Two candidates for South Bend mayor outpace the field in campaign fundraising . South Bend Tribune . 24 May 2019 . 23 April 2019.
  25. Web site: Campaign 2019: Election Day results . WSBT-TV . 27 May 2019 . 6 May 2019 . 27 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190527194708/https://wsbt.com/news/election/election-day-is-tomorrow-heres-what-you-need-to-know . dead .
  26. Web site: Colwell . Jack . Colwell: Who will be the next mayor of South Bend? . South Bend Tribune . 31 May 2019 . 28 April 2019.
  27. Web site: South Bend mayoral candidate says her code violations will help a push for 'equal protection' . Parrott . Jeff . 28 March 2019 . South Bend Tribune . 1 June 2019 .
  28. Web site: Sikich . Chris . Pete Buttigieg says he's mayor of a turnaround city. Here's how that claim stands up. . Indianapolis Star . 11 June 2019 . 21 March 2019.
  29. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Buttigieg record with black South Bend residents under spotlight. 'He's got some work to do.' . South Bend Tribune . 17 September 2019 . 22 April 2019.
  30. Web site: Gomez . Henry J. . What Happened When Pete Buttigieg Tore Down Houses In Black And Latino South Bend . . 24 September 2019 . 9 April 2019.
  31. Web site: Regina Williams-Preston wins South Bend 2nd District seat . South Bend Tribune . 24 September 2019 . 3 November 2015.
  32. Web site: George Williams Jr., reaction to mayoral candidacy, 1975 – 1 . digital.library.in.gov . 12 November 2020.
  33. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Regina Williams-Preston wants equity, development for neighborhoods as South Bend mayor . South Bend Tribune . 12 November 2020 . en . 13 April 2019.
  34. Web site: Swiercz . Greg . South Bend City Clerk Kareemah Fowler to become chief financial officer for South Bend schools . South Bend Tribune . 17 September 2019 . 16 July 2019.
  35. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Mayoral candidate Oliver Davis says his work has helped push South Bend forward . South Bend Tribune . 23 September 2019 . 11 April 2019.
  36. Web site: Baird . Addy . Pete Buttigieg Said He Can't Fire Racist Cops. That's Not The Whole Story. . Buzzfeed News . 26 September 2019 . 27 June 2019.
  37. Web site: McDermott . Grace . Mayoral candidate Shane Inez hopes to invest in underprivileged communities . South Bend Tribune . 23 September 2019 . 9 April 2019.
  38. Web site: Mayoral candidate Salvador Rodriguez wants to give the city's youth a voice . St. Martin . Victoria . 8 April 2019 . South Bend Tribune . 23 September 2019.
  39. Web site: Baird . Addy . Is 'Mayor Pete' too good to be true? . . 23 September 2019 . 6 April 2019.
  40. Web site: A Look Back: A mayoral mix . South Bend Tribune . 28 September 2019 . 22 June 2015.
  41. Web site: Smedley . Megan . South Bend Democratic mayoral candidates participate in public debate . . 27 May 2019 . 5 March 2019.
  42. Web site: Dejong . Carter . First mayoral forum hosted in Addicott/Yoshi Performance Hall . The Preface . 27 May 2019 . 13 March 2019.
  43. Web site: Public invited to forums, debates featuring South Bend city primary election candidates . South Bend Tribune . 27 May 2019 . 22 February 2019.
  44. Web site: Nine mayoral candidates set to debate . The Preface . 17 September 2019 . 2 March 2019.
  45. Web site: Bailey . Jonathan . South Bend NAACP hosts mayoral town hall . ABC57 . WBND-LD . 27 May 2019 . 30 March 2019.
  46. Web site: Campaign 2019: James Mueller wins South Bend Democratic mayoral primary . WSBT-TV . 10 June 2019 . 7 May 2019.
  47. Web site: Bauer . Caleb . Ten in the running for South Bend mayor's race as filing period ends . South Bend Tribune . 27 May 2019 . 9 February 2019.
  48. Web site: Fosmoe . Margaret . Lynn Coleman announces he will file today for South Bend mayor's race . South Bend Tribune . 10 September 2019 . 6 February 2019.
  49. Web site: Blasko . Erin . Oliver Davis elected South Bend council president . South Bend Tribune . 23 November 2019 . en . 6 January 2014.
  50. Web site: Top Buttigieg Aide Wins South Bend Democratic Mayoral Bid . U.S. News (Associated Press) . 24 May 2019 . 8 May 2019.
  51. Web site: Peterson . Mark . Nine Dems running for South Bend mayor . WNDU . 24 May 2019 . 8 February 2019.
  52. Web site: Local Races . WNDU-TV . 17 September 2019.
  53. Web site: Teenage candidate will run for mayor in South Bend . WSBT . 16 September 2019 . 11 January 2019.
  54. Web site: Oberle . Marissa . Salvador Rodriguez dropping out of South Bend mayoral race . ABC 57 . WBND-LD . 27 May 2019 . 4 May 2019.
  55. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Pete Buttigieg will not seek a third term as South Bend mayor . South Bend Tribune . 16 September 2019 . 18 December 2018 . 5 June 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190605065828/https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/politics/pete-buttigieg-will-not-seek-a-third-term-as-south/article_0399eb60-365a-5f18-b98c-de8cc9010831.html . dead .
  56. Web site: Doherty . Tucker . Pete Buttigieg lost black support between 2 mayoral runs, data shows . Politico . 21 July 2019 . 8 July 2019.
  57. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Bauer . Caleb . Here are the potential candidates to run for South Bend mayor . South Bend Tribune . 27 May 2019 . 18 December 2019 . 29 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190329061631/https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/politics/here-are-the-potential-candidates-to-run-for-south-bend/article_13c42bd0-4c76-5ba5-8053-7b417e0ac769.html . dead .
  58. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Potential South Bend mayoral candidates debate access to list of precinct chairpersons . South Bend Tribune . 16 September 2019 . 10 February 2017.
  59. Web site: Peterson . Mark . South Bend mayoral candidates begin to announce their intentions . WNDU-TV . 1 June 2019 . 11 January 2019.
  60. Web site: Lee . Tommie . The race for South Bend Mayor is heating up . 953 MNC . WTRC-FM . 17 September 2019 . 11 January 2019.
  61. Web site: Fosmoe . Margaret . South Bend mayor's race heats up: Another candidate in, 3 others move closer . South Bend Tribune . 17 September 2019 . 12 January 2019.
  62. Web site: Hignett . Katherine . PETE BUTTIGIEG HAS BEEN AWAY FROM SOUTH BEND FOR ALMOST HALF OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS (AND IT'S DOING JUST FINE WITHOUT ITS MAYOR) . . 1 June 2019 . 20 May 2019.
  63. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Turnout in key areas drove James Mueller's win in South Bend mayoral primary . South Bend Tribune . 24 May 2019 . 10 May 2019.
  64. Web site: Parrot . Jeff . West side support helps drive James Mueller's South Bend mayoral win . South Bend Tribune . 8 November 2019 . 7 November 2019.
  65. Web site: Historical Election Results . Indiana.gov Voter Portal . 10 April 2019.
  66. Jack . Colwell . 2 cities, 2 mayor trends . Howey Politics Indiana . 1 September 2011 . 17 . 4 . 15 September 2019.
  67. Web site: Historical Election Results . Indiana.gov Voter Portal . 2 May 2019.
  68. Web site: Colwell . Jack . Colwell: National politics factored in South Bend mayoral results . South Bend Tribune . 11 November 2019 . 10 November 2019.
  69. News: Holder . Sarah . South Bend's Mayoral Election Could Decide More than Pete Buttigieg's Replacement . Bloomberg.com . Citylab . 18 October 2019 . 15 October 2019.
  70. Web site: Mayoral candidate renews call for Buttigieg's resignation . WNDU . 18 October 2019 . 3 July 2019.
  71. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . South Bend mayoral candidates outline their plans on crime, violence as election nears . South Bend Tribune . 18 October 2019 . 9 October 2019.
  72. Web site: REFORMING PUBLIC SAFETY JAMES MUELLER'S PLAN TO MAKE US ALL SAFER . James Mueller for Mayor . 18 October 2019.
  73. Web site: Where they stand: Q&A with South Bend mayoral candidates on the issues . South Bend Tribune . 21 October 2019 . 14 October 2019.
  74. Web site: Kelley . Tana . Mayor Mueller talks protests, next steps to real change . ABC57 . WBND-LD . 12 November 2020 . en . 4 July 2020.
  75. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . Democrat James Mueller, Republican Sean Haas square off in only South Bend mayoral race debate . South Bend Tribune . 18 October 2019 . 2 October 2019.
  76. Web site: Walker . Kylie . South Bend NAACP responds to systemic racism comments made by Republican mayoral candidate . ABC57 . WBND-LD . 18 October 2019 . 3 October 2019.
  77. Indiana 2003 Racing Form Indiana 2003 Mayoral Races . The Howey Political Report . 27 February 2003 . 9 . 26 . 10 September 2019.
  78. Web site: Historical Election Results . Indiana.gov Voter Portal . 7 September 2019.
  79. Web site: Historical Election Results . Indiana.gov Voter Portal . 7 September 2019.
  80. Web site: Parrott . Jeff . James Mueller elected South Bend's next mayor, succeeding friend and ex-boss Pete Buttigieg . South Bend Tribune . 6 November 2019 . 5 November 2019.
  81. Web site: Cowell . Jack . Jack Colwell: Sizing up South Bend, Mishawaka mayoral races . Howey Politics . 8 September 2019 . 4 December 2014 . 8 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191108040306/https://howeypolitics.com/Content/Columns/Columns/Article/Jack-Colwell-Sizing-up-South-Bend-Mishawaka-mayoral-races/10/20/12064 . dead .
  82. Web site: Bauer . Caleb . South Bend council will be majority women, marking historic milestone . South Bend Tribune . 8 November 2019 . 6 November 2019.

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