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More Than A Dozen Indiana Cities Will Have Independent Mayoral Candidates This Year

City of Frankfort

While Indianapolis pastor Charles Harrison ponders a third-party bid for mayor, independents in other cities are already off and running. Independents have launched mayoral bids in at least 15 cities.

In Tipton, Southport and Butler, independents are the only challengers to Republican mayors. Former Tipton Mayor Dan Delph was a Democrat when he won the job in 2007, but has voted in Republican primaries since losing in the Democratic primary in 2011, forcing him to mount his comeback bid as an independent.  

In Bedford, the roles are reversed: Mayor Shawna Girgis, Indiana‘s only incumbent independent mayor, is seeking a third term against Republican challenger Brad Bough.

Mitchell will have a four-way contest, with two independents challenging the two major-party nominees.

Libertarians are fielding just four mayoral candidates this year, but have a one-on-one contest in Frankfort, where Jaime McKinney is challenging Republican incumbent Chris McBarnes. The city has been friendly to third-party candidates in the past: Chris Pippenger won the mayor‘s race as an independent in 2007.