By Lisa Esquivel Long

llong@kpcmedia.com

Republican City Councilman Tom Didier believes it’s time for a change and hopes to unseat incumbent Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry in November’s general election.

The two accepted their parties’ nominations after receiving the majority of votes in their races against competitors after the polls closed May 2. Didier, 61, bested three opponents, including fellow City Councilman Jason Arp, who filed to run in January. Henry defeated fellow Democrat Jorge Fernandez.

Earlier in the day, Didier visited voters at the polls. During one stop where he was asked about his campaign vs. Arp, Didier said, “I’m more pro-business. … The state law is set up where we’re supposed to take the abatement route. … It’s a fundamental use for keeping businesses and also gaining businesses.”

Arp repeatedly has voted “no” on business tax abatements brought before council.

Didier, who has been on council for 20 years and didn’t run again for the 3rd District seat because of his mayoral campaign, said he’s also focused on neighborhoods, which he wants to see strengthened, especially through communication.

“I’m not going to be a mayor that sits at a desk on the 4th floor (of Citizens Square). I’m going to be out with the people every day, asking them what their needs are, and what they’re really wanting in the community.”

Democrats want to keep the mayor’s office but also have set the goal of taking back the city clerk’s office as well as the majority on City Council. It’s been 30 years since Democrats had that, Henry said.

“We’ve had a lot of success in the last 16 years in the city of Fort Wayne, but quite frankly it has been in spite of the majority of City Council, not because of them,” Henry said a Democratic watch party at the Grand Wayne Center. “The four Democrats we have on council have fought tooth and nail to make sure we have become and remain the No. 1 city, seriously, in the state of Indiana.”

Fort Wayne continues to have a net migration in while many cities are losing residents. “I submit to you it’s because of the progressive thinking of a few people on our City Council that have stood up with me and said there’s a lot more that we can do in our city.”

Patti Hays, who defeated Bob Behr for the Democratic nomination for City Council’s 4th District, told her fellow Democrats, “What did we see in the 4th today? it was the one race where there was competition on both sides. And that’s what we need to strive for. Thirty-three years I’ve lived in Fort Wayne and there have been too many races where there hasn’t been a Democrat on the ballot, and there’s no race and we end up with 25-30% voter turnout and we see apathy. We need every race to be like the 4th District today.”

Fort Wayne City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker, who represents the 6th District, called on her fellow Democrats to get voters to put five Democrats on City Council. “We need five votes to keep the mayor’s plan moving forward. We need five votes to add common sense to government. And we need five votes to make sure there’s another Democratic chair sitting in that seat.”

“That’s going to be a long shot,” Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine said of the City Council goal by Democrats. “We have three superstars in our City Council at-large races: Marty Bender, Tom Freistroffer and Luke Fries. In fact the strength of their candidacies became quite obvious when for the first time in my 30 years as chairman that I can recall there were no other competitors but the three individuals running for at-large seats. … That means there was a lot of belief that these three had the hubris and vision and the insight to be elected at large. We will win the three at-large seats, we will win the 4th District, the 1st District, the 2nd District and the 3rd District, and those races will result in an even greater majority of Republicans on City Council.”

For the top job, Didier “brings youth, enthusiasm, excitement and a real desire to lead the city to even greater heights than we have had,” Shine said. “He brings a new perspective on government. I think that after four terms as mayor, it’s time to have a fresh outlook on the way things are operated in the city.” Didier has a strong support from both Democrats and Republicans.

“I really believe this is going to be a Republican year for the mayor, the city clerk, and for the (City) Council seats,” he said.

Races were held in Fort Wayne and Leo-Cedarville. There were no primary contests in New Haven or the five other municipalities in Allen County.

The primary saw a 10.3% voter turnout, with 13,526 voters casting ballots on the cold and rainy Election Day. The Allen County Election Board reported that 665 absentee ballots were received and 4,856 individuals cast early votes in person, for a total of 2.99% of the county’s 184,854 registered voters.

The board had results recorded from all 189 precincts within two hours of polls closing at 6 p.m.

These races were on the May 2 ballot, and voters were required to choose either a Republican or Democratic straight ballot, meaning they could only choose candidates on the party they indicated. Winners’ names in contested races are bolded:

Fort Wayne, Democratic ballot

Mayor

Jorge Fernandez 22.00%

Thomas C. Henry (incumbent) 78.00%

City Clerk

Porsche J. Williams

City Council at large

(Vote for 3)

Michelle Chambers (incumbent) 34.17%

Stephanie Crandall 26.12%

Audrey Davis 24.41%

Sean Johnson 15.30%

City Council District 1

No candidate

City Council District 2

Melissa Rinehart

City Council District 3

No candidate

City Council District 4

Bob Behr 19.24%

Patti Hays 80.76%

City Council District 5

Geoff Paddock (incumbent)

City Council District 6

Sharon Tucker (incumbent)

Fort Wayne Republican ballot

Mayor

Jason Arp 33.35%

Jesse Crammer 1.11%

Thomas (Tom) Didier 64.05%

Eddie Ribel 1.49%

City Clerk

Lana R. Keesling (incumbent)

City Council at large

(Vote for 3)

Martin (Marty) Bender

Thomas Freistroffer (incumbent)

Luke Fries

City Council District 1

Paul Ensley (incumbent)

City Council District 2

Russ Jehl (incumbent)

City Council District 3

Nathan Hartman 58.04%

Mike Thomas 41.96%

City Council District 4

Scott Myers 55.50%

Joseph (Joe) Townsend 44.50%

City Council District 5

No candidate

City Council District 6

No candidate

Leo-Cedarville Republican

Clerk-treasurer

Brenda Shale

Town Council

(Vote for 2)

Timothy (Tim) George 27.79%

Brian Jarboe 38.40%

Andy Jones 33.81%

There is no Democratic primary in Leo-Cedarville.

Voter registration for the Nov. 7 general election begins May 16.

Visit https://allencountyinvoters.gov for voting locations by precinct and to see sample ballots for those precincts.