The makeup of the Allen County Council will shift again in January, as local Republican candidates swept the three at large seats on the county’s fiscal body.
The sweep came amid a very successful election day for Republicans nationwide, marked by Former President Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Congressman Jim Banks also handily defeated Democrat Valerie McCray for one of Indiana’s two U.S. Senate seats, while Senator Jim Braun beat Jennifer McCormick, Indiana’s last state superintendent of public instruction, for the governor’s office.
In remarks delivered to the assembled crowd Tuesday at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne, Banks thanked his supporters and promised to fight for the state. Even before Banks stepped on to the stage to address the crowd, a group of young supporters chanted his name, a reflection of the jovial mood held by those in attendance..
“Indiana is a Conservative State. Indiana deserves a conservative senator fighting for us,” Banks said.
Locally, incumbent councilmen Ken Fries and Robert Armstrong will return next year for their second and fourth terms, respectively, while newcomer Lindsey Hammond will begin her first term in January.
According to unofficial results for Allen County, Fries received the most number of votes of the three candidates with 71,410 total votes, which amounts to about 20.5% of ballots cast. Armstrong came in just under Fries with 19.5% of the vote — about 68,104 total votes. Hammond received 63,415 total votes, about 18% of the ballots cast, unofficial results state.
“I feel overwhelmed. I’m just so overwhelmed by all the people who voted for me and all the support I’ve had,” Hammond said in an interview Tuesday night. “I’m honored to support or to represent the people of Allen County on the council and give them a voice.”
Hammond said her goal as a county councilwoman is to empower citizens to be a part of Allen County’s legislative process.
In interviews Tuesday night, victorious council candidates identified Allen County’s proposed jail plan as a top priority for the coming term.
“I voted against that from the start, primarily because I don’t think that the job has been done from the beginning to make sure that this is the right thing to do,” Fries said in an interview. “So we’re going to continue to look at that and see where we can cut costs.”
Armstrong, who is serving as council president this year, agreed that the county council needs to “keep an eye on the jail” project, particularly around costs.
“We funded it, but I think that there’s going to be more funding that’s going to be needed,” he said, adding that council’s goal is always to “keep the budget flat.” Armstrong noted that pre-budget meetings with county department heads were a huge help this year and there are plans to continue those in the future.
“It worked and I was really impressed, and everybody on the council bought into it,” he said. “It was a good experience, and I hope we can replicate that next year.”
In an interview Tuesday night, Steve Shine, chairman of the Allen County Republican Party, said he was ecstatic over his party’s election performance. He noted that on top of a strong Republican showing, local Democrats failed to field candidates for many of the races on the ballot this year.
“I couldn’t ask for more and I couldn’t be more pleased than the outcome of today’s election in Allen County,” Shine said. “Ken Fries, Bob Armstrong, Lindsey Hammond, they all won and I think that shows that Allen County is a solid red, Republican county.”
The mood was significantly different in Electric Works’ Union Street Market Tuesday as the reality of the Republican victory settled in. Still, those local Democrats who ran and lost on Tuesday delivered messages of hope in their remarks to their fellow party members. Tuesday night was not the end, all three said.
“Just know that just because this race is over, it doesn’t mean that our voices cannot be heard,” said Nena Bailey, one of the Allen County Democratic Party’s three County Council candidates. “ I may not be going to county council, but I’ll tell you one thing: I am going to stand up for what’s right. I’m going to stand up for the underserved. I’m going to stand up for those who are disenfranchised.
Kevin Hunter, another Democratic Party nominee for Allen County Council, echoed Bailey’s statements and added that there’s more work to be done going forward.
“This may not be the outcome that we hope for, but our work is far from over. The democratic process is the bedrock of our society, and it’s critical that people of all backgrounds and beliefs continue to step up, get involved, and make their voices heard.” he said. “So I ask you, don’t get discouraged. Don’t lose hope. Keep showing up. Keep speaking out, and keep fighting for the change you wish to see.”
Editors Note: This piece was done in conjunction with journalism students (Teresa Nabangla, Noah Profitt, Hannah Arnold) taught by Heloisa Sturm Wilkerson (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) Assistant Professor of Journalism in the Communication Department of Purdue University Fort Wayne.
This content is distributed in a partnership between Purdue University Fort Wayne, WBOI National Public Radio member Station, owned and operated by Northeast Indiana Public Radio, and the Fort Wayne Media Collaborative, a group of media outlets and educational institutions in Fort Wayne committed to solutions-oriented reporting. More information is available at fwmediacollaborative.com.
