Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett wins a third term in office

Incumbent Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett won a third term in office in Tuesday’s municipal elections. 

Well over 100 supporters packed into the newly rehabbed Kountry Kitchen on Indy’s north side on election night to celebrate. Hogsett thanked the people of Indianapolis in his victory speech.

“In good times and in tough times, it has been the residents of our beautiful city who have kept us focused and energized and that does not stop today,” Hogsett said.

Preliminary election results showed Hogsett beat Republican challenger Jefferson Shreve with nearly 60 percent of the vote.

The 2023 mayoral race was the most expensive in recent memory. Shreve donated more than $13 million of his own money to his campaign. Hogsett raised more than $6 million.

As Hogsett addressed the crowd at Tuesday’s gathering, he said he looked forward to working with Shreve.

“He has been a long-valued member of the Indianapolis community, giving his time, resources and public service to our city,” Hogsett said.

He said he wanted to finish the job, and there was work to be done.

“Because there are guns to get off of our streets. there is affordable housing to build, there are students to support, there are small businesses to empower,” Hosgett said.
 
During his remarks, he also highlighted work on issues including mental health response, park and trail improvements and downtown development.
 
Shreve conceded the race during a speech at his own election night party Tuesday.

He spoke to a crowd of supporters with his wife, Mary. Shreve said the fact that Marion County is largely Democratic can make it hard as a Republican candidate.

“We've just got to learn to work within that model to advance change and improve our city," Shreve said.

Shreve heavily campaigned on public safety, vowing to hire a public safety director, hire more police officers and work to change state gun control laws if elected.

“I have taken bigger chances in life and these chances have enabled me the money to do some of what we did, and the sovereignty to invest nine months of my life in this pursuit, and I'll tell you what, it has been extraordinarily broadening,” Shreve said.

He said he called Hogsett to concede in the race and wants to continue to work to improve Indianapolis.

"I offered to be vigorously involved in trying to move our city forward, though, as a private citizen. So we can be better and we will be better. But he has won the night, " Shreve said.

Hogsett becomes Indianapolis’s first three-term mayor since Mayor William Hudnut.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org.

WFYI reporter Katrina Pross contributed to this story.