The Rails Restaurant was the scene of a raucous election night party Tuesday as supporters of Democrat Jocelyn Vare gathered to celebrate an historic electoral victory in her campaign for Fishers City Council. She will assume her at-large council seat in January.
The final results showed Ms. Vare garnering 25.49 percent of the vote, besting Republican City Council President Rich Block, who received 22.61 percent of the votes cast. Cecilia Coble and Todd Zimmerman both easily won re-election to at-large council seats. There were four candidates for at-large Fishers council seats, with the top three elected to four-year terms.
I moved to Fishers in 1991, and never saw a Democrat get very close to winning a municipal election; sometimes the whole election was canceled when no Democrats stepped forward to run. That’s why this is an historic election.
The cheers, selfies and celebration were something to see for Jocelyn Vare as she partied with her friends and supporters.
But there was another important upset Tuesday, with Democrat Sam DeLong defeating incumbent Eric Moeller, by a margin of 32 votes, 599-567.
Republican incumbents David George and John Weingardt both won re-election to their council seats.
This election will not shift the political make-up of Fishers city government. Republicans still hold a 7-2 majority on the council, the mayor’s office, along with the city clerk and city judge. But the simple fact that two women, both Democrats, were winners in this general election has made political history here.
I was with Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Joe Weingarten at the Hamilton County Judicial Center as the election results were coming in. Joe was smiling ear to ear. His candidates were not only competitive, but won some races in this year’s local elections.
Hopefully Jocelyn Vare will keep her promise of returning Fishers to reality by voting against the endless spending and building at taxpayers expense. We have had our property tax raised again and the mayor and the council are out of money to fund more building projects so they are looking to get it from us without our input. Talk about lack of due process. Where will the one million dollars come from to build the tunnel under 116th st for the folly known as champagne trails and rail-less wishes?
Exactly! I’ve never pulled the lever for a Democrat but happily did so this election. Time for Mr. Fadness to put the taxpayers ahead of his own ambitions. The days of our council rubber-stamping everything he wants needs to end.