Submitted by Jocelyn Vare for Fishers
Vare
Democrat Jocelyn Vare’s strong performance in last Tuesday’s municipal primary in Fishers underscores the depth of political change currently underway in Hamilton County.
Fishers is the sixth-largest city in Indiana, and like Hamilton County, has long been considered a Republican stronghold. Vare stunned opponents when she became the first Democrat elected by the city of Fishers four years ago.
In this year’s primary election, Vare outpaced her 2019 Democratic primary vote total by over 70 percent, earning the second-highest number of votes against three Fishers At-large City Council GOP candidates. Vare is running to retain her At-Large seat on Fishers City Council.
Early in her 2019 campaign and again after she was elected, Vare committed to leading the way for future Democratic candidates to ensure greater transparency and better balance in local government.
“It was clear to me that important voices in Fishers were not being heard,” Vare said. “Residents’ voices were being drowned out by a supermajority of Republicans, who had never been challenged on a ballot or held accountable in office. I knew something had to change.”
Last Tuesday’s results prove that change is well underway. Democrats put up historic performances in Fishers and across Hamilton County, a shift that began with Vare and a handful of other Hamilton County Democratic candidates in 2019.
In Fishers alone, Democrats made history this year by running eight candidates for the first time. Unofficial results indicate that 47 percent of the ballots requested were Democratic, and votes cast for Democrats increased 30 percent over 2019. Democratic voter turnout in 2023 proved that Fishers is a bipartisan community and can no longer be considered a one-party stronghold.
Click the following links to see primary election results for each year: 2015, 2019, and 2023.
For Vare, this is just the beginning.
“When I won a seat on City Council, it was the first time our community had elected Democrats serving in city government,” Vare said. “After three years as an At-Large member of the City Council, I am certain that our citizens are served better when there are bold voices like mine who take the job of checks and balances and municipal fiscal responsibility seriously.”
Vare was elected as the first Democrat to serve Fishers municipal government in 2019 with bipartisan support, including an endorsement from the Fiscal Conservatives of Hamilton County. Since then, she has worked to accelerate the change Fishers residents crave. Vare is well-known in the Fishers community for listening to residents and holding the Republican politicians accountable. Vare demands complete information and transparency, asks tough questions, prioritizes residents’ needs, and scrutinizes proposals carefully.
Vare is a 24-year resident of Fishers, the mom of two HSE Schools graduates, a local small business owner, a volunteer and a champion for the community she loves.
Vare is a member of the Fishers Finance Committee and Fishers Arts + Culture Commission. She served as a committee chair for the successful HSE Schools referendum in 2016. She is a graduate of Fishers City Government Academy, Hamilton County Leadership Academy, Ball State’s Economic Development Course and Community Development Course.
In 2021, Vare was recognized as an Impact Award nominee, one of 30 alumni designated in the Hamilton County Leadership Academy’s 30-year history.
In 2022, Vare ran for Indiana State Senate to represent Fishers. Vare earned 45 percent of the vote last year – over 16,000 votes from Fishers residents – and raised $266,438 in campaign funds.
Vare embraces her reputation for shining a light on decisions that the powerful people want to keep behind closed doors. An unapologetic independent thinker, she always returns to the promises she made to residents.
“Neighbors in Fishers can count on me to be an accessible listener, a strong voice, a hard worker and a coalition builder,” Vare said. “I look forward to continuing to building on the success we achieved last week and continuing to serve the community I love on Fishers City Council.”
For more information about Jocelyn Vare and her re-election campaign for Fishers City Council, please visit JocelynVareforFishers.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
Time for Hoosiers to drift away from the Republican party, they have ruled the state for decades and it is time for a change. They often forget what the people want and make everything about what they want.