Keller-Mahern Race Takes Ugly Turn

Councilor Scott Keller (R) is crying foul over negative direct mail fliers arriving in District 16 voters' mailboxes, which were sent out by his Democratic opponent, Brian Mahern. The fliers accuse Keller of converting thousands of dollars of campaign funds to personal use and staging a campaign photo event at a memorial service for the Hamilton Street family members who were killed execution style last year.

“My opponent, Brian Mahern, refused to pledge a clean campaign earlier this year. Now I see why,” Councilor Keller said. “While I was willing to overlook his attack on my physical appearance in one mailing, I will not stand idly by as he deliberately lies to the voters.” One of three recent negative attack pieces mailed to the district's voters accuses Keller of bringing a campaign photographer to the Hamilton Street murders memorial service for a photo opportunity with Sheriff Frank Anderson and then using the photo as an endorsement by the Sheriff. “I did not bring a campaign photographer. I do not have a campaign photographer now, and have never had one. In fact, the photographer was with Sheriff Anderson, and was taking lots of photos,” said Councilor Keller. “I asked Sheriff Anderson if I could have my photo taken with him and use it in a mailing on my record of bipartisanship. He said yes and I used it and a photo taken with Mayor Bart Peterson in the piece."

The mailer implied Keller, a Republican, falsely claimed endorsements from Mayor Peterson and Sheriff Frank Anderson, both Democrats. "I certainly do not think that such a photo could be construed as an endorsement by either Sheriff Anderson or Mayor Peterson as they are members of another political party.” A press release from Keller's campaign noted a bit of irony in Mahern's claim. "Oddly enough, while Brian Mahern is claiming the Sheriff’s endorsement, at a recent debate in the District Mahern attacked the Sheriff for 'poorly implementing' the merger of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department and the Indianapolis Police Department," the press release reads. "At the same debate Mahern attacked Mayor Bart Peterson and the Democratic City-County Council majority by repeatedly saying, 'The last four years have been a disaster for Indianapolis,' and 'We can’t afford another four years of poor leadership like the last four.'"

As to the charge in one mailer that Keller diverted campaign funds to his own personal use, Keller insists it was simply the repayment of a loan he had earlier made to his campaign. Keller countered a criticism contained in of mailer that he had been endorsed by the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Keller said he had been "proudly been endorsed by all 15 neighborhood association leaders, the Chamber of Commerce, Firefighters Local 416, Tobacco-Free Kids Indiana Action Fund, the Hoosier Environmental Council and the Indianapolis Star – all entities that have issued bipartisan endorsements this election season." "Brian Mahern’s campaign has not been endorsed by any organization," he added.

Keller is demanding that Mahern apologize to the 16th District voters for "distributing false and defamatory information." “One reason many good people will not go into politics is because at campaign time, it becomes dirty,” commented Councilor Keller. “I have not done that; I have stuck to the issues and I will continue to do so. My opponent has refused to discuss specific plans of action for the District while instead making wild and defamatory claims in a desperate attempt to win the election. I am confident the voters in the 16th District will support me in spite of his negative mailing pieces!”

When a candidate gets hit with these killer mailers just days before an election, there is little he can do to counter them, particularly in a district council race to which the media provides scant coverage. Sometimes these mailers can backfire on the candidate who mails them, unless it fits a pattern of preconceived notions the voters may have already formed about the candidate. I'm surprised Mahern didn't hit Keller on tax increase votes instead of these "sideshow" issues. His c;ousin, Dane, who represents a neighboring council district, is running TV ads criticizing Mayor Peterson for providing big subsidies to downtown hotels which pay low wages. The TV ads are being paid for by an out-of-state union that represents hotel workers.