Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard may be considering a new job. Sources close to Eyewitness News say the mayor may not run for a third term.
Eyewitness News asked the mayor about rumors that he's been talking to Cathedral High School about a job there. It's his alma mater. While he didn't confirm anything, he didn't go out of his way to dispel the talk.
Ballard turns 60 in three months and he has said several times he's not sure if he's going to run again. WTHR asked him about any potential plans to work for Cathedral.
"Well...no...I wouldn't read too much into that. I mean, just personally, if I do or I don't, we'll find out by the end of the year. I guarantee you that," said the mayor.
When pressed on the question of his future plans, he added, "When I go to people - I may have told you this a couple of days ago - when I got to people, I say, 'what do you think I should do?' I do have quite a few people who say, 'well, if you decide not to, come back.'"
As far as his goals right now?
"I'm thinking about what's best for me and Winnie, to be frank with you. I don't think like a normal guy in this office, I suppose. My motivation is probably a bit different, so I'm just trying to do what I can for the city right now. Winnie and I are a little older. We're not 40 years old anymore so we're gonna have to look at what to do."
What I've been hearing is that the powers that be have asked Ballard not to seek re-election. WTHR asked House Speaker Brian Bosma if he was interested in running and he said no. The more likely candidate is J. Murray Clark, Jr., a former state senator and Indiana State Republican Party chairman. Insiders say Clark was kicking himself for not running in 2007 after seeing Bart Peterson's political fortunes crumble amidst a grassroots anti-tax movement that propelled Ballard in his upset win despite being overwhelmingly outspent in that race and having little backing from the party. Clark offered Ballard no help that year as the party chairman. Instead, he focused on other mayoral races, including losing races in Fort Wayne and South Bend that year. Clark's uncle, Alex Clark, was elected for one term as Indianapolis mayor from 1952-56. He lost to Richard Lugar in the 1967 Republican primary for mayor in his last bid for public office.
5 comments:
Murray Clark will never run. The numbers aren't there for him to take that kind of political risk.
Christine Scales would be the only true candidate for Indianapolis Mayor! Ike Randolph is a Daniels stooge. And Ed Delaney better be wary of running against Joe Hogsett. Many awkward questions about Joe Delaney and why Gus Mendenhall went after him!
"I don't think like a normal guy in this office, I suppose. My motivation is probably a bit different, so I'm just trying to do what I can for the city right now. Winnie and I are a little older. We're not 40 years old anymore so we're gonna have to look at what to do."
Not 40 anymore. Do the numbers.
Although Murray Clark might be able to connect with friendly audiences at the Antelope Club, township meetings, and state gatherings, he simply does not have the personality to connect with everyday Marion County voters. A major problem with many MCRCC candidates is that they campaign in their isolated little world at their tiny Republican enclave gatherings rather than being among the voters and working to earn their trust and their votes.
I too have heard from reliable connected politicos as far back as the last election that Ballard would not run for a third term and "the powers that be" will accomplish this. Unlike Dennis Fishburn who came to realize near his campaign's end that he was thoroughly used for one purpose and one purpose only by certain Republican insiders (to block Bart McAtee), Ballard has been a willing tool from the get-go. That's probably why the Democrats ran such a poor mayoral candidate last time... Republicans AND Democrats were cashing in so well under Ballard's pathetic stewardship a real change was not needed.
I roared out loud and shook my head in disgust at the same time reading that the ex-marine could be at my high school alma mater. What does Ballard know about education? He doesn't seem to have the brains God gave a grain of sand. I will never again donate another penny to my Cathedral High School alms mater if they hire Greg. Never.
After the uber-wealthy Daniels, who just doesn't have enough money, prestige employment, (or skeletons in his closet for that matter), hired himself at my college alma mater through the cronies he put on the PU Board, I immediately ceased donating and directed the PU membership drives to remove my name from all their lists.
Indy will be no better under a Democrat than it has been under the Republican thumb. The figureheads may change but the real puppet masters remain the same.
"The figureheads may change but the real puppet masters remain the same"... very true. Any ideas on how to yank the strings from the puppet masters? Or at least expose them and their game - in a way that the general public will actually give a damn?
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