State Legislator To Run For Mayor Of Indianapolis

Staff Reports, Indiana Capital Chronicle

November 10, 2022

Indianapolis Democrat Rep. Robin Shackleford announced Thursday she will enter the race for Indianapolis mayor.

She currently chairs the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and made the announcement at the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

“Madam Walker symbolizes the hope that I have for this city and what it can do,” Shackleford said in a news release. “The child of former slaves became the first self-made American woman millionaire. The center’s website says the advantageous opportunities afforded to Madam because of her move to Indianapolis helped her business flourish, and that she endeavored to provide a safe, welcoming environment for marginalized people.”

She pledged to do the same as Mayor.

“Indianapolis is a tale of two cities – one with good roads where residents don’t worry about putting food on the table and feel safe in their homes – and another with pothole-ridden streets where residents struggle to get enough to eat and worry that at any moment a stray bullet will travel through their wall and strike their child,” Shackleford said. “We need to bridge the gap between the two different versions of Indianapolis and prioritize making Indy a safer place to live, work, play and raise a family.”

Shackleford says she will focus on seven main areas as mayor:

• Prioritize making Indy a safer place to live, work and play by addressing root causes of crime, such as poverty, mental health, drug addictions and gangs.
• Balance and broaden economic growth in all parts of the city by making doing business in Indy easier.
• Ensure federal transportation funds are distributed efficiently and equitably by advocating to fill a billion-dollar infrastructure funding gap.
• Increase affordable and equitable housing by developing residences without displacing residents and addressing homelessness humanely.
• Decrease the achievement gap by increasing our investment in literacy and tutoring and bringing the city and its public schools closer together.
• Address chronic health conditions plaguing our communities by eradicating food deserts and decreasing drug overdoses that are crippling the health of our families.
• Promote an inclusive, welcoming city for all.

She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012. Shackleford currently represents District 98 on the Indianapolis eastside.

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