Why Is Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy Not Funding Democratic Challengers In Winnable Races?



Len Farber

On Saturday, I predicted on the show Civil Discourse Now that the election would result in Democratic control of the council 18-11, down one from my prediction earlier this year of 19-10.The numbers just do not work out for a Republican majority.  Republicans are fighting to save incumbents all over the county, while virtually every Democratic incumbent is in a safe seat.

Council President
Ryan Vaughn

But while the Democrats are blessed with targets, oddly Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy has apparently chosen to not fund some Democratic challengers running against vulnerable Republican incumbents.



Council District 3 goes from Broad Ripple to 96th Street, taking in very economically diverse neighborhoods along the way, including Ravenswood and Williams Creek. While Council President Ryan Vaughn won the district easily in 2007 with 64% of the vote, the Republican baseline has taken a nose dive since then. In 2010, a good Republican year, the GOP baseline in that district was 52%. The Democrats could easily make a run at the district, attacking Vaughn on such issues as the 50 year parking meter contract, the Pacers' $33.5 million giveaway and the David Brooks redistricting contract. Yet Treacy has not yet put money into the campaign of Len Farber who is challenging Vaughn. 

Councilor Susie Day

Frank Mascari

By all measures, Susie Day, should be a vulnerable in District 20.  In 2007, she won by just 650 votes.  She's up against a big name, Frank Mascari, a well-known, long time businessman who was narrowly defeated for Beech Grove Mayor in 2007.  The 2010 baseline shows the district is only 55% Republican.  Yet Treacy has not put a dime into the district. Mascari's only money in the race has been the $700 he donated.

Council District 21 is an eastside district which includes Irvington.  In 2007, Democrat Ben Hunter won grown increasingly Democratic.  The district in 2010 had a Republican baseline of just over 55%.  Challenger Todd Woodmansee would seem to be a candidate who could take the fight to Hunter, if his campaign were properly funded.  Yet the Democratic Party thus far has chosen not to help out Woodmansee with money.

Councilor Ben Hunter

Todd Woodmansee

Why not fund these Democratic challengers?  Well the fact is, it doesn't appear that Treacy needs Farber, Mascari or Woodmansee to win in order to have a solidly Democratic majority on the council.  You would think Treacy would want an even bigger Democratic majority than voters will hand him on November 8th.  It would appear though, that for whatever reason, Treacy doesn't want a super large majority that might include Democrats who won't 100% of the time do what he wants.  It's the same reason Treacy failed to support local activist Pat Andrews, a local Democratic activist who is brilliant on budgetary matters but who would not be a rubber-stamp for whatever Treacy or a Democratic Mayor wished to do.

What is astounding about Indianapolis politics is that party leaders of both parties often prefer someone of the other party to be in office rather than someone of their own party who will show independence.