The Indianapolis mayoral election of 2011 took place on November 8, 2011. Voters elected the Mayor of Indianapolis, members of the Indianapolis City-County Council, as well as several other local officials. Incumbent Republican Greg Ballard was seeking a second term. Democrats nominated former deputy mayor Melina Kennedy to run against Ballard.[1][2] Ballard defeated Kennedy 51% to 47%.[3]
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| Turnout | 29.9% | ||||||||||||||||
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 Precinct results Ballard: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Kennedy: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% No votes | |||||||||||||||||
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The Indianapolis City-County elections took place alongside the mayoral election, with Democrats taking a 16–13 majority.[3][4] This marked the first time in Indianapolis history that a Republican mayor would lead with a Democratic council.[5]
Candidates
Republican party
- Greg Ballard, incumbent mayor
Democratic party
- Melina Kennedy, former Deputy Mayor for Economic Development
Defeated in the primary
- Sam Carson[6]
- Ron Gibson
- Brian Williams
Removed from ballot
Libertarian party
- Chris Bowen
Campaign
Melina Kennedy was described as the "overwhelming favorite" to win the Democratic primary,[8] and succeeded in doing so.
The campaign was the most expensive in Indianapolis history, with the candidates raising a combined $6 million.[9] Representative André Carson, Sam Carson's nephew, endorsed Melina Kennedy.[10] Kennedy was also endorsed by The Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police.[11][12]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Greg Ballard (R) | Melina Kennedy (D) | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPIC-MRA | October 29–31, 2011 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 44% | 33% | — | 23% |
Election results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Greg Ballard (incumbent) | 92,499 | 51.3% | +0.9% | |
| Democratic | Melina Kennedy | 84,968 | 47.1% | -0.1% | |
| Libertarian | Christopher Bowen | 2,676 | 1.5 | -0.8 | |
| No party | Write-Ins | 124 | 0.1 | — | |
| Turnout | 181,168 | 29.9 | +3.7 | ||
| Majority | 7,531 | 4.2 | |||
| Republican hold | Swing | ||||
| Preceded by 2007 | Indianapolis mayoral election 2011 | Succeeded by 2015 |