A second candidate has entered the race for
Republican City Councilwoman Liz Brown made her official announcement Thursday. So far, Brown has just one opponent in the primary—her next door neighbor. But that field will likely grow.
Brown has served on
“That is why I have reached my decision to declare that I have formally formed my campaign committee to seek the Republican nomination for the position of mayor for the city of
Brown has been an outspoken critic of the current administration. She says she wants to change the way
“We need a leader who is willing to upset the apple cart a little bit,” said Brown.
If elected, Brown would become
“Unless we elect a leader who agrees with our conservative values, those changes are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve,” said Brown.
This race already has a unique twist. Brown’s next door neighbor, Allen County Council President Paula Hughes, is also running for mayor. So far they're the only two to declare on the Republican side.
But the field is expected to grow. One likely candidate is businessman Eric Doden. Political analyst Andrew Downs says as more candidates jump in the race, the threshold for victory becomes smaller.
“You could see a credible candidate who maybe has a smaller base than others saying, here's my chance to get in,” said
This is Liz Brown's fourth time running for public office. She ran for school board in 2006, won her at-large city council seat in 2007, and ran for Congress last summer when former Rep. Mark Souder resigned.
If Brown can make it past the May primary, she would likely face Mayor Tom Henry, who hasn't made an announcement yet on his future plans.
“If Mayor Henry does not run for re-election, that will be a shock to everybody,” said
A spokeswoman for the mayor says she doesn't know when Henry might make an announcement.
