Indiana

Williams Exits Mayor?s Race

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

Brian Williams is exiting the race for Mayor.  Here’s the message he sent supporters on Facebook.

Last year, I entered the Indianapolis Mayor?s race with a vision of building an Indianapolis that works for all of us. An Indianapolis that works for kids with a safe, academically rigorous education, an Indianapolis that works for families and seniors with dynamic neighborhoods, clean air and clean water, an Indianapolis that works for businesses with a functioning mass transit system and a culture that nurtures entrepreneurship, and a city that works for the civic organizations that make Indianapolis a great community with sustainable, stable funding mechanisms.

A city that works for all of us is necessary if the citizens of Indianapolis are to thrive in a global economy. With the establishment of property tax caps and the lack of a vibrant public discourse on community priorities, the citizens of Indianapolis lately have been offered ill-conceived proposals such as the sale of the water and sewer systems to address in temporary and insignificant ways the long-term challenges we face.

In analyzing the proposed sale of the water and sewer systems, our campaign forced a higher level of scrutiny from the press and public. Our proposal to significantly alter the manner by which we manage public education in Indianapolis is consistent with proven national efforts. By recruiting precinct committee person candidates, our campaign raised the level of involvement in the democratic process which is always a good thing.

Today, because of business demands and family concerns, I have made the difficult decision to suspend my mayoral campaign. However, I am proud of the efforts our team has made and believe we have raised issues and standards that are relevant to the success of our city’s future.

I am pleased to announce that I am also endorsing Melina Kennedy for Mayor. Melina offers the leadership needed for Indianapolis to succeed in these challenging economic times, and we share a perspective on building a city that offers a brighter future for all its residents. I look forward to helping Melina recapture the Mayor?s office in 2011 and working with her to build a city that works for all of us. And I will ask my supporters to help her as well so that we can be unified in our efforts.

To those who shared our vision and invested in our campaign, thank you. We have been frugal stewards of the funds entrusted to us and are returning nearly 80 cents of every dollar invested. For those whom my campaign was their first foray into politics, I encourage you to stay involved. Our party and democracy function best with active, diverse representation. My wife, Susan, and I, along with my siblings and their families all call Indianapolis home, and I will never stop working to make my hometown a city that works for all of us.

Sincerely,
Brian

Williams’ exiting of the race leaves Democrats  Melina Kennedy, Jose Evans and Ron Gibson.  Although, I hear another prominent figure may get in the race after the November 2010 election.  We’ll see.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on June 15, 2010 (boomark / email).