Monday, January 31, 2011

Are Women On the Council An Endangered Species?

Paul Ogden has posted his predictions for the coming elections - for both Mayor and Council. Let me mention up front as a disclaimer - I am a candidate for one of the 4 At-Large positions on the Democratic side.

I am not good at making predictions, so I'll leave that arena to Paul and others. But, I can count.

Currently there are 12 women who hold Council seats. Six are D's and six are R's. There are 25 district seats and 4 At-Large seats.

Not running again are Jackie Nytes and Doris Minton-McNeil, both D's. Men only, have signed up to run for those seats.

Ogden is predicting that Barb Malone (R) will not win her re-election bid.

Of the 5 most vulnerable district seats, according to Odgen's analysis, 4 are held by women (Janice McHenry, Marilyn Pfisterer, Susie Day, and Christine Scales). Mike McQuillen, who currently occupies the most vulnerable district seat, does have a woman opponent in Regina Marsh.

Unless the two parties put forth a huge effort in recruiting and backing viable women candidates, it is possible that the new Council could have as few as 5 or 6 women in it. This would be an especially poor result in an historic year where we elect Melina Kennedy as our first woman Mayor for the City of Indianapolis.

5 comments:

Nicolas Martin said...

As a taxpayer, I don’t find it more satisfying to be pillaged by a female politician than by a male.

Jon E. Easter said...

Excellent post and analysis as always Pat.

Anonymous said...

Jon, if I recall correctly you posted here recently to support superintendent Don Stinson. You noted that you work with him and Stinson isn't nearly as corrupt as other public officials you work with. Did you ever take steps to report those corrupt public officials to the attorney general, or state police, etc?

Paul K. Ogden said...

Anon 6:07, you actually think the attorney general is going to take action against local corruption? I can tell you what his reaction will be...not his job. We have a weak attorney general in this state, because of the powers we've given him, but even more so because of the passive nature of people like Carter and Zoeller who have occupied that office.

Had Enough Indy? said...

anon 6:07 - I went back and reviewed comments, just to double check my memory. Jon only noted that he believes in second chances.