INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) announced Thursday she's running for mayor of Indianapolis.
Shackleford currently represents District 98 on Indianapolis' east side. She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves as the chair of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus.
Shackleford said as mayor, she would make Indianapolis a welcoming environment for marginalized people.
"Indianapolis is a tale of two cities – one with good roads where residents don’t worry about putting food on the table and feel safe in their homes - and another with pothole-ridden streets where residents struggle to get enough to eat and worry that at any moment a stray bullet will travel through their wall and strike their child," Shackleford said. "We need to bridge the gap between the two different versions of Indianapolis and prioritize making Indy a safer place to live, work, play and raise a family."
She outlined seven areas she will focus on if elected:
- Prioritize making Indy a safer place to live, work and play by addressing root causes of crime, such as poverty, mental health, drug addictions and gangs.
- Balance and broaden economic growth in all parts of the city by making doing business in Indy easier.
- Ensure federal transportation funds are distributed efficiently and equitably by advocating to fill a billion-dollar infrastructure funding gap.
- Increase affordable and equitable housing by developing residences without displacing residents and addressing homelessness humanely.
- Decrease the achievement gap by increasing our investment in literacy and tutoring and bringing the city and its public schools closer together.
- Address chronic health conditions plaguing our communities by eradicating food deserts and decreasing drug overdoses that are crippling the health of our families.
- Promote an inclusive, welcoming city for all.
Shackleford is a graduate of Indiana University and IUPUI, where she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in public affairs.