INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - The Marion County Democrat precinct committee people elected Ryan Mears to be the next Marion County Prosecutor.
Saturday's vote follows Terry Curry's decision last month to step down from the seat.
Mears had served under his predecessor Curry since 2015 as a chief trial deputy.
Mears outpolled city attorney Tim Moriarity to remain in the post he had filled since Curry resigned.
"I can’t tell you how many committee precinct people have said, 'If Terry Curry thinks you're good enough for the job, that’s good enough for us,'" Mears said after the vote.
Moriarty had garnered support from several prominent Democrats, but Mears, who drew fire for his decision to not prosecute low-level marijuana cases, won out.
Mayor Joe Hogsett had endorsed Moriarty, making the race a heated one.
"Now we just all need to work together," Mears said Saturday.
Hogsett's reelection campaign provided a statement echoing cooperation moving forward. "I want to congratulate Prosecutor Ryan Mears on his selection by caucus today," Hogsett said. "Indianapolis works best when it works together, and that's nowhere more true than with our law enforcement community. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office is a critical partner, and we will move forward in pursuit of a safer, more just city."
Mears said, "We’re all Democrats at the end of the day. Obviously they took one position, and the precinct voters didn’t necessarily agree with where they were coming out on this issues."
Of the 376 eligible precinct committee chairs and vice chairs, 305 cast ballots, according to a statement from the Marion County Democratic Party.
"On behalf of the entire Marion County Democratic Party, we congratulate Ryan on his election as prosecutor,” said Marion County Democratic Party Chair Kate Sweeney Bell in a statement after the caucus. “We were fortunate to have two well-qualified candidates step forward and know that both Ryan and Tim Moriarty will continue to be leaders in our community and party.
Mears has 12 years of experience as a deputy prosecutor in Marion County.
The caucus was held at the Julia Carson Government Center in Indianapolis.
