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Rep. Robin Shackford

Source: Amos / WTLC

 

INDIANAPOLIS — State Rep. Robin Shackleford (D-Indianapolis) has announced that she will run for mayor of Indianapolis next year.

If elected, she would be the city’s first Black and female mayor.

“As I weighed my decision to run, fueled by close friends and family, some asked me why I was even considering it. I have a fulfilling, successful tenure of service in the Indiana General Assembly. It came down to one phrase that kept running through my head: ‘We can do better,'” Shackleford said during her announcement.

“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,” she added.

Shackleford said she plans to focus on tackling crime in the city by addressing its root causes, warding off gun violence and increasing youth engagement and improving the relationship between citizens and police.

She also emphasized making healthcare more affordable and food more accessible.

Shackleford represents Indiana’s 98th district, which is on Indianapolis’ east side. She was first elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves as the ranking minority member of the public health committee.

She is also on the Courts and Criminal Code and the Financial Institutions and Insurance committees.

Read more from WRTV here