At an east‑side events center on Nov. 5, Democratic state senator and former Indianapolis Public Schools principal Andrea Hunley presented a detailed vision for the city’s future. Her platform is built around four pillars – families, housing, safety and culture – and is aimed at bolstering traditional families, expanding opportunity and preserving community values.
Free pre‑K for every child
Hunley announced that her administration would make pre‑kindergarten tuition‑free for all Indianapolis families. She acknowledged concerns about funding, noting that while she has not yet settled on a specific tax plan, the city has “taxing tools” beyond raising income taxes that can be used responsibly. “We can’t keep asking families to dig deeper,” she said, emphasizing the need to protect household budgets.
Boosting wages and housing supply
The candidate pledged to raise the median wage in Indianapolis by 25 %. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage in the metropolitan area was $31.34 in May 2025. Hunley also set an ambitious goal of building 30,000 new homes by 2032. She said the city can achieve this by streamlining permitting, offering lower‑interest municipal bonds to developers and making construction more affordable, which should in turn lower purchase prices for families.
Reducing evictions and improving safety
Hunley’s public‑safety plan includes cutting evictions in half by 2032 and halving both homicides and non‑fatal shootings by 2031. She also called for a city‑wide initiative to respond more effectively to mental‑health emergencies, linking safety to community health.
Infrastructure and cultural investment
Road conditions were a recurring theme. Hunley joked, “We have to talk about the potholes, right?” before outlining a $1 billion commitment to road repairs. She also proposed adding $75 million to the annual budget for Indy Parks, which would bring total park funding to about $54 million in 2027.
On the cultural front, Hunley highlighted Indianapolis’s reputation as the “Amateur Sports Capital of the World” and argued that the same energy should be directed toward the arts. Her plan calls for creating 4,100 new arts‑related jobs and doubling the city’s arts budget by 2032.
Political landscape
Hunley is currently one of three Democrats in the mayoral race, alongside City‑County Councilor Vop Osili and Department of Public Works administrator David Bride. No Republican candidates have announced a run at this time, making the Democratic field the focal point of the early campaign season.
While Hunley has not released a full tax proposal, she stressed that the city can fund these initiatives without overburdening taxpayers, using a mix of municipal financing tools and careful budgeting. Her platform reflects a commitment to strengthening families, expanding affordable housing, improving public safety and investing in the city’s cultural assets.
Residents can review the complete policy list on Hunley’s campaign website and attend upcoming town‑hall events to ask questions about the proposed plans.
Original reporting: Mirror Indy — read the source article.
