Polls have closed in Marion County, and we’ll soon know which Democrat will likely represent the core of Indianapolis in the Indiana Senate this fall.
Indiana Sen. Andrea Hunley’s decision to step down to run for Indianapolis mayor next year opened the floor to three Democratic challengers in Senate District 46, which covers downtown Indy and several surrounding neighborhoods. The race pitted Allissa Impink, an Indianapolis Public Schools board member, against local education researcher and activist Clif Marsiglio and first-time candidate Sam Glynn.
As of 7:30 p.m., Impink had a sizable early lead with roughly 70% of the vote, while both her challengers had garnered less than 20% of the vote.
With no Republican challenger yet in a heavily blue district, the winner of the May 5 Democratic primary will likely cruise to victory in the general election this November.
Impink’s political profile most resembles Hunley’s. A former educator and a 42-year-old Black mother, Impink spent years doing educational and child advocacy. She now works for a nonprofit that funds causes benefiting women and girls. Hunley, also 42, was a longtime IPS principal and public school teacher before winning election in 2022.
Impink’s top priorities reflect that experience. She previously told IndyStar that she’ll push for a moratorium on new charter school approvals until they’re judged on equal footing as traditional public schools. She will also fight to repeal Indiana’s near-total abortion ban and expand the state’s Medicaid program to include comprehensive postpartum care, she said.
But Marsiglio, an educator and administration at Indiana University, argued that his three decades of grassroots activism and his willingness to stand up to Indiana Republicans at the Statehouse made him the best choice.
In recent months, Marsiglio, 54, has worked with east-side community groups to advocate for safer streets and fight what he views as “predatory” data centers like the one in Martindale-Brightwood. His campaign centered populist ideas like passing new laws to shift more power to renters and keep down rising utility costs.
As the youngest candidate in the race, Glynn, 25, came out with some bold stances. Glynn, a Marion County Treasurer’s Office staffer, told IndyStar he would oppose all new data centers and support age limits so that no one over 67 years old could run for political office in Indiana.
Impink’s pitch won over more of the highly engaged voters who donate to political campaigns.
Impink received over 10 times more money than her opponents, according to campaign finance records. Impink’s campaign had raised nearly $52,000 by mid-April — including a $5,000 donation from the Indy Chamber and smaller donations from two Indianapolis City-County Council members in Senate District 46, Andy Nielsen and Kristin Jones.
Meanwhile, Marsiglio had raised less than $5,000 and Glynn reported raising nothing.
(This story will be updated as election results come in.)
Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@indystar.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Allissa Impink leads in Indy Senate District 46 primary
Reporting by Jordan Smith, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
