The frontrunner for Marion County sheriff is facing criticism for a campaign mailer that some believe falsely implies he’s endorsed by the local Democratic Party — a practice party leaders moved away from in primary elections years ago.
The mailer, sent out this week by sheriff candidate Kelvis Williams’ campaign, depicts Williams alongside five Democratic officeholders — including Marion County Auditor Myla Eldridge, who also happens to be the county party’s chair. Below the candidates appear the words, “Your official Democratic team!” The flyer also includes a stamp logo with the Democratic Party’s mascot, a donkey, and the words “official candidates.”
At least two Democrats listed on the mailer, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears and Marion County Recorder Faith James Kimbrough, told IndyStar they never agreed to be included. The mailer includes fine print in a smaller type saying it was “not approved by any other candidate or committee,” according to a photo reviewed by IndyStar.
It’s no secret that local Democratic Party leaders, including outgoing sheriff Kerry Forestal and his predecessor, have lined up behind 40-year law enforcement veteran Williams. But Mears and Gregory Patrick, Williams’ opponent in the May 5 Democratic primary, said the mailer could mislead voters to conclude that the Democratic Party officially supports Williams.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Eldridge, who’s running uncontested for auditor, said the county party would no longer endorse candidates in primary elections after backlash to the practice of slating, which many saw as gatekeeping by party insiders.
“When you send out a mailer that states ‘official’ party candidates, it is designed to misrepresent to the community what that actually means,” Mears told IndyStar in an April 29 phone interview. “That’s the part that is very disappointing and unnecessary in this election.”
Mears clarified that he supports Williams for sheriff. But he’s troubled by the possibility that voters will think all six of the candidates support one another. Mears supports Karla Lopez-Owens, an attorney in the prosecutor’s office and Latino community activist, in the county clerk’s race but not incumbent Kate Sweeney Bell, who’s also included on the mailer.
Eldridge and the two other Democrats on the mailer did not respond to IndyStar messages and phone calls asking them if they had agreed to allow the Williams campaign to include them.
Williams initially told IndyStar in an April 29 interview that his campaign had received permission to include each candidate because, “We wouldn’t do that without getting their permission. That wouldn’t be the right thing to do.”
In a follow-up call, he clarified that his campaign had not obtained everyone’s permission — as the mailer’s fine print states. Then he added that he doesn’t think his campaign talked to any of the Democrats on the mailer.
Williams defended the mailer by saying that everyone listed has endorsed him in their capacity as Democratic candidates and officeholders.
“Myla Eldridge is the chair, but she’s on the mailer as the auditor, not the Democratic Party chair,” Williams said, adding that he was “sorry” if voters take away the wrong message. “That’s the way that I see it: not an endorsement from the Democratic Party, just an endorsement from the folks that are on the mailer.”
Asked whether his campaign would stop distributing the mailer, Williams said he thinks all copies have been sent out already.
Patrick, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office employee since 2011 who’s a fundraising underdog in the race, called the campaign mailer “disingenuous.”
“It’s not worthy of the office being sought to try and mislead people into thinking these are your official candidates,” Patrick said. “They are not the official Democratic candidates.”
Kimbrough, the county recorder, said in a statement that she still supports Williams despite being included in the mailer without her approval. She affirmed her belief that every candidate deserves a “fair opportunity to be heard.”
“I am a firm believer in the strength of our democratic process,” Kimbrough’s statement said. “I have the utmost respect for every candidate stepping up to serve, and I believe that a fair, robust, and transparent primary ensures the best representation for our community.”
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: Marion County sheriff’s candidate criticized for ‘disingenuous’ mailer
Reporting by Jordan Smith, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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