As first reported in the January 18th edition of The Cheat Sheet, State Sen. Andrea Hunley confirmed to IndyStar on Monday that she is running for Indianapolis mayor in 2027.
A formal campaign launch is planned for next month.
The confirmation ends three months of speculation that began in January, when Hunley announced she would not seek reelection to Senate District 46. At the time, she stopped short of announcing a mayoral bid but said she wanted to “focus on our local community.”
Hunley, 41, a former IPS principal, was first elected to the Senate in 2022, defeating the Marion County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate, City-County Councilor Kristin Jones, by 18 points in a crowded primary. She was named assistant minority leader in 2024 and will serve out her Senate term through November.
She enters a Democratic primary field that already includes City-County Councilor Vop Osili, a longtime ally of Mayor Joe Hogsett. Osili announced his candidacy on Jan. 15, one day before Hunley’s Senate decision.
Hogsett, who said upon his 2023 reelection that his third term would be his last, has not formally announced his plans for 2027. His campaign committee reported more than $1 million on hand as of January and has continued to raise money.
The May 2027 primary is less than 13 months away.
