The leader of the Indiana House Democrats will run for mayor of Fort Wayne

Indianapolis, Indiana – Leading member of the Indiana Democratic House, state Representative Phil GiaQuinta, has revealed on Wednesday that he is to compete for mayor of Fort Wayne in the forthcoming caucus, succeeding the late mayor who passed away last week.

Tom Henry, the mayor of Fort Wayne, passed away on March 28 following a medical emergency relating to stomach cancer. He was seventy-two.
GiaQuinta has not yet submitted a formal application for the mayoral position, but advisor Kristen Self has verified his desire to run.

Allen County Democratic Party Chair Derek Camp said three candidates had officially filed as of Wednesday morning, “but there are many others who are exploring.”

The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne reports that Palermo Galindo, Jorge Fernandez, and city councilwomen Michelle Chambers and Sharon Tucker have declared their intention to run.

Approximately 270,000 people live in the second most populous city in Indiana, where Democrat Henry was elected to a fifth term as mayor in November. At a press conference on February 26, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. He began chemotherapy at the beginning of March.

GiaQuinta was first elected to the statehouse in 2006. She currently serves House District 80, which includes portions of northeast Indiana’s Fort Wayne. Since 2018, the Democratic minority leader has been the son of former state representative Ben GiaQuinta.

On April 20, the Democratic caucus will choose Henry’s replacement. Should GiaQuinta or any other elected politician emerge victorious in the mayoral race, their successor would be selected by a different caucus.

For the first time since 2018, a new leader of the House Democratic caucus will be selected if GiaQuinta is successful in Fort Wayne. Regarding the potential of the lawmaker leaving the statehouse, his office declined to comment.