On Saturday, April 20, Councilwoman Sharon Tucker was chosen as the new mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana, becoming the first ever Black leader of Indiana’s second most populous city.
Tucker also makes history as only the second woman to ever serve as mayor of the northeastern Indiana city. She was chosen during a caucus to replace the previous mayor, Tom Henry, who passed away in March. She was elected in the second round of voting during a Democratic caucus when she met the requirement of 50% of the votes plus one, The Journal Gazette reports.
“We’re excited to have this caucus behind us and have Mayor Tucker at the helm leading Fort Wayne into the future,” Derek Camp, the Chair of the Allen County Democratic Party, said in a statement. “Today, Mayor Tucker proved that she has the energy and support of our party, and we can’t wait to support her as she works to continue moving our community forward together.”
Historic firsts are nothing new for the mayor-elect. Prior to throwing her hat in the ring for the mayoral seat, Tucker was elected as the county’s 1st District Councilwoman in 2014 and was re-elected to a second term in 2018. She was the only woman, African American, and Democrat serving on the council at the time. She was then elected to the 6th District City Council seat in 2019, again becoming the first African American woman to hold the seat. She is currently the Co-Chair of the City Council Finance Committee.
Tucker will be sworn in as mayor on Tuesday, April 23. She will finish the remainder of Henry’s term through January 2028.
Cover photo: Councilwoman Sharon Tucker Set to Become First Black Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana / photo credit: WANE15