INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Democratic House Leader Phil GiaQuinta plans to run for mayor of Fort Wayne in an upcoming caucus to replace the city’s mayor, who died last week, an adviser to the lawmaker confirmed Wednesday.
Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry died on March 28 after a medical emergency related to his stomach cancer. He was 72.
Advisor Kristen Self confirmed GiaQuinta’s intention to run for the mayoral seat, for which he has not officially filed.
Derek Camp, chairman of the Allen County Democratic Party, said three candidates had officially filed as of Wednesday morning, “but there are many others looking into this.”
According to The Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, City Council members Michelle Chambers and Sharon Tucker have announced their intention to run, as have Jorge Fernandez and Palermo Galindo.
Henry, a Democrat, was elected in November to his fifth term as mayor of Indiana’s second-most populous city, with a population of about 270,000. He announced his diagnosis of late-stage stomach cancer at a press conference on February 26 and had begun chemotherapy in early March.
GiaQuinta, who represents House District 80, including parts of Fort Wayne in northeastern Indiana, was first elected to the state House in 2006. The son of former state Rep. Ben GiaQuinta has been the Democratic minority leader since 2018.
The Democratic caucus to select Henry’s successor is scheduled for April 20. If GiaQuinta or another elected official were to win the mayor’s seat, a separate caucus would choose their replacement.
If GiaQuinta were to succeed in Fort Wayne, a new leader of the House Democratic caucus would be elected for the first time since 2018. His office declined to comment on the possibility of the lawmaker leaving the statehouse.