The State of Black Fort Wayne Report + Election Recap

Hey Locals,

Today, we’re sharing an overview of the recent Fort Wayne Urban League
State of Black Fort Wayne report.

And relevant to this week’s news, the report highlights the crucial role of voter participation, despite Allen County’s (historically) less-than-stellar turnout rates:

• In 2024, Allen County ranked ninth lowest out of Indiana’s 92 counties for voter turnout, lagging behind both Whitley and Wells Counties.
• The consequences of low turnout? According to the State of Black Fort Wayne report, “key decisions about our streets, schools, public safety, and economic development are made without full representation from all our neighborhoods.” Further, “when local turnout lags, historically underrepresented neighborhoods lose leverage in shaping municipal budgets and equity initiatives.”

Before we break down the report, let’s do a quick overview of Tuesday’s election:

Now, despite working in local news, we’ll admit to being surprised by Tuesday’s results. While we heard speculation about a “blue wave” nationally, we were shocked at the sheer extent of the effects down-ballot.

The JG* reports a turnout rate of 39% in Allen County, and while we don’t know the precise breakdown of voters (Indiana doesn’t publish turnout data across race or demographics), here’s what we do know: the Republican Party got absolutely shellacked at the County level. The election also put an end to the casino debate in Northeast Indiana: all three counties (Allen, DeKalb, and Steuben) voted no on the referendum.

What are the local party officials saying about Tuesday’s results?

• Allen County GOP chair Steve Shine tells WOWO: “This was not a blue wave. This was a rage wave.” While he believes the local GOP fielded strong candidates, he thinks national concerns, like high gas and food prices, “overshadowed local campaigns.”
• Allen County Democratic Party Chairman Chad Wierzbinski says: “When a group of people dedicated to making their community a better place for everyone unite, anything is possible.” 

FYI– We’re basing our election overview off data from WANE and The JG.

Let’s recap some of the major races: