Indianapolis, Indiana – Abdul-Hakim Shabazz claimed on Thursday that infrastructure and public safety are ultimately to blame for the majority of the city’s issues.
The most well-known contender to enter the Republican primary for mayor of Indianapolis is the veteran political pundit and radio presenter. Shabazz claims he wants to rebuild public confidence in the city and intends to achieve it by concentrating on infrastructure and safety requirements.
“Everyone we spoke to, those were their two big issues. Some people live in neighborhoods where crime is an issue, others live in neighborhoods where potholes are an issue,” he said. “It’s like (driving) a moon buggy.”
Democrats promptly criticized Shabazz for his track record, which they did not do with his GOP rivals. They called attention to some of his prior comments on poverty and crime, such as one from 2015 op-ed in which he referred to the issue of murders committed by people with a history of violent crimes as “a self-cleaning oven.”
Abdul-Hakim Shabazz has spent his time in Indianapolis making fun of women, people of color, and vulnerable individuals, according to Marion County Democratic Party Chair Myla Eldridge, but managing a diverse city of almost one million people is no laughing matter.
Shabazz declared that his earlier remarks stand. He asserted that, in comparison to tweets and statements made more than a decade ago, homicides in January 2018 are a more urgent matter.
In the Republican primary on May 2, James Jackson, a local pastor, and John Couch are at least two of Shabazz’s opponents.
Shabazz stated he intends to run as a Republican in the vein of Richard Lugar, a former mayor and U.S. senator for Indiana, in a December interview when he first started considering the notion of running for mayor. When asked on Thursday if the modern Republican Party has room for a Lugar-style Republican, he responded, “There had better be. Without change, we will continue to lose elections.
While this is going on, Democratic incumbent Mayor Joe Hogsett has at least five rivals vying for his party’s nomination.
The deadline to run in a local election under the banner of a major party is this Friday at noon.
