Why no one's running against Mayor Tom DeBaun

Given the city’s adult population of 15,000, it’s hard to believe no one’s interested in running against Shelbyville Mayor Tom DeBaun. Since the election of our first full-time mayor, Ralph VanNatta, in 1959 – and probably going back long before – Shelbyville has not experienced an uncontested general election mayoral race. That could very well change this November. Not that Republicans already conceded. Though the primary deadline quietly passed, the party has until noon on June 6 to appoint a mayoral candidate for November. “We are in the process of exploring our options,” Shelby County Republican Party Chair J.R. Showers told me. While no one has surfaced, Showers is committed to finding a viable candidate until the deadline.

Seven candidates, four Republicans and three Democrats, ran in the crowded 2011 primary. The lack of 2015 filings at first glance suggests either extreme apathy or satisfaction, or that more complex factors are at play. From a news analysis perspective, we’re betting there’s a story here. First, throughout conversations with both DeBaun and Showers, a theme emerges: running for mayor is not a haphazard decision. Along with family and career considerations, time and chance play significant roles in the decision-making process. “I wanted to be mayor for a long time,” DeBaun said. Tom was raised in the county, hailing from a politically-attune family. “There was no shortage of Nixon bashing at my house,” he said of his childhood.

While a Franklin College student, Tom interned with the Shelby County Prosecutor’s office. Following graduation and digging ditches for a few months, he accepted a probation officer position. His next break arrived in 1992 when newly-elected mayor Bob Williams appointed DeBaun as Director of Planning, a post he held for 18 years. “I picked a good one,” Williams told me at a recent Downtown Shelby Days planning session. In those early-career days, DeBaun developed an interest in the mayoral office from talking to his neighbor, the late former mayor and teacher, Jerry Higgins. After nearly two decades of service to both Democrat and Republican mayors, DeBaun garnered bi-partisan support and friendships while waiting an opportune time to run. In that same spirit, perhaps potential Republican candidates see this election as ill-timed. Not only unwinnable, but a trap to get embarrassed at the polls.

While no polling data exists, anecdotal evidence suggests few previous mayors enjoyed the level of public confidence bestowed upon DeBaun. When Republican Ralph VanAtta died, local attorney and former city judge Lee McNeely told The Shelbyville News, “Some mayors just kind of sleep through their terms. Ralph was on the go every day.” If the city’s social media activity is any indication, DeBaun follows the first full-time mayor’s footsteps, working hard to create an energetic and inclusive team, a second key to amassing broad support. “I don’t even know the political affiliation of most of my department heads,” DeBaun confessed. In a city our size, laying aside ideological differences is key to a successful term, and likely helped avoid inciting Republicans to act this election season. Following his 2011 election, DeBaun sent a letter to each city police officer and fire fighter, asking who he or she would recommend for chief positions. This led to numerous interviews, resulting in the appointments of Police Chief Keith England and Fire Chief Tony Logan. But DeBaun’s views of inclusion go beyond staffing. While representing the Democratic Party, DeBaun focuses on fiscal responsibility. “I’m committed to a conservative budget,” DeBaun said.

Regardless of political details, the mayor has mostly built a reputation for leading with enthusiasm. You can find him at countless community functions. “Brad Fix and I estimate we’ve cooked over 25,000 hot dogs and hamburgers over the past 18 years at various events,” DeBaun said. But the list of glowing attributes isn’t bad news for Republicans. It’s a reflection on an individual, not necessarily his party. After all, Republicans are the only party that generated enough interest to hold a primary ballot this May. And J.R. Showers is more than happy for Democrats, eager to exercise their right to vote, to become familiar with the Republican at-large city council candidates. Four years from now, Shelby County Republicans will be back in the mayoral hunt. Here’s betting that whoever runs in May 2019 has already discussed plans with family, even drawn up yard sign designs. Itching to run, but knowing that a race against 2015 DeBaun may be asking for a beating of epic proportions.

It begs the question: if DeBaun manages to maintain this level of support, could he join Dan Theobald as Shelbyville’s only three-term mayor? “You never say never,” DeBaun said slowly, but quickly hinted that a third term was not in the current plans. “There are definite things I want to accomplish if given the chance for a second term.” In the meantime, no one doubts that Republican Party chair J.R. Showers continues to analyze placing an attractive candidate this fall. Only on the afternoon of June 6 will we know for certain whether or not one of Shelbyville’s 15,000 accepts the challenge. Or perhaps Republicans instead will be content to snag a city council majority and dream of a more open field in 2019.