Inside the alleged micro-agression roiling a Democratic state Senate primary
In State Senate District 46, a she-said, she-said over race erupts.
In late January, two Democratic candidates for an Indiana State Senate seat went on a walk to Ellenberger Park in Indianapolis.
In interviews, both say they wanted to discuss the viability of their respective candidacies. But the ensuing conversation is now roiling the Democratic primary contest.
Ashley Eason, a white former executive at the International Center, and Andrea Hunley, a Black principal at an Indianapolis Public Schools magnet program, threw their respective hats into a crowded Democratic primary for State Senate District 46.
Eason and Hunley are two of five Democratic candidates in the primary, including Kristin Jones, Karla Lopez Owens, and Bobby Kern.
On the walk, Eason told Hunley that a Black candidate couldn't win the majority-white district, according to two sources briefed contemporaneously on the conversation. Hunley confirmed such remarks were made but refused to name the candidate who made them.
In an interview, Eason confirmed the walk with Hunley but denied making such a remark, though she did not dispute that the two candidates discussed the district's demographics.
"I am so excited to be in a field of candidates who are talented and capable and competitive,” Eason said. “I would never say what has been suggested. It does not represent my beliefs, my values, or my actions. I look forward to opportunities for all of us to have an important role in our party."
This account is based on interviews with nine Democrats familiar with the episode, including both candidates and allies who spoke on their behalf.
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