Joe Hogsett

Joseph Hadden Hogsett (born November 2, 1956) is an American attorney, prosecutor, and politician who is the 49th mayor of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Hogsett was born in Rushville, Indiana, in 1956.

He graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

He received a Master of Theological Studies degree from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis and a Juris Doctor from Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington (now Indiana University Maurer School of Law).

He went on to serve as a clerk for the Monroe County Superior Court and many civic and charitable positions.

In 1986 Hogsett served as campaign manager for Evan Bayh's successful bid for secretary of state of Indiana.

Bayh tapped Hogsett to serve in the position of deputy secretary of state.

Hogsett then managed Bayh's successful campaign for Governor of Indiana two years later and was appointed by Bayh to the office of secretary of state that Bayh had vacated.

Prior to being elected, Hogsett served as the Secretary of State of Indiana from 1989 to 1994 and as the Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party from 2003 to 2004.

Coats, who had been appointed to the seat by Governor Robert D. Orr in 1989 after Dan Quayle resigned to become Vice President of the United States, had won a special election in 1990 to serve out the remainder of Quayle's term and was seeking a full 6-year term in office.

Hogsett lost to Coats by 900,148 votes (40.8%) to 1,267,972 (57.3%), carrying 13 of the state's 92 counties

Hogsett won election against Indianapolis mayor Bill Hudnut in 1990.

Hogsett received 775,163 votes (51.83%) and Hudnut received 719,314 votes (48.10%).

He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1992, for Indiana's 2nd congressional district in 1994 and for Attorney General of Indiana in 2004.

In 1992, Hogsett ran for the U.S. Senate against Republican incumbent Dan Coats.

Hogsett served as Secretary of State until December 1, 1994, when he declined to run for re-election.

As of 2021 he is the last Democrat to occupy the office of Indiana Secretary of State.

In 1994, Hogsett ran to succeed retiring Democratic Congressman Philip Sharp of Indiana's 2nd congressional district.

He faced Republican David M. McIntosh and lost by 78,241 votes (45.5%) to 93,592 (54.5%), in a year when the Republicans made sweeping gains.

Despite having been recruited by state Democratic Party leaders, Hogsett declined to run in the 2000 2nd congressional district election.

In February 2003, Hogsett became Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party after incumbent Chairman, Peter Manous, resigned.

Hogsett then resigned in June 2004 so that he could run for Attorney General of Indiana.

He was replaced by Kip Tew to be party Chairman.

Hogsett lost to Republican incumbent Steve Carter.

Carter received 1,389,640 votes (58.18%), Hogsett received 953,500 votes (39.92%) and Libertarian Aaron Milewski received 45,212 votes (1.89%).

He most recently served as the United States attorney for the Southern District of Indiana from 2010 to 2014.

In July 2010, President Barack Obama nominated Hogsett to be United States attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, succeeding Timothy M. Morris.

He went on to be unanimously confirmed by a full vote of the US Senate.

Hogsett's tenure was marked by an aggressive approach in combating violent crime, public corruption, child exploitation and civil rights violations.

Local commentators have described Hogsett's efforts as bringing "more muscle to crimefighting," and he has launched a number of initiatives related to these priorities.

In 2010—prior to Hogsett's tenure—there were just 14 illegally armed felons charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In March 2011, Hogsett announced the creation of a Violent Crime Initiative, saying at the time that "for too many young people, it is easier to get a gun than an education. That is unacceptable."

Hogsett said that the "VCI," as it has come to be known, would have four priorities: (1) Prosecute more gun crimes than ever before and increase efforts to identify and vigorously prosecute in federal court violent repeat offenders and criminal gangs, especially those who use guns to further their illegal activities and criminal enterprises.

(2) Increase the use of law enforcement and prosecution tools such as court-authorized wiretaps, undercover and covert operations, surveillance, search warrants and use of the grand jury to develop the best possible cases.

(3) Actively utilize federal drug laws and federal gun laws for the "worst of the worst" to allow for pretrial detention and stiffer sentences.

(4) Aggressively employ a multi-agency law enforcement approach to investigate, arrest and aid prosecution of violent repeat offenders and gangs.

According to published reports, Hogsett's Violent Crime Initiative has produced "dramatic" results, including a significant increase in the number of prosecutions filed by his office against individuals illegally possessing guns.

On November 3, 2015, he won the race for Mayor of Indianapolis in the 2015 election.

He won reelection to a second term in 2019.

In 2023, he won reelection to a third term in office.