Eddie Melton (born 1981) [1] is an African American politician from the state of Indiana, who was born in the city of Gary and is serving as the 22nd mayor of Gary, Indiana. A member of the Democratic Party, Melton served in the Indiana Senate as the Senator for Indiana Senate District 3. He also serves as Deputy Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party where he has focused on equity and inclusion.
Eddie Melton began his career in community engagement and social work, focusing on empowering underprivileged communities. He worked for NiSource, as a community relations and corporate citizen manager, where he led initiatives to foster stronger ties between the corporation and local communities. His role involved developing partnerships and programs to address educational inequality, workforce development and access to resources to vulnerable populations.[14]
State Senate Career (Nov 2016 - Dec 2023)
In November 2016, Melton was elected to the Indiana State Senate, representing District 3, which includes parts of Gary, Indiana and other areas of northwest Indiana. Melton worked with state and local leaders to address issues such as school closures, economic stagnation, and public safety challenges in his district.[15][16] Known for his bipartisan approach, he focused on securing resources for communities affected by industrial decline.[17][18]
On November 16th, 2022, Melton declared his candidacy for mayor of Gary, Indiana, in the 2023 Democratic Party primary election.[22][23] Melton was the first to challenge incumbent mayor Jerome Prince. Melton became the main competitor to Prince's reelection bid, criticizing Prince's lack of progress in his term.[24] Melton and Prince ended up being the only two candidates on the Democratic Primary ballot due to disqualifications.[25] On May 2nd, 2023, Eddie Melton defeated Jerome Prince with over 58% of the vote in the Gary Democratic Primary to win the bid of the Democratic nominee for mayor.[26][27]
Eddie Melton's Campaign
Melton ran a campaign with the catchphrase “Gary deserves better NOW”.[28] Melton received endorsements from members from The Jackson 5 group,[29] state legislator Earline Rodgers,[30] and singer Deniece Williams,[31] among many union groups.
2023 General Election
On November 7th, 2023, the Gary Indiana general elections were held between Eddie Melton and Republican challenger Andrew Delano. Melton received over 95% of the vote, winning the election.[32] Melton resigned from the State Senate on December 5, 2023, following his election as mayor.[33][34] On December 30th, 2023, Melton was sworn in as the 22nd mayor of Gary Indiana, officially taking office on January 1st, 2024.[28]
Mayor Of Gary (Jan 2024- Present)
Inauguration
Melton was sworn in to office on December 30, 2023 by Lake County Prosecutor, Bernard Carter at West Side Leadership Academy.[35]In his inaugural address, Mayor Melton emphasized the need for change and a forward-looking vision for a "greater Gary."[36]
First 100 Days
Upon taking office on January 1, 2024, Melton announced his 100-day plan titled "Leading Gary to Greatness." The plan focused on nine areas: greater government, public infrastructure environmental and parks, public safety, economic development and redevelopment, education, housing, arts, culture, and tourism, and community engagement.[37]
Economic Development
On March 7, 2024, his administration negotiated with the large local company, Indiana Sugars. The company was looking to expand and perhaps move out of Gary, but with Melton’s efforts, Indiana Sugars remained local and purchased 70 more acres in Gary. [38][39]
In March 2024, Melton’s administration received a $3 million dollar donation from Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana to aid in the demolition of run down and abandoned properties in downtown Gary. Melton also helped Gary Works secure a $300 million investment from Nippon Steel.[40][41][42]
Public Infrastructure
In July 2024, Melton announced that the city would be partnering with Notre Dame School of Architecture’s Housing and Community Regeneration Initiative to work on rebuilding Gary in order to revitalize the economy and create a better downtown area for residents. [43]
In June 2024, to address concerns of aging infrastructure, Melton introduced the Relight the City program to repair all streetlights in Gary by 2025. The city council allocated $3.5 million dollars to fund the plan. Improved street lighting has been seen to reduce crime rates and road injuries in cities. [44][45][46]
In late May 2024 the Melton administration formed a partnership with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and law enforcement to form an illegal dumping task force. The city also received a half $1 million grant from IDEM to help combat and clean up illegal dumping sites. Melton spoke at a press conference announcing the task force and encouraged residents to use the 311-nonemergency line to report illegal dumping in the city. [47][48][49]
