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Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears filed to run for reelection Tuesday, but did not explicitly rule out a run for mayor in 2027.
Mears has served in the role since 2019. In that time, he has become a target of frequent attacks from state lawmakers and conservative radio hosts who claim his “soft on crime” prosecution has allowed criminals to run rampant–but he has also proved popular among Marion County voters.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at the Indiana Statehouse, he said that among his priorities in his next term are the prosecutions of murder cases, cases involving children and public corruption.
Mears pointed to high conviction rates in key areas as signs of sustained success. In 2025, the Prosecutor’s Office has a 90% murder trial conviction rate, a 100% conviction rate for child molestation cases and a 77% conviction rate for gun-related crimes, a campaign spokesperson told IBJ.
If he wins reelection in November, his term would run through the end of 2030. So far, no other candidates have publicly entered the race for prosecutor. The deadline to do so is Feb. 6 at noon.
Mears remained coy about the prospect of a potential mayoral run in 2027.
“I don’t think my wife is going to let me,” Mears told reporters. When pressed on whether that means he’s explicitly ruling out a run, he responded, “you know, it’s like any conversation. Yes, no, maybe.”
He told reporters that his priority remains the Prosecutor’s Office, but detailed frustration with “downstream issues” like a lack of investment in housing and education, that impact the office.
Although former City-County Council President Vop Osili has already announced his intent to run for Indianapolis mayor, candidates cannot officially file to run for that office until January 2027. That means Mears could theoretically win the race for prosecutor in November and still file to run for mayor before the February 2027 deadline.
Mears has experienced electoral success in Indianapolis. In 2022, he bested challenger Cyndi Carrasco—now a state senator—by nearly 20 percentage points. He won handily despite Carrasco fundraising more during that election cycle and a national political action committee paying $350,000 for ads supporting her.
Ongoing investigations into public corruption
On Tuesday, Mears said there will likely be charges filed later this year in corruption cases the office has investigated over the last 18 months.
His office is involved in investigating charges against public officials, including a grand jury investigation that appears to be related to conflicts of interest related to Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration, as well as a probe into Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s office involving an artificial intelligence-generated pornography video and alleged ghost employment.
Mears didn’t provide specifics on the potential outcomes of these specific cases or whether the filings he said will are likely to come out later this year were related to them at all.
When asked whether the investigations he alluded to involve the Hogsett administration, Mears said “there’s not a lot we can say,” but that his office will follow the facts and “regardless of who those facts implicate, we’re going to make sure we follow up.”
Mears’ political rise, policies
Mears has worked for the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office for nearly 20 years. He was chief trial deputy under the late Prosecutor Terry Curry when the Democrat announced his resignation due to his worsening health. A Democratic caucus selected Mears to succeed Curry instead of a candidate endorsed by Hogsett.
He has emphasized the importance of second-chance programs and addressing root causes of crime. Mears also directs his office not to prosecute cases involving possession of small amounts of marijuana or violations of the state’s now-on-hold abortion ban, which he has said gives the staff more time to focus on the prosecution of violent criminals.
Republicans who represent Indianapolis at the Statehouse have frequently targeted Mears’ choice not to prosecute certain cases in legislation that marks him as a so-called “non-compliant prosecutor.”
Last year, the momentum was enough to pass a law that establishes a prosecutor review board with the authority to investigate such prosecutors and issue reports.
Mears told reporters Tuesday that he is open to conversations on “specific…suggestions in terms of what we can do better,” and that “public safety is a shared responsibility amongst all of us.”
“We’ve been very clear and transparent about what our priorities are, and we’ve seen the consequence of us investing in those priorities,” Mears said, pointing to the office’s conviction statistics.
Mears, who grew up in Indianapolis and attended Cardinal Ritter High School, played basketball as an undergraduate at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer. He received his law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
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