Douglas McNaughton

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Douglas McNaughton

Libertarian Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Angola, Ind.

Profession

Engineer

Contact

Campaign website

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Douglas McNaughton (Libertarian Party) ran for election for Mayor of Indianapolis. McNaughton lost in the general election on November 5, 2019.

McNaughton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

McNaughton was previously a 2016 Libertarian candidate for District 90 of the Indiana House of Representatives. McNaughton was also a 2015 Libertarian candidate for District 23 of the Indianapolis City Council in Indiana. The general election took place on November 3, 2015. Douglas McNaughton lost the general election on November 3, 2015.

Biography

Douglas McNaughton was born in Angola, Indiana. McNaughton attended Ivy Tech State College and Purdue University. His career experience includes working as an automation engineer. McNaughton has been affiliated with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

Elections

2019

See also: Mayoral election in Indianapolis, Indiana (2019)

General election

General election for Mayor of Indianapolis

Incumbent Joe Hogsett defeated James Merritt and Douglas McNaughton in the general election for Mayor of Indianapolis on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Hogsett (D)	71.6	109,087
		James Merritt (R)	26.9	40,906
		Douglas McNaughton (L)	1.5	2,354
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 152,350
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Javontae Bibbs (Independent)
• John Schmitz (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Indianapolis

Incumbent Joe Hogsett defeated Denise Paul Hatch in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Indianapolis on May 7, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joe Hogsett	83.9	29,111
		Denise Paul Hatch	16.1	5,571

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 34,682
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Mayor of Indianapolis

James Merritt defeated Christopher Moore and Felipe Rios in the Republican primary for Mayor of Indianapolis on May 7, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Merritt	82.8	14,910
		Christopher Moore	14.6	2,622
		Felipe Rios	2.7	486

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 18,018
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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2016

See also: Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Indiana House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on May 3, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 5, 2016.

Incumbent Mike Speedy defeated Lacy Hollings and Douglas McNaughton in the Indiana House of Representatives District 90 general election.

Indiana House of Representatives, District 90 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Speedy Incumbent	63.65%	19,019
	Democratic	Lacy Hollings	31.84%	9,515
	Libertarian	Douglas McNaughton	4.51%	1,348
Total Votes				29,882
Source: Indiana Election Divsion

Lacy Hollings ran unopposed in the Indiana House of Representatives District 90 Democratic primary.

Indiana House of Representatives, District 90 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Democratic	Lacy Hollings  (unopposed)

Incumbent Mike Speedy ran unopposed in the Indiana House of Representatives District 90 Republican primary.

Indiana House of Representatives, District 90 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Mike Speedy Incumbent (unopposed)

2015

See also: Indianapolis, Indiana municipal elections, 2015

The city of Indianapolis, Indiana, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A partisan primary election took place on May 5, 2015. The filing deadline for major party candidates who wished to run in this election was February 6, 2015. The filing deadline for independent or minor party candidates was July 15, 2015. Twenty-five city council seats were up for election. Indianapolis's four at-large seats were not up for election, because those seats were scheduled to expire at the end of 2015.

In District 23, Scott Allen Kreider (R) defeated Douglas McNaughton (Libertarian) in the general election. No Democratic candidates filed for this seat. Incumbent Jefferson Shreve (R) did not run for re-election.

Indianapolis City Council District 23, General election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Scott Allen Kreider	80.2%	3,878
	Libertarian	Douglas McNaughton	19.8%	957
		Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes				4,835
Source: Indianapolis and Marion County, "2015 Municipal Official Election Results", accessed November 16, 2015

Campaign themes

2019

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released March 3, 2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Douglas McNaughton completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McNaughton's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 55 year old Automation Engineer in Indianapolis, IN.

I am running for Mayor of Indianapolis as a Libertarian.

I have lived in Indianapolis since 1984. I grew up in Angola, Indiana in the countryside. Like everyone else in rural Indiana, I baled hay, picked corn and raspberries.

As an adult, I have went to college, received a degree in Automated Manufacturing and now work a job where I travel the world working on automated machinery. I have seen many different cultures and lived in the country and the city.

I am running for Mayor of Indianapolis for 3 basic reasons: I firmly believe that Indianapolis deserves to have real choices in whom they choose to run this city. I believe strongly in the old adage of teaching a man to fish, although I don't mind sharing the fish during the learning curve. I believe I can do a better job of improving the economic and social climate of this city than has been done in the past, because I believe in doing what works, not simply what a political party or existing organization would have me do.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Violent crime cannot be reduced by adding police officers or adding more laws. Violent crime must be addressed at the root causes of youth violence and black market propagation.
• Infrastructure issues such as potholes have been ignored too long in our city for the sake of Legacy building projects. We need to repair our infrastructure first before adding to the cost of city upkeep.
• Homelessness is once again a major problem downtown that has been simply brushed aside for too long. This must be addressed directly with people having a clear path to exit homelessness

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

We need more home grown businesses. Every large business today started in a small town. Walmart did not start in New York City. Microsoft was not started in Los Angeles. The city of Indianapolis needs to stop looking to spend taxpayer money to attract business to Indiana, we need to start growing our own. The city of Indianapolis needs to look for ways that current regulations are inhibiting the growth and development of these home grown businesses and move aside for them. This does not need to cost any taxpayer money, but would actually save money as fewer restrictions on business would require less enforcement. The city needs business growth for job growth, and it needs job growth for population growth, and it needs population growth so that taxes on each individual will not need to grow as well as we prepare our city for future. The Mayor should not try to build the Indianapolis of the future, but rather should encourage organic growth, so that the citizens of Indianapolis can decide and build that future city for themselves.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Larry Sharpe. Mr. Sharpe is a self made man from humble beginnings in New York, that has taken life experience and used it to further his family and his community. He believes in freedom and the ability of the individual to prevail in difficult circumstances, while carrying a positive attitude that prepares him for the next immediate challenge. https://www.larrysharpe.com/

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Economy of Cities - Jane Jacobs, 1969

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity and decisiveness. Serenity, courage and wisdom

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have training in system integration and experience with a wide variety of city governments. I believe that I can not only run the city better than it currently is, but put it on a path of self sustainability that future mayors will not be elected on their economic impact of basic city services.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe that the core responsibility is to be a manager of the city. The city has needs, and the mayor does not need to know how to fix roads, how to stop crime, or even how to help the homeless. He does, however absolutely must know how to find those people who do have this knowledge and appoint them to positions in the city where they can do the best in those positions. The mayor must recognize when something isn't working and change immediately, be it policy or a department head.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I believe that legacy building is what has our city in its present state. If I just left the city better off than it was before, or they simply said "He paid the bills," that would be plenty for me.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Man landed on the Moon. I was 5 years old and watched that and every moon landing.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

McDonald's in Angola, Indiana, continuing into McDonald's at Purdue University. I worked for McDonald's for a total of 7 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress. by Robert Heinlein. I like this book because it describes a future society where people who are effectively trapped by circumstance find a way and the courage and fortitude to gain their real freedom.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Lazarus Long. He lived long enough to see everything in life he ever wanted to.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Mentirosa, by Elephante

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I was born with the need of an artificial leg. I have struggled to lead a normal life my whole life. I know struggle and know how to overcome. If I can get a degree, ride a motorcycle, and climb Mount Pilatus in Switzerland with one leg, I can be the mayor to succeed.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

A mayor needs to be the voice for the people of his city. He needs to be in front of the camera when state issues impact the city, and needs to lead by example, and not simple just let things happen. The mayor, above all others in the city politics, need to be vocal and active on all actions that effect the city. The mayor needs to be the lightning rod that attracts business and people to the city. He is the spokesman when major events happen in the city. Most of all, he should lead by example, not simple let thing happen in the city without comment.

Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?

he Mayor of Indianapolis is the chief executive of both the city and the county. The Head of the Department of Public Safety, and the Police Chief are both offices that are appointed by the mayor and have a major impact in the city. With the continuing increase in violent crime in the city, these positions are more important than every. I will appoint people of competence to these and all positions that are appointed by the mayor. There will be no political reward positions in my administration.

If the mayor in your city is not a member of the city council and oversees the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe is the ideal relationship between the mayor and city council?

The mayor is not a direct member of the city-county council, which is considered the legislative branch of the city government. The city does have deputy mayors, with responsibilities that vary from mayor to mayor. The mayor should set policy for his administration, and set the direction and tone for the city government. He should be responsible to the people and try to keep the council in check so that the city budget is maintained, and the infrastructure and other city responsibilities are maintained. The mayor should be the brake on the city-county council in the same way that the council should be a brake on the mayor, to see to it that the city government remains stable and solvent each fiscal year. I believe that the mayor of this election needs to focus on both violent crime and homelessness.

What do you love most about your city?

Indianapolis is one of the most diverse cities in the United States. There is no one defining thing that "is Indianapolis," rather it is a whole host of items that make Indianapolis a diverse and unique city. Indianapolis. It has all the neighborhood charm of a small town, while at the same time has world class museums, zoo, and sporting events, both professional and amateur that appeal to people of all ages and all walks of life. There is quite literally something for everyone. I want to keep it that way.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

There is a huge division in the vision for the future of the city. Many people do not want the city to grow, but simply become a museum to accomplishments of the past. To glorify what we have and never change for future growth. Others seem to be eager to tear down everything that is Indianapolis as it stands so that their vision of the future can arrive as soon as possible. In my experience traveling the world for my career, I have seen that letting a city grow organically, neither tearing down the past nor inhibiting or rushing the future, seems to be the best path. Take every change as one step at a time, and complete tasks before rushing on to the next one. The city needs to take care of it's citizens first, and let business grow and take care of their future employees as they grow. I believe that the future of the city is one of self-sustenance, in a way that precludes the election of a new mayor to be a major impact in the growth and operation of the city.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the state government?

Since the city is the Capital of the State Government, I feel that the city of Indianapolis should be best able to express the needs of the local governments to the state government. I feel that the mayor of the city should be a barometer for the state government as far as showing the impact of the state on the cities of Indiana.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?

I feel that the issues between the city and the federal government should pass through the buffer of the state government. If the federal government is directly impacting or interacting with the city government, I would tend to believe that it would be the sign of a problem.

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See also

2019 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

• Indianapolis, Indiana municipal elections, 2015
• United States municipal elections, 2015
• Indiana House of Representatives District 90
• Indiana House of Representatives elections, 2016

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