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Gina Burgess
Gina Burgess (Democratic Party) ran for election for Mayor of Fort Wayne in Indiana. She lost in the Democratic primary on May 7, 2019.
Burgess completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Burgess was a Democratic candidate for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk in Indiana. Burgess lost the primary on May 8, 2018.
She was a 2015 Democratic candidate for an at-large seat on the Fort Wayne, Indiana, City Council.
Biography
Gina Burgess earned an associate degree in paralegal studies from Ivy Tech in 1995 and a bachelor's degree in business management from Trine University in 2015. Her organizational affilations include the Anthony Wayne Lions Club.[1]
Elections
2019
See also: Mayoral election in Fort Wayne, Indiana (2019)
General election
General election for Mayor of Fort Wayne
Incumbent Tom Henry defeated Tim Smith in the general election for Mayor of Fort Wayne on November 5, 2019.
| Total votes: 53,201 | |||
 = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mayor of Fort Wayne
Incumbent Tom Henry defeated Gina Burgess and Tommy Schrader in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Fort Wayne on May 7, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tom Henry | 86.2 | 6,797 |
| Gina Burgess | 11.1 | 875 | ||
| Tommy Schrader | 2.7 | 216 | ||
| Total votes: 7,888 | |||
| = 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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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mayor of Fort Wayne
Tim Smith defeated John Crawford and David Roach in the Republican primary for Mayor of Fort Wayne on May 7, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tim Smith | 56.4 | 9,065 |
 | John Crawford | 42.1 | 6,776 | |
 | David Roach | 1.5 | 235 | |
| Total votes: 16,076 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
2018
General election
General election for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk
Chris Nancarrow defeated Danielle Andersen in the general election for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Chris Nancarrow (R) | 58.7 | 71,863 |
| Danielle Andersen (D) | 41.3 | 50,624 | ||
| Total votes: 122,487 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk
Danielle Andersen defeated Gina Burgess, David Roach, and Dave Burgess in the Democratic primary for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Danielle Andersen | 44.5 | 5,362 | |
| Gina Burgess | 34.3 | 4,134 | ||
| David Roach | 13.0 | 1,561 | ||
| Dave Burgess | 8.2 | 992 | ||
| Total votes: 12,049 | |||
| = 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 Allen County Circuit Court Clerk
Chris Nancarrow advanced from the Republican primary for Allen County Circuit Court Clerk on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Chris Nancarrow | 100.0 | 19,265 |
| Total votes: 19,265 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2015
The city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A primary election took place on May 5, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was February 6, 2015. All nine city council seats were up for election.[2]
In the at-large city council race, three seats are up for election. In the Republican primary, candidates included Robert A. Armstrong, Michael Barranda, Lee Bradley, incumbent John Crawford, Thomas Freistroffer, Teresa Sutton and Eric Tippmann. In the Democratic primary, candidates included Terry Anderson, Mike Avila, Kevin R. Brown, Gina M. Burgess, Michelle Chambers, Cathy Cross, Daniel P. Lobdell, Lloyd Osborne and Tommy A. Schrader. Barranda, Crawford, Freistroffer, Anderson, Avila and Chambers advanced to the general election. Tabitha Dyck also ran in the general election as a Libertarian. Barranda, Crawford and Freistoffer won in the general election. Incumbents John H. Shoaff (D) and Marty Bender (R) did not run for re-election.[3][4]
| Fort Wayne City Council At-large, General election, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Michael Barranda |
18.8% | 22,545 | |
| Republican | John Crawford Incumbent |
18.1% | 21,679 | |
| Republican | Thomas Freistroffer |
17.1% | 20,482 | |
| Democratic | Michelle Chambers | 15.4% | 18,529 | |
| Democratic | Mike Avila | 14.2% | 16,997 | |
| Democratic | Terry Anderson | 13.4% | 16,099 | |
| Libertarian | Tabitha Dyck | 3.0% | 3,631 | |
| Write-in votes | 0% | 0 | ||
| Total Votes | 119,962 | |||
| Source: Allen County, Indiana, "Election Results", accessed November 16, 2015 | ||||
| Fort Wayne City Council, At-large Republican Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
John Crawford Incumbent |
22.1% | 6,458 | ||
| Michael Barranda |
20.8% | 6,075 | ||
| Thomas Freistroffer |
17.1% | 4,984 | ||
| Eric Tippmann | 12.7% | 3,711 | ||
| Robert A. Armstrong | 12.1% | 3,532 | ||
| Teresa Sutton | 11.3% | 3,293 | ||
| Lee Bradley | 3.9% | 1,153 | ||
| Total Votes | 29,206 | |||
| Source: Allen County, Indiana, "Official primary election results," accessed May 20, 2015 | ||||
| Fort Wayne City Council, At-large Democratic Primary, 2015 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|
Michelle Chambers |
23.9% | 4,630 | ||
| Terry Anderson |
17.4% | 3,377 | ||
| Mike Avila |
15.4% | 2,987 | ||
| Gina M. Burgess | 11.3% | 2,182 | ||
| Kevin R. Brown | 10.4% | 2,020 | ||
| Cathy Cross | 8.4% | 1,634 | ||
| Lloyd Osborne | 6.7% | 1,303 | ||
| Tommy A. Schrader | 5% | 969 | ||
| Daniel P. Lobdell | 1.4% | 280 | ||
| Total Votes | 19,382 | |||
| Source: Allen County, Indiana, "Official primary election results," accessed May 20, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Gina Burgess completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Burgess' responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
Increase public safety staffing, Focus on neighborhood infrastructure (i.e. streets, sidewalks, etc.), Find or create alternative funding to avoid new or increased taxes.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
My vision is a Game Changer. It’s about getting back to basics, reprioritizing needs over wants, and creating a community where everyone feels included.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Locally, some of our former Mayors. I look to Democrat William Hosey, who was able to expand railroad transportation, by way of the railroad trellises, in Fort Wayne without relying on taxpayer dollars and he self-term limited. I look to Democrat Win Moses who didn't wait around for federal assistance to arrive during one of Fort Wayne's worst floods. Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and put out a call to action for everyone who could to volunteer their time to "sandbag Fort Wayne." Through his leadership, Fort Wayne became the City that Saved Itself. I look to Democrat Graham Richard who applied an early form of Six Sigma business practices to governmental operations, which increased efficiencies and tracked trends to improve overall operations. Nationally, President Abraham Lincoln, who accomplished many things, including freeing slaves, while working with both his allies and his enemies. While he didn't always agree with those whose counsel he sought, he purposefully sought out their counsel all the same out of respect of differing views and perspectives. Internationally, Queen Elizabeth I. Her father killed her mother, her life was in constant danger and turmoil, yet she was able to turn-around the British state, which was weakened by war and a bad economy. Many things were accomplished under her reign, including peace and prosperity. This is why her reign was known as the "Golden Years."
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
The best book for someone to read to understand my political philosophy would be "Elizabeth I, CEO." The best movie to watch would probably be Shekhar Kapur's "Elizabeth" (1998) or Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" (2012).
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
Honesty, integrity, a commitment to serve, vision, passion, dedication, the ability to communicate and the ability to think outside the box and be innovative.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I'm an incredibly fair and reasonable person. I'm also a pretty straight shooter when it comes to telling people the things they need to hear instead of telling them the things they want to hear. An officeholder can't please everyone all the time and can't promise everything to everyone all the time. I've seen candidates and office holders who make that mistake and it ends up causing them to over-promise and under-deliver, which erodes their own credibility and the public's confidence and trust in that candidate or office holder. I have enough respect for others to be honest with them, in good times and in bad.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The Office of Mayor is an executive administrative position that currently needs to focus on numbers (budgeting and staffing) and operations (oversight and efficiency), with a focus on community needs (safety, infrastructure, etc.). I have the ability to look at the numbers, ask tough questions, and make tough decisions but I never do so without first asking for the input of others (collaboration) and without engaging in fact-finding and fact-checking.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I'd really love to leave a legacy that doesn't cost taxpayers any money. I don't want a building or bridge built bearing my name, or the name of any of my supporters. I want my legacy to be about me being the first female Mayor of Fort Wayne and how, as the first female Mayor, I was able to reprioritize the community's needs and differentiate them from wants, how a new operating model was established to meet those needs, that those needs were met and met in a way that everyone felt included. My legacy wouldn't just be my own, but a continuation of a legacy planted by Mayor Win Moses in May of 1980, during a happen-chance Girl Scout field trip.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
There were two major historical events that happened simultaneously around Thanksgiving of 1979 -- The International Harvester Strike and the Iran Hostage Crisis. I was 7 years old. As fate or destiny would have it, a few months later, May of 1980, I would meet Mayor Win Moses and he would plant a seed of his Legacy in telling me that "Someday, I [Gina] could become Mayor."
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
At about the age of 10, when most kids were opening up lemonade stands to earn extra money, I had opened up a book store/book stand at Southside Farmers Market. My family had multiple stands at the market and I got to use one. All I needed to do was fill it with items to sell. Being a kids with next to no resources, I looked for things others discarded. When I would go to garage sales with my mom, grandmother, aunts or cousins, I noticed that there were almost always free books. I'd take the free books from garage sales, read what I wanted, and sold what I didn't read or grew tired of reading at market. I did this for about 3 or 4 years. My first employment opportunity came at about the age of 16 with the Kroger Company, where my first pay check was for me standing, looking pretty, and passing out fliers about new products. It was considered a spokesperson job.
What happened on your most awkward date?
The most awkward date I ever had started with me reaching out to mall security and asking them to page the person who was supposed to meet me. This was before cell phones. Fortunately, the mall's public announcement (PA) proved successful and the guy I was waiting for showed up at the security counter. He was a bit embarrassed for being paged and I was a bit embarrassed for having to have him paged.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
It's a toss-up between Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and April Fool's. Christmas is a time of giving and you tend to see the best in people. Thanksgiving because its a time to really focus on your family, friends, and the blessings in your life. Halloween because you are never to old to dress up with friends and have a good time. April Fool's because you are never too old to prank your friends or co-workers. Of course, sometimes those April Fool's jokes can backfire on you. I once lost an office chair in an elevator and then had to explain how I lost an office chair in an elevator. LOL!
What is your favorite book? Why?
Anything but budget reports. A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G! LOL! For pleasure reading, I do tend to indulge in historical period romances and I enjoy anything about Queen Elizabeth I ("Elizabeth I: Legendary Queen of England," "Elizabeth I: CEO," etc.) I also really enjoy books about the future, especially real world practical technology.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
It's a toss-up between Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and the Nesquik bunny.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My bed. Because it comes complete with a pillow, a blanket, and often includes a great night of sleep. It's the perfect way to end one day and start the next.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
As silly as this sounds, The Dave Matthews Band -- "What would you say." Out of the clear blue that was the last song that got stuck in my head. And because "caring is sharing" -- all of my friends heard about it. LOL! Not sure why that song got stuck in my head as its lyrics are rather strange, but the musical rhythm behind the lyrics is fun and upbeat. Another song -- Carrie Underwood's "Champion" --- has been playing in my head a lot right now and is way closer to my heart. Absolutely love the inspirational "never give up" message of the song.
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
I've struggled with a lot of things over the course of my life, just as everyone has. As a woman, one of the things I struggle with the most is balancing things. As a young girl, the struggle is balancing who you are against who the world says you have to be. As a business woman, the struggle is balancing the needs of my family (time) against the needs of the businesses I help (time). As a political candidate, the struggle is balancing the needs of those who support you against the needs of those who don't support you, but still deserve to be heard by you. Life is a constant struggle and you either learn to replace struggle with juggle and move forward or you don't. Over the years, I've gotten pretty good at juggling instead of struggling.
A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?
A mayor should be someone that accepts accountability for all things, good and bad, and strives to get a job done and done well.
Mayors have many responsibilities, which vary from city to city. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your city?
Public safety staffing, budgeting, redirecting resources away from "wants" and towards "needs," and creating new revenue streams that do not rely on new taxes or increased taxes. Ideally, the goal should be to make local government as small, efficient and financially self-sustaining as possible without stretching staff too thin and while maintaining a "rainy day" fund for emergencies.
If the mayor in your city is a member of the city council and there's a city manager appointed to handle the day-to-day administration of the city government, what do you believe should be the mayor's top priority in office?
Not applicable. The Mayor of Fort Wayne is not a member of Fort Wayne City Council.
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 ideal relationship between a Mayor and City Council should be one based on respect, open-communication and mutual accountability with clearly defined roles. In Fort Wayne, City Council's role should be focused on the needs of their district-based constituents to make sure local government is working for them and the Mayor's role is to make sure local government is also working for the needs of all local residents and businesses. If there's a problem or some sort of shortcoming in a District, then that City Councilman needs to bring the problem to the attention of the Mayor and vice versa.
What do you love most about your city?
Fort Wayne is an absolutely amazing slice of Americana with an incredible amount of diversity that many people don't take the time to appreciate. We are a multi-ethnic/multi-cultural city and that surprises a lot of folks. We literally have rural farms and Amish horse-and-buggy transportation minutes away from a completely different and more modern City center of skyscrapers and mass transit. Our urban neighborhoods are dotted with parks and our suburban neighborhoods are dotted with ponds. We offer a lifestyle diversity that few other areas are able to offer.
What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?
The greatest challenge over the next decade will be addressing long-overdue infrastructure needs for the whole city while increasing public safety staffing, decreasing violent crime, improving the mass transit system, and creating robust district-based economies while maintaining the momentum of the City's Downtown and doing so without creating new taxes or increasing pre-existing taxes for local residents and local businesses. This means developing alternative sources of local government revenue that is not dependent upon taxes.
What do you believe is the ideal relationship between your city and the federal government?
It's important for any City to have a working relationship with the Federal Government. I would prefer that relationship be a symbiotic one rather than a one-sided relationship where the City is dependent upon the Federal Government for support. I would prefer Fort Wayne be self-sustaining and self-actualized.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2019 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on April 16, 2018
- ↑ Indiana Secretary of State, "2015 Indiana Election Calendar," accessed January 6, 2015
- ↑ Allen County Board of Elections, "2015 Primary Candidate Filings," accessed February 10, 2015
- ↑ Allen County, "2015 Primary Election Results," accessed May 5, 2015
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