Eddie Melton

Eddie Melton
Melton in 2023
Eddie Melton
Born	26 1, 1981
Birthplace	Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	Mayor of Gary, Indiana
Known for	22nd Mayor of Gary, Indiana
Spouse(s)	Crystal Melton
Website	[[eddiemelton.com eddiemelton.com] Official site]

Eddie Melton (born January 26, 1981) is an American politician serving as the 22nd Mayor of Gary, Indiana, a position he has held since January 1, 2024. A member of the Democratic Party, Melton previously represented Indiana Senate District 3 from 2016 to 2023, succeeding longtime state senator Earline S. Rogers. Born and raised in Gary, Melton has centered much of his political career on revitalizing the city, which experienced decades of population loss and economic decline following the contraction of the American steel industry. He also serves as Deputy Chair of the Indiana Democratic Party. Before entering the mayor's office, Melton briefly explored a gubernatorial campaign in 2019, becoming the first announced Democratic candidate for the 2020 Indiana gubernatorial election before withdrawing from the race. His tenure as mayor has been marked by ambitious plans for downtown redevelopment and efforts to attract major investment to Gary, including a public campaign to bring a proposed Chicago Bears stadium complex to the city.

Early Life

Eddie Melton was born on January 26, 1981, in Gary, Indiana, a city in the northwest corner of the state situated along the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Gary, once a thriving industrial center built around the United States Steel Corporation, had by the time of Melton's birth already entered a period of significant economic and demographic decline. The city's population, which peaked at approximately 178,000 in 1960, had fallen substantially during the deindustrialization of the late 20th century.

Melton grew up in Gary and has spoken publicly about the influence of civil rights leaders on his upbringing and political development. In February 2026, following the death of the Reverend Jesse Jackson, Melton recalled Jackson's impact on his childhood and his eventual decision to pursue a career in public service. Gary's deep connections to the civil rights movement and African American political empowerment — the city elected one of the nation's first Black mayors, Richard G. Hatcher, in 1967 — formed part of the backdrop of Melton's formative years.

Melton has maintained his residence in Gary throughout his life, and his deep roots in the community became a recurring theme in his subsequent political campaigns.

Education

Melton attended Calumet College of St. Joseph, a small Catholic institution located in Whiting, Indiana, near Gary. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the college. Calumet College of St. Joseph, founded in 1951, has historically served the working-class communities of northwest Indiana and the greater Chicago metropolitan area.

Career

Indiana State Senate

Melton's entry into elected office came in 2016, when he ran for the Indiana Senate seat representing District 3, which encompasses portions of Lake County, including much of Gary. The seat had been held for decades by Earline S. Rogers, a longtime Democratic state senator. Melton succeeded Rogers in the November 2016 election.

During his time in the Indiana Senate, Melton served as a member of the Democratic caucus and worked on issues related to education, economic development, and equity. He also took on a leadership role within the Indiana Democratic Party, serving as Deputy Chair with a focus on equity and inclusion. His position within the party's leadership structure gave him a statewide profile that extended beyond his northwest Indiana district.

Melton's tenure in the Senate spanned from November 9, 2016, to December 5, 2023, when he resigned to assume the office of mayor. He was succeeded in the Indiana Senate by David Vinzant.

2019 Gubernatorial Exploration

In June 2019, Melton began exploring a run for Governor of Indiana in the 2020 Indiana gubernatorial election, which would have pitted him against incumbent Republican governor Eric Holcomb. By October 2019, Melton had formally declared his candidacy, becoming the first Democrat to officially enter the gubernatorial race.

However, Melton subsequently withdrew from the gubernatorial race. His decision to step back from the statewide contest was reported by multiple Indiana media outlets. The 2020 gubernatorial race was ultimately won by Holcomb, who defeated Democratic nominee Woody Myers.

Mayoral Campaign

Following his withdrawal from the gubernatorial race, Melton turned his attention to local politics. He announced his candidacy for mayor of Gary, challenging incumbent mayor Jerome Prince in the Democratic primary.

The May 2023 Democratic primary proved to be the decisive contest in heavily Democratic Gary. Melton defeated incumbent Mayor Prince, a result that effectively guaranteed Melton the mayoralty given Gary's political composition. The unseating of an incumbent mayor in Gary was a significant political event in northwest Indiana, reflecting voter desire for new leadership and a different approach to the city's long-standing challenges. Election results were certified by the Lake County election board.

Melton resigned his state Senate seat on December 5, 2023, in advance of being sworn in as mayor on January 1, 2024.

Mayor of Gary

Melton took office as the 22nd mayor of Gary, Indiana, on January 1, 2024, succeeding Jerome Prince. He inherited a city that had faced decades of population loss, fiscal distress, and infrastructure deterioration, but which also possessed significant assets including its lakefront location, proximity to Chicago, and existing industrial and transportation infrastructure.

Downtown Revitalization

A central initiative of Melton's administration has been the development and promotion of a comprehensive "Vision and Action Plan" for downtown Gary. In early 2026, Melton joined regional executives and academic leaders at the University of Notre Dame as part of the 3rd Annual 100-Mile Coalition gathering to advance plans for downtown regeneration. The engagement with Notre Dame and regional partners reflected Melton's strategy of leveraging academic and private-sector partnerships to drive investment into Gary.

The Gary Chamber of Commerce has also worked with Melton's administration to unite city leadership with major industry figures. A strategic summit was organized to discuss Gary's revitalization, bringing together the mayor and representatives from large corporations to explore economic development opportunities.

Chicago Bears Stadium Bid

One of the most high-profile initiatives of Melton's mayoralty has been the city's campaign to attract a proposed new stadium for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. In late 2025 and early 2026, Melton and his administration made a public pitch to bring the Bears' proposed stadium complex to Gary, launching a dedicated website — BearStadiumDistrict.com — to promote the city's candidacy.

According to reporting by the Indianapolis Business Journal, Gary offered three potential development sites as part of its bid. Melton stated that the city "made a lot of noise" with the proposal, which came after state lawmakers had been debating potential incentives for such a project. In a December 2025 interview with FOX 32 Chicago, Melton argued that Gary had "strong foundations" for hosting such a development and that the city was "ready for the Chicago Bears."

The Bears stadium bid, while ambitious and considered a long-shot by many observers, served as part of Melton's broader narrative strategy to reposition Gary as a city undergoing a comeback rather than one defined by decline.

Narrative and Revitalization Strategy

A February 2026 profile in Governing magazine described Melton's approach as "'Turning the Titanic' in a Rust Belt City," noting his efforts to attract new investment while actively promoting the narrative of a Gary comeback. The article highlighted the scale of the challenges facing the administration, given Gary's long trajectory of economic contraction, while also documenting the steps Melton's government was taking to reverse course.

Melton's strategy has combined traditional economic development efforts — including courting private investment and working with regional partners — with a deliberate public relations campaign to change perceptions of Gary. The city's proximity to Chicago, its position along major transportation corridors, and its available land have been presented as competitive advantages in attracting development.

Personal Life

Eddie Melton resides in Gary, Indiana, with his wife, Crystal. Melton has maintained his primary residence in the city throughout his career in public service. In February 2026, Melton publicly honored the Reverend Jesse Jackson following the civil rights leader's death, describing Jackson's influence on his own life and career in public service.

Political Positions and Party Role

Within the Indiana Democratic Party, Melton has served as Deputy Chair, a role in which he has focused on equity and inclusion within the party's operations and messaging. His statewide party leadership position, combined with his brief gubernatorial candidacy in 2019, gave him visibility beyond northwest Indiana.

Melton's selection as Deputy Chair was part of a broader period of change within Indiana's Democratic leadership. In a related development, state senator Greg Taylor became the first Black leader of a legislative caucus in Indiana state history, reflecting a broader push for representation within the party.

Legacy

As of early 2026, Melton's mayoralty remains in its early stages, and the long-term outcomes of his administration's revitalization efforts are yet to be determined. However, his tenure has already drawn attention from national and regional media outlets for its approach to urban renewal in a post-industrial context.

The challenges facing Gary — a city whose population declined from nearly 180,000 in 1960 to under 70,000 by the 2020 census — represent some of the most acute examples of Rust Belt urban decline in the United States. Melton's efforts to reverse this trajectory through a combination of regional partnerships, private investment, and high-profile development proposals such as the Bears stadium bid have positioned his administration as a test case for small and mid-size city revitalization strategies.

The Governing profile of Melton's approach to leading Gary compared his task to "turning the Titanic," acknowledging both the ambition and difficulty of the undertaking. His engagement with institutions such as the University of Notre Dame and regional business coalitions has represented an effort to embed Gary's revitalization within broader regional economic development frameworks, rather than treating the city as an isolated case.

Melton's political trajectory — from state senator to gubernatorial candidate to mayor — has also illustrated the evolving landscape of Democratic politics in Indiana, where the party has faced significant challenges at the statewide level while maintaining strength in urban centers like Gary, Indianapolis, and the college towns.