Drew Duncan (3rd District), Bruce Mitchell, Jr. (6th District), Jorden Giger (2nd District), Nick Hamann (1 District) and LaQuita Hughes (At Large) have announced their candidacies for South Bend Common Council. They formally filed for office on Thursday, Feb. 2, in the Office of the St. Joseph County Clerk.
Nick Hamann, candidate for South Bend Common Council District 1, also took part for the filing and announcement.
Bruce Mitchell, Jr. is a 32-year-old father, Iraq War veteran, and founder of BE YOU, an organization with a mission to inspire everyday people to be their best selves. Mitchell served in the Army from August 2009 to June 2014, training in Kuwait and touring through Iraq. He was active in the Wounded Warrior Project and is a graduate of Washington High School.
Jorden Giger is a 31-year-old native, Cofounder of Black Lives Matter South Bend, and member of the South Bend Branch of the NAACP. He is currently a graduate student in the O’Neil School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, with a concentration in public policy analysis and community development.
Drew Duncan is a 32-year-old graduate of Indiana University South Bend who works in marketing and advertising. He is the brother of Rhema Harris, a county corrections officer slain this past summer. Duncan is also the Former Political Action Chair for the South Bend Branch of the NAACP.
LaQuita Hughes is a graduate of Clay High School. She received an Associate Degree in Theology and Bachelor Degree in Organizational Management from Bethel University. She has several certifications with the most recent being the completion of Spark Entrepreneur Program, (WEI) at Saint Mary’s College and Entrepreneurial Initiative (WEI) SPARK, ℅ 2016, and 2021. LaQuita also was a graduate of SB Entrepreneurship Adversity Program, McKenna Center, Notre Dame, ℅ 2020, In addition to her educational accolades, LaQuita is also a Licensed and Ordained Minister, previously serving as the Chaplain at Iota Xi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
Nick Hamann is a resident of the Keller Park Neighborhood with his wife Alana and son Lucas, and works as a Department of Transportation Safety Compliance Consultant. He attended Holy Cross Grade School, St. Joseph’s High School, and graduated from Notre Dame in 2011. Nick is running to jumpstart the redevelopment of the Portage-Midtown neighborhood and upgrade the city’s approach to public safety.
Hughes, who initially filed for district 3, will amend her filing to run at large and endorse Drew Duncan for district 3.
