Allen Co. Election board determines city council hopeful is ineligible to run for office

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A now former city council candidate said he wants to hire a lawyer and sue the city of Fort Wayne after the Allen County Election Board decided Friday morning Tommy Schrader cannot legally run for office.

Tommy Schrader ran as a Democrat in the May primary and won a nomination for a city council at-large seat.

After his success, neither the Democratic Party nor the Allen County Election board had been able to reach Schrader by mail or phone. He had also missed the deadline to file his campaign finance reports.

It was discovered that prior to Indiana’s primary, Schrader had been living in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The Democratic Party challenged Schrader’s eligibility to run for office based on residency. Schrader attended a meeting Friday with the Allen County Election board agreeing to answer questions as part of its investigation.

Schrader told the board he had been in Green Bay from March 6 until the days following Indiana’s primary on May 3. He told members of the board that he lived in a homeless shelter for 29 days and in a hotel for three weeks. Schrader returned to Fort Wayne once he learned of winning the primary.

“I wasn’t expecting to win,” he said.

Allen County Election board chairman, Zachary Klutz asked Schrader if he registered to vote while in Wisconsin. Schrader said he did.

“I did vote in the Mayor’s race,” Schrader said.

Based on intent to be a resident in Fort Wayne, the board decided Schrader was ineligible to hold a campaign for office.

“We have to look at the actions to see if they match up, and in this case they just didn’t,” Klutz said. “We came to the conclusion that he was not a resident for at least one year prior to this election.”

Schrader left the meeting yelling, "I'll see you in court!" He stated he plans to appeal the board’s decision.

“I think I have a strong case,” he said. “We’re going to take it to circuit court. What I really need is legal representation. If I can sue the city I will and sue the election board.”

One week after the primary, NewsChannel 15 caught up with Schrader at a Fort Wayne motel he called home, where he said he kept himself busy drinking beer and watching pornography.

Schrader does not have a job he said he relies on disability.

Watch Schrader's entire interview with the media following the board's decision in the video player.