Top Buttigieg aide wins South Bend Democratic mayoral bid

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) - A top aide to Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (BOO'-tuh-juhj) has won the party's primary to take his place as mayor of Indiana's fourth-largest city.

James Mueller won the Democratic nomination for South Bend mayor with 37% of Tuesday's vote in a nine-candidate field. Mueller is director of the city's Department of Community Investment and had Buttigieg's endorsement.

In Gary, Lake County Assessor Jerome Prince defeated Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson in the Democratic primary as the former Indiana attorney general sought election to a third mayoral term.

Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard won a two-candidate Republican primary with 56% in his bid for a seventh term.

In Indianapolis, Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett and Republican state Sen. James Merritt easily won their primaries to face each other in November's mayoral election.