New Fort Wayne, Indiana, mayor is sworn in a month after her predecessor's death

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Former 6th District City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker is sworn in as mayor at the Clyde Theatre on Tuesday morning, April 23, 2024, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Stan Sussina/The Journal-Gazette via AP)

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Former 6th District City Councilwoman Sharon Tucker speaks after being sworn in as mayor at the Clyde Theatre on Tuesday morning, April 23, 2024, in Fort Wayne, Ind. (Stan Sussina/The Journal-Gazette via AP)

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Sharon Tucker speaks at podium on Saturday, April 20, 2024 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Tucker, a Democrat, becomes the first Black mayor of the northeastern Indiana city, The Journal Gazette reported, Saturday. She was elected in the second round of voting during a Democratic caucus when she met the requirement of 50% of the votes plus one.(Devan Filchak /The Journal-Gazette via AP)

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FILE - Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry speaks with reporters and city staff, Feb. 26, 2024, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Indiana Democratic House leader state Rep. Phil GiaQuinta intends to run for Fort Wayne mayor in an upcoming caucus to replace the city’s late mayor who died last week, an adviser to the lawmaker confirmed Wednesday, April 3. (Corey McMaken/The Journal-Gazette via AP, File)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — Democrat Sharon Tucker was sworn in Tuesday as the new mayor of Indiana’s second-most populous city, nearly a month after her predecessor’s death.

Tucker, who had been a Fort Wayne City Council member, took the oath of office Tuesday morning at the Clyde Theater, three days after she beat out six other candidates to win Saturday’s Democratic caucus in the northeastern Indiana city.

The mayor’s office became vacant when Mayor Tom Henry, a fellow Democrat, died March 28 after experiencing a medical emergency related to his stomach cancer. He was 72.

Karl Bandemer, who acted as Fort Wayne’s mayor in the interim, swore in Tucker before she and her husband, Timothy Barbour, embraced each other, The Journal Gazette reported.

“Y’all, they’re getting ready to put me to work already. I get to do my first job,” Tucker said before swearing in Bandemer to his previous role as deputy mayor.

Tucker had been a member of the City Council, but she resigned Sunday after her caucus win. She had previously served as a member of the council for Allen County, of which Fort Wayne is the seat.

Fort Wayne Mayor-elect Sharon Tucker is hugged by Acting Mayor Karl Bandemer on Saturday, April 20, 2024, after Tucker was chosen as the city’s new mayor during a caucus to replace Fort Wayne’s late mayor, who died in March. Tucker will be sworn in next week as the first Black mayor of the northeastern Indiana city. (Madelyn Kidd/The Journal-Gazette via AP)

Councilwoman chosen as new Fort Wayne mayor, its 1st Black leader, in caucus to replace late mayor

FILE - Indiana House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, listens during a session at the Statehouse, April 27, 2023, in Indianapolis. GiaQuinta intends to run for Fort Wayne mayor in an upcoming caucus to replace the city's late mayor who died last week, an adviser to the lawmaker confirmed Wednesday, April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

Indiana House Democratic leader to run for mayor of Fort Wayne following death of Tom Henry

FILE - Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry speaks with reporters and city staff, Feb. 26, 2024, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Henry, who announced in February that he's been diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer, is in hospice care after suffering a medical emergency, his family said Thursday, March 28. (Corey McMaken/The Journal-Gazette via AP, File)

Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry dies after medical emergency amid cancer battle

Henry was elected in November to his fifth term as mayor of the city of about 270,000 residents. He announced his diagnosis of late-stage stomach cancer during a news conference Feb. 26 and started chemotherapy at the beginning of March.

Tucker, the first Black person to serve as Fort Wayne mayor, will serve the remainder of Henry’s mayoral term. It runs through Dec. 31, 2027.

New Fort Wayne, Indiana, mayor is sworn in a month after her predecessor’s death