Mueller and Upchurch answer Tribune questions before South Bend mayoral election

SOUTH BEND — In a Tribune Talks online forum Monday night, South Bend’s mayoral contenders discussed how the city can attract new businesses and residents, how to address economic and racial disparities citywide, and what personal experiences each candidate would carry with him into the office if elected in November.

Ahead of Election Day Nov. 7, Republican candidate Desmont Upchurch, 46, outlined why he believes his two decades of experience in the U.S. Army render him fit to challenge Democratic South Bend Mayor James Mueller, 41.

But Upchurch, who lost a bid for St. Joseph County auditor last year, was also asked to address two troubling admissions about his personal life that he recently shared with The Tribune after a Republican council candidate was charged with abusing his 15-year-old daughter.

Here’s an overview of key points discussed Monday evening. To watch the full discussion, visit The Tribune’s Facebook page.

Republican candidate addresses past criminal charges

In 1998, while living in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina, Upchurch pleaded guilty to theft of about $800 from his employer. About two years later, he was charged with assault for slapping a woman he was dating.

“Two decades ago I made a mistake,” Upchurch said. “I atoned for those mistakes. I asked the military to forgive me and give me an opportunity to serve in the military. And I served in the Army for two decades without a blemish on my record.”

Assault: South Bend Republican mayoral candidate Desmont Upchurch admits hitting woman 23 years ago

Upchurch said he’s spoken to domestic violence advocacy organizations throughout his time in South Bend. He shares his story not for sympathy, he said, but to caution young men not to be overrun by their anger and never to hit anyone, especially a woman.

Mueller responded that he also believes in second chances but that the standard to hold an office like mayor is quite high. He also questioned why Upchurch approached media outlets to tell the story this year rather than last year, when he was running unsuccessfully for county auditor.

Top priorities for both include public safety, spurring new investment

Though both candidates said reducing crime would be a top priority, Mueller challenged the skewed notion that South Bend is a city ravaged by violence.

Severe crime has fallen by nearly 11% since 2019, he said. Whereas 78 people had been shot through August of 2019, that number fell to 50 up to the same month this year. He credits the fully staffed South Bend Police Department, with roughly 250 officers and an 80% success rate for solving homicides, for much of the progress.

“It’s important not to bring attention to a negative that’s actually going in the right direction,” Mueller said. “That doesn’t help our city. That doesn’t help get more people to move here or more businesses to invest here.”

As long as there’s a perception that crime is rampant and the school system is ailing, Upchurch said, families and business owners will be reluctant to move to South Bend. He proposed a new marketing strategy that clears the air of distorted views on crime and attracts new ideas.

"Mr. Mueller is correct," Upchurch said. "Crime is trending in the right direction, going down." Upchurch then accused the mayor of waiting for an election year to address crime.

The candidates’ backgrounds and experience

Mueller, sworn into office in 2020, said he’s still powered by South Bend’s upswing over the past decade, which he contributed to as chief of staff and then director of community investment under then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

A St. Joseph High School graduate, Mueller attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate degree. He earned his doctorate at the University of Delaware. He then worked in the public policy realm, including four years spent advising a U.S. senator, before returning to South Bend in 2015 to work under Buttigieg.

“This was not the same South Bend that I knew growing up, and we were on the move,” Mueller said. “So we've had record growth in population, highest growth rates since the 1950s. We're seeing record investment across the city. And this is something that we know didn't happen by accident, and it's not guaranteed if we take our foot off the gas pedal that it will continue.”

Upchurch served in the U.S. Army for two decades, having been deployed three times to combat and worked for years as a recruiter before retiring in 2021. He says he moved to South Bend with his family in 2016 to recruit students from the University of Notre Dame for the Army's health care roles.

“I've had to make tough decisions, while protecting soldiers and combatants alike,” Upchurch said. “I've had to make tough decisions when it came to how to move the Army forward so that we could do our job safely. I bring all that experience here.”

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Mueller and Upchurch discuss issues facing South Bend before election