[1][2] Incumbent mayor Jerome Prince ran for re-election to a second term in office,[3] but lost the Democratic primary to state senator Eddie Melton.

[1][4] This election marked the first time in the history of Gary, Indiana, that a one-term mayor was defeated in a reelection bid.

[1] His challenger, state senator Eddie Melton, had also criticized him for his "abortive attempt" to sell the Genesis Convention Center to a company that later defaulted and was sued by the city.

[4][9] In late January 2023, Prince announced his reelection bid, with Melton and truck driver Danien Walls as his primary opponents.

[11] In April 2023, Howey Politics Indiana rated the Democratic primary race as a toss-up.