A prospective challenger to Mayor Joe Hogsett is stepping back from Indianapolis politics

One of the few well-known Indianapolis Republicans who has been flirting with a run against Democratic Mayor Joe Hogsett in 2019 took a step back from city politics Friday.

But it doesn't necessarily mean he's not running.

State Sen. Jim Merritt resigned as chairman of the Marion County Republican Party, citing the workload of the upcoming legislative session and insisting that the GOP "would benefit from someone who is able to be laser focused on winning back both the City-County Council and the mayor's office."

Merritt, who for months has talked about challenging Hogsett, said in a prepared statement that he is busy at "work on over 34 pieces of legislation" that will occupy his time. Yet, Merritt did not explicitly address the mayoral race and left his options open in a text message to IndyStar.

"I'm going to take my time and make a decision," Merritt said.

Hogsett, a Democrat, announced last week he would seek a second term. He does not yet have a prominent Republican challenger.

So far, two Republicans without government experience — Christopher Moore and John Schmitz — have said they will run for mayor. Merritt is among a small handful of Republicans who have held elected office to be openly considering it.

Two others are Jose Evans, a Democrat-turned-Republican who served on the City-County Council, and state Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer. They have not yet announced their decisions.

Merritt's resignation as county GOP chairman caught his fellow Indianapolis Republicans by surprise. Michael McQuillen, the minority leader on the Democratic-controlled council, said he learned of Merritt's decision just before it became public Friday, adding he does not know what it means for Merritt's broader political plans.

"He has not told me any additional information," McQuillen said. "One can surmise what it may mean. It's hard to guess in politics what anything may mean."

Merritt held the dual role of state senator and county party chairman for nearly two years. In his more political role, Merritt has repeatedly sent out blistering statements about Hogsett over potholes and rising criminal homicides.

Those statements have often been at odds with the actions of council Republicans, who largely have supported Hogsett's agenda, including a unanimous vote in favor of the mayor's 2019 budget.

"Some of my goals as chairman ... were to ensure our Republican candidates’ success at the local level, increase fundraising for both the party and local candidates, and continue to improve our internal capabilities including growing our grassroots programs," Merritt said. "Looking back, I am grateful for the amount of time, effort, and dedication put in by many people to make sure those goals were achieved, and in many cases surpassed."

McQuillen, who served as county party chairman before Merritt, said vice chairman Bryce Carpenter automatically assumes that role upon Merritt's resignation. There will be a special election to solidify that role, most likely at the party's slating convention in February, McQuillen said.

"It doesn't matter whether he wants to (be chairman)," McQuillen said of Carpenter. "He is the guy now."

Call IndyStar reporter James Briggs at (317) 444-6307. Follow him on Twitter: @JamesEBriggs.