Melina Kennedy handily won in unofficial results as Democratic primary voters decide who will take on Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard in the November election.

Ballard was unopposed in the Republican primary. Kennedy — a former deputy mayor who attracted the bulk of the contributions and heavy-hitting endorsements before the primary — is the frontrunner in a field that also includes Ron Gibson, a former at-large City-County Council member, and Sam Carson Sr., the son of the late U.S. Rep. Julia Carson and a first-time candidate.

With 60 percent of precincts reporting, Kennedy was leading with 77 percent of the vote. Carson had 12 percent, and Gibson had 11 percent.

Among Kennedy’s endorsements was one from current U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indianapolis, who succeeded his grandmother. He is Sam Carson’s nephew.

But with turnout dismally low in most precincts today, there’s little certainty until results begin rolling in after polls close at 6 p.m.

So far, most voters’ attention has been diverted to state and national politics, resulting in short attention spans for the mayoral race. That was true in Franklin Township, where a school-funding referendum drove most interest in today’s election. Some voters declined to speak about the mayor’s race.

John Dunn, 67, a school bus driver, said he voted for Kennedy in the primary because “she was well advertised. I think she’s got a good chance against Ballard.”

In 2007, he voted for Ballard — and he took care to note that “Ballard is not that bad.”

But he likes what he perceives as Kennedy’s “younger point of view” and figures she would pay more attention to outlying areas of the city. “I think Ballard focuses too much on the inner city,” Dunn said.

As for Kennedy’s fellow Democrats? “Gibson, I’ve never heard of,” Dunn said. “Carson, he’s very, very for the poor people. That’s OK, but I think it should be (about more issues).

At the Harrison Center on the Near-Northside, Democrat Catherine Ciak cq, 28 cq, said she liked what she had heard so far about Kennedy, especially her background as an environmental lawyer.

She doesn’t have strong feelings on Ballard’s tenure, she said, beyond an intense dislike of a 50-year lease of the city’s parking meters that he pushed last year. “It hurts Downtown,” she said.

Overall, “I wouldn’t necessarily say I don’t like what Mayor Ballard’s done,” Ciak said. “Safety is a big issue for me in the city — and I do feel safe in Indianapolis.”

She would like to see Ballard and the Democratic nominee discuss sustainability, green infrastructure, public safety and public transportation during the campaign.

The Libertarian Party will nominate a mayoral candidate along with hopefuls for the City-County Council at the party’s May 14 convention. Libertarian Richard Kent has been seeking the nomination for mayor.