 Waite, a businessman who had previously been an unsuccessful candidate in the 1987 South Bend Republican mayoral primary and had never before held public office, won a Republican primary that also featured Larry M. Scott and James W. Philson.Waite was president of High Tech Alarm Corporation Inc.

Republican Mike Waite encountered several stumbling blocks during his candidacy, including an arrest for unpaid bills and a lawsuit for backpay on delinquent child support.Much of the campaign season would center on these controversies.