80 names for state delegate on Tippecanoe County Democratic primary ballots? Here’s why
Democratic ballots in Tippecanoe Co primary will ask voters to pick up to 56 of 80 candidates to be delegates to party’s state convention. Some say it’s a swing against ‘gatekeeping' by party insiders
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80 NAMES FOR STATE DELEGATE ON TIPPECANOE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY BALLOTS? HERE’S WHY
With early polling set to open Tuesday ahead of the May 5 primary, Tippecanoe County voters pulling Democratic ballots will be asked to choose for more than just the array of candidates in contested races for county commissioner and congressional and General Assembly seats.
This year, ballots will include the names of 80 candidates looking to represent the county at the state Democratic convention in June.
Voters will be able to pick up to 56 of those.
“It’s a lot, I know,” Ken Jones, Tippecanoe County Democratic Party chairman, said. “We absolutely drove it. And here’s why.”
The Tippecanoe County party sends a delegation of 61 people to the state convention, including automatic spots for five party officers. Jones said that in recent elections, candidates filing to be delegates haven’t hit the 56 needed to round out all the seats, leaving it to the party chair to pick the others.
Along with helping to set the party’s platform in June, the stakes at the state convention feature selecting candidates for several state offices that don’t appear on primary ballots, including the party’s nominee for secretary of state.
“We made a special effort to say, We don’t want to be that gatekeeper,” Jones said. “If the voters can’t choose the nominees directly, I’d rather have them choose who will make that decision. … That big list you see on the ballot shows people are really excited about this primary, I think. And it shows that they understand what is at stake.”
In recent weeks, more than 30 of the 80 candidates to be a Democratic delegate have signed onto social media campaigns to indicate a vote for them will be a vote for Blythe Potter for secretary of state. Potter has been positioning herself as an outsider candidate for the party’s secretary of state nomination against Beau Bayh, the son of former governor and U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh and grandson of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh.
Beau Bayh’s first run for office, backed by fundraising of more than $2 million as of early 2026, had him tabbed as “the most anticipated Democratic candidate in a generation” by veteran Indiana political columnist Brian Howey.
Bob Gump, among the 80 Democrats on the primary ballot to be a delegate, said he thought the idea of party insiders selecting delegates and then choosing candidates for the state ticket “doesn’t seem very democratic to me.” He said after he’d met Potter and thought she would be the right pick, he filed to be a delegate candidate.
“I think it was only after filing that it became clear to me that if you really want to put the power into the hands of the people, they need to know who the delegates are supporting before they go into the primary ballot,” Gump said. “I didn’t necessarily want someone just voting for me because they knew my name or they thought I was a nice guy. I wanted them to know who their vote was going to be supporting.”
As of this weekend, 33 of the 80 Democratic delegate candidates had put their names on a social media campaign Gump and several others started assembling several weeks ago to show they were backing Potter.
“I think Blythe helped do that,” Barb Whitlock, another candidate for delegate on the Tippecanoe County ballot, said. “She came here, going town to town, to get delegates signed up. I think that resonates her grassroots efforts. She’s working hard to get people involved in politics, regardless of what it looks like.”
Gump said the idea was to get those lists into voter’s hands or in their phones so they can make decisions, even if they only vote for a handful of delegate candidates.
Jones said the party isn’t endorsing delegate candidates or assembling a clearinghouse of any sort that says who would vote for Potter or for Bayh for the secretary of state nominee. The Democratic candidate selected at the state convention in June would take on take on incumbent Republican Diego Morales – if he emerges again as the candidate from the state GOP convention – and an independent bid by former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard in the November election.
There isn’t, so far, an equivalent public list of Tippecanoe County delegate candidates lining up for Bayh.
But that doesn’t mean they’re not out there.
Heather Maddox, former Tippecanoe County Democratic Party chair, is among the 80 candidates looking to be delegates to the state convention. She said she was thrilled to see Bayh run and to “have a new generation stepping up.”
“Nothing against Blythe,” Maddox said. “I’ve known Beau since he was born and have been proud to watch him grow into such a good, kind, competent and accomplished young man. … I see some people saying he’s riding on coattails/dynasty/etc. But I know him to be an accomplished person in his own right who comes from a family of public servants and wants to follow in their footsteps.”
Lori Morris, another Democratic delegate candidate on the Tippecanoe County ballot, said she filed because she wanted to see more of a progressive push by the Indiana State Democratic Party – something more Birch Bayh, she said, than either Evan Bayh or Beau Bayh.
“I’m not happy about how if Republicans move right, Democrats chase them,” Morris said. “I think we need to stand strong on our Democratic values and present those, which is helping the people and not the corporations. This is one of my main focuses, as well. I think the platform is very important.”
Gump said he and other delegate candidates signed on for Potter weren’t trying to speak for the county party in the group’s word-of-mouth push.
“There are so few people who show up in the primary, and there’s so few people who will probably even vote on these delegates, that a few dozen people might be the difference,” Gump said. “A lot of delegates don’t even get elected. They’re already given a free pass, and I’m guessing many of them are in support of Beau. But us doing this and letting the primary ballot actually mean something gives voters a chance to have a say. I do think if we actually win on the primary ballot, that’s going to be a very powerful message to the convention.”
On the delegate ballot: Eighty candidates to be a delegate to the state Democratic convention in June will be on Tippecanoe County Democratic primary ballots. Voters may choose up to 56 of those.
Here’s the list, via the county election office: Natasha Baker, Kye Benford, Jeffrey T. Bohlin, Katrina L. Bohlin, Joshua Brant, Kayla Brant, Andrea Burniske, Stacey Burr, Kaitlyn Butler, Chris Campbell, Monica Casanova, Michael J. Childress, Drew Cox, Al Crispo, Carleen Crispo, John Dale, Kathy Dale, Ellen Dran, Malcolm Duncan, Marlena M. Edmondson, Amanda Eldridge, Connor Faust, Brenna Geswein, Heather Goodwin, Laura Gorden, Ethan John Greaser, Bob Gump, Matthew T. Gyure, Connie Hahn, Timothy Hahn, Ted Hardesty, Germany Harris, Peggy Hege, Karen Hibdon, Autumn Hinders, Jessica M. Holsinger, Carol Horan, Newlin Howard, Sue Hunter, Luan Isaacs, Henry Ising, Shirley Jarome, Kristen V. Johnson, Justin Kendall, Kevin M. Klinker, Sheila Klinker, Gloria Klutzke, AR Lane, Tetia Lee, Carrie Lohmeyer, Brian W. Maddox, Heather K. Maddox, Erin Moon-Walker, Robert Morgan, Lori S. Morris, Christopher Munt, Jonathan Neal, Daniel D. O’Brien, Amy Paget, Lisa Pantea, Douglas W. Paprocki, Klynn Reynolds, Susan Rowe, Anita Sanford, Susan Schechter, Dwight Spencer, Joshua Stack, Randy Studt, Steven Tally, Aidan Thomas, Barbara Tormoehlen, Angel Valentín, Jesse Washburn, Eileen Hession Weiss, Barbara A. Whitlock, Dean A. Whitlock, S. Williams, Jennifer Windler, Katherine N. Yngve and Rita Zawisza.
ABOUT THE MAY 5 PRIMARY
Early voting ahead of the May 5 primary election runs Tuesday, April 7, to May 4 with contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots for U.S. House, several Indiana General Assembly seats, Tippecanoe County commissioner and Tippecanoe County Council seats, township position and state convention delegates. Voters may choose a Republican or Democratic ballot, but not both, when checking in at the voting site.
Voter registration deadline: … is Monday, April 6, to be eligible to vote in the May 5 primary. To register or to check your status, go to the Secretary of State’s voter portal at indianavoters.in.gov or to the county’s voter registration page.
Early voting sites: In Tippecanoe County, registered voters may cast their ballot at any vote center.
April 7 to May 4: Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette. Weekday hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 7-10, April 13-17, April 20-24, April 27-May 1. Other hours: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 25 and May 2; and 8 a.m.-noon May 4.
April 18: McAllister Recreation Center, 2351 N. 20th St., Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
April 21: Córdova Recreation Center, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
April 23: First United Methodist Church, 1700 Mitch Daniels Blvd., West Lafayette. Hours: Noon-5 p.m.
April 25: West Point Fire Station, 4949 Indiana 25 S., West Point; Otterbein United Methodist Church, 405 Oxford St., Otterbein; and Clarks Hill Christian Church, 9510 Pearl St., Clarks Hill. Hours: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
April 28-May 1: Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; and John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: Noon- 6 p.m.
May 2: Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; and John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
On the ballot: Here are candidates who will be on Tippecanoe County ballots in the May 5 primary. (* = incumbent)
Tippecanoe County
Commissioner, District 1: Julie Roush and James Waters, R; Andrea Burniske, Travis Dowell, Justin Kendall and AR Lane, D
County Council, District 1: Ben Murray*, D; Trent Richter, R
County Council, District 2: Jody Hamilton* and Jonathan Chapin, R
County Council, District 3: Lynn Beck, R
County Council, District 4: Lisa Dullum*, D
County Clerk: Abby Myers and Carrie Sanders, R; Karan Benner, D
Assessor: Anthony Hustedt-Mai, R; Kaitlyn Butler, D
Auditor: Jennifer Weston*, R; Eric Grossman, D
Recorder: Kristy Martin*, R; Monica Casanova, D
Prosecutor: Jason Biss, R
Judge, Superior Court 1: Kevin McDaniel*, R
Judge, Superior Court 2: Sarah Wyatt, R
Judge, Superior Court 4: Matt Sandy*, R
Judge, Superior Court 5: Kristen McVey*, R
Judge, Superior Court 7: Dan Moore*, R
General Assembly seats
House District 13: Matt Commons*, R; Brenna Geswein and Ed Moyer Jr., D
House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D; Magdalaine Davis, R
House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Tracy Brown and Oscar Alvarez, R
House District 38: Heath VanNatter* and Mark Hufford, R; and Nate Stout, D
House District 41: Mark Genda*, R; Jackson Hayes, D
Senate District 22: Ron Alting* and Richard Bagsby, R; Natasha Baker and Marlena Edmondson, D
Senate District 23: Spencer Deery* and Paula Copenhaver, R; David Sanders, D
Congressional seats
U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, Craig Haggard and John Piper, R; Drew Cox, Roger Day, Darin Griesey, Thomas Hall Jr., Robert Lovely, Joe Mackey, Jayden McCash, Paul McPherson and John Whetstone, D.
For a look at all candidates on Tippecanoe County primary ballots, including those for township trustee, township boards and state delegates, here are links to Democratic candidates and Republican candidates.
Candidate Q&As: Watch for candidate Q&As in contested primaries in the coming week in Based in Lafayette.
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It is good to see so many more persons openly running for the State Democratic Convention. Also good to see many more candidates on the Democratic side for County Offices. This may well be a big year for local Democrats.
Mixed feelings on this approach for the state Democratic Party. On the one hand I think the state party could use some shaking up, and it's good to challenge the anointing of a candidate. On the other hand I worry about what happens if a party has no gatekeepers? Graham Platner (and his Nazi tattoo) in Maine is one example, and in Nebraska there's a MAGA pastor running as a Democrat in a race for reasons that will help the Republican candidate.
So, is there some mechanism in place that would prevent, say, a local member of Turning Point USA or some other MAGA running and taking advantage of a low-turnout environment and getting selected as a delegate so they could go cause trouble at the convention?