Candidate Q&A: County coroner, Carrie Costello vs Benji Milanowski
Coroner Carrie Costello is being challenged by in the 2024 election by Benji Milanowski, a Libertarian who ran for Lafayette mayor in 2023.
This is part of a series of Q&As with candidates in contested races in the Nov. 5 general election in Tippecanoe County.
Coroner Carrie Costello is being challenged by in the 2024 election by Benji Milanowski, a Libertarian who ran for Lafayette mayor in 2023.
Milanowski praised Costello, a Republican, for doing a fine job, working well with the Tippecanoe County Health Department in tracking deaths related to drug use. He said it would be a fluke if he won a position he contends should be a hired role rather than an elected one.
Here, Costello and Milanowski tell how they’d handle the position.
For more: Find bios of each candidate, along with information about where and when to vote at the end of this article.
Why do you want this job? Why are you running now for this position?
Carrie Costello: I am running for re-election to continue providing my experience, expertise and advocacy for the decedents in all death investigations. To continue to advocate for the decedents by determining the cause and manner of death, assisting the public safety and criminal justice process, and providing answers for the families as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. I will continue my well-established local, state and federal partnerships while assisting with community health and safety.
Benji Milanowski: Anyone can be a coroner in Indiana! While you do have to go through a training upon your election, ostensibly any elected adult can be coroner. In this election you have two qualified candidates with experiences in law enforcement and healthcare. This may not be the case in future elections and consideration should be given to appointing the position to a qualified person or abolishing the coroner system in favor of a medical examiner system.
Name two of your top priorities for the coroner’s office. And how will you handle them?
Carrie Costello: My dedicated work to the opioid epidemic. We have been extremely successful in the past two years with decreasing opioid deaths, and I plan to continue working diligently in this area. I will continue to work with the community partners in the areas of education, awareness, and training to continue the efforts of the opioid crisis. I will continue to provide forensic training opportunities that support the expertise and education of my medicolegal death investigating team. With my established practices, I find answers for the deceased and speak for them when they cannot.
Benji Milanowski: The coroner is tasked with arresting the sheriff, so that will go on my to do list. I cannot share too much in case the sheriff reads this, but a big net will be involved.
Name two specific things that separate you from your opponent and why they matter for this position?
Carrie Costello: First, I have 24 years of hands-on experience in the field of forensics and medicolegal death investigations. I have personally worked with the Tippecanoe County Coroner’s Office for 24 years. Second, my passion and dedication for this work. With the practices I have established, I find answers for the deceased and speak for them when they cannot while supporting, providing compassion, and assisting families and loved ones during such a difficult time.
Benji Milanowski: Both of us are trained in forensic science. Carrie Costello comes from a law enforcement background while I come from a healthcare background, so our approaches to problems will be tinted in those lenses. Also, I am taller.
CANDIDATE BIOS
Carrie Costello
Party: Republican
Age: 56
Occupation: Coroner for Tippecanoe County
Education background: M.S., Indiana State Certified Medicolegal Death Investigator
Past elected positions, if any: Coroner for Tippecanoe County
Community boards or other community leadership and service: Tippecanoe County Child Fatality Review Team; Tippecanoe County Suicide/Overdose Fatality Review Team; Tippecanoe Regional Opioid Settlement Community Committee; Indiana Coroners Association, full member; American Academy of Forensic Sciences, fellow; International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners; National Association of Medical Examiners, affiliate investigator; Association of Indiana Counties, Inc., member
Immediate family: Widow, 3 Rhodesian Ridgebacks
Your campaign site online: https://sites.google.com/view/carrie4coroner/home
Benji Milanowski
Party: Libertarian
Age: 40
Occupation: Graduate Student
Education background: BS in Medical Laboratory Science; BS in Nursing
Past elected positions, if any: N/A
Community boards or other community leadership and service: N/A
Immediate family: N/A
Your campaign site online: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090016627198
ABOUT THE NOV. 5 GENERAL ELECTION
Early voting ahead of the Nov. 5 primary election started Oct. 8 with contested races on Tippecanoe County ballots for president, governor, U.S. Senate and Houses, Indiana attorney general, several Indiana General Assembly seats, Tippecanoe County commissioner and Tippecanoe County Council at-large seats, several county elected seats, and Lafayette, West Lafayette and Tippecanoe school corporation school boards. A few things to know:
VOTER REGISRATION/YOUR BALLOT: To check your voter registration and to see candidates and public questions that will be on your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.
WHERE TO VOTE: In Tippecanoe County, registered voters may cast their ballot at any vote center.
EARLY VOTING
Oct. 8-Oct. 11, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 15-Oct. 18, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 19, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., McAllister Center, 2351 N. 20th St., Lafayette
Oct. 21-Oct. 25, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 22, noon-5 p.m., First United Methodist Church, 1700 Mitch Daniels Boulevard, West Lafayette
Oct. 24, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Purdue Co-Rec, 355 N. Martin Jischke Drive, West Lafayette.
Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., West Point Fire Station, 4949 Indiana 25 S., West Point; Otterbein United Methodist Church, 405 Oxford St., Otterbein; Clarks Hill Christian Church, 9510 Pearl St., Clarks Hill; 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette;
Oct. 28-Nov. 1, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Oct. 29-Nov. 1, noon-6 p.m., Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette.
Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette.
Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-noon, Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette
ELECTION DAY VOTE CENTERS: Voting on Tuesday, Nov. 5, will be 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Registered voters in Tippecanoe County may choose any of these sites.
Lafayette
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road
Lafayette Community Church of the Nazarene, 3801 Union St.
Evangelical Covenant Church, 3600 S. Ninth St.
Tippecanoe County Historical Association History Center, 522 Columbia St.
Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South
Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South
Northend Community Center, 2000 Elmwood Ave.
West Lafayette
Faith West Community Center, 1920 Northwestern Ave.
Margerum City Hall/West Lafayette City Hall, 222 N. Chauncey Ave.
Connection Point Church, 2541 Cumberland Ave.
John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road
Others
Dayton Gathering Point Church, 7201 Wesleyan Drive, Dayton
Shadeland Town Hall, 2485 Indiana 25 West, Shadeland
Battle Ground Fire Station, 112 North St., Battle Ground
Tippecanoe Township Volunteer Fire Station No. 2, 448 W. County Road 650 North, West Lafayette
ON THE BALLOT
Here are candidates and questions on Tippecanoe County ballots for the Nov. 5 general election. (Incumbents are marked with an asterisk*.) To see your specific ballot, go to the Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com.
Tippecanoe County
Commissioner, District 2: David Byers*, R; Steve Mayoras, Libertarian
Commissioner, District 3: Tom Murtaugh*, R; Jaime Ortiz, Libertarian
County Council, at-large (choose 3): Republicans: John Basham*, Barry Richard* and Kevin Underwood*. Democrats: Katy Bunder, Ben Carson and Amanda Eldridge. Libertarians: Dean Bertelli, Holly Mayoras and Randy Young
Coroner: Carrie Costello*, R; Benjamin Milanowski, Libertarian
Treasurer: Yadira Salazar*, R
Surveyor: Zach Beasley*, R
Judge, Circuit Court: Sean Persin*, R
Judge, Superior Court 6: Michael Morrissey*, R
Statehouse races
House District 13: Matthew Commons, R; Ed Moyer Jr., D
House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D; Jim Schenke, R
House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Oscar Alvarez, R
House District 38: Heath VanNatter*, R; Carl Seese, D
House District 41: Mark Genda*, R; Dan Sikes, D
Statewide
Governor: Mike Braun, R; Jennifer McCormick, D; Donald Rainwater, Libertarian
Attorney General: Todd Rokita, R; Destiny Wells, D
Federal
President: Kamala Harris, D; Donald Trump, R; Chase Oliver, Libertarian; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., We the People
U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, R; Ashley Groff, Libertarian; Derrick Holder, D;
U.S. Senate: Jim Banks, R; Valerie McCray, D; Andrew Horning, Libertarian
Townships
Shadeland Township Board: Michael Kuipers, Pamela Luenz, Robert Morrison Jr. and Josh Shives, R.
Shadeland Clerk-Treasurer: Charlene Brown, R
School boards
Lafayette School Corp., at-large (choose 3): Ebony Barrett*, Josiah Eller, Margaret Hass, James Hass, Ronald “Rocky” Hession, Gary Mueller and Julie Peretin*.
Tippecanoe School Corp.
District 4: Jake Burton*
District 5: Julia Cummings*
District 6: Connie Harper
District 7: Brad Anderson*
West Lafayette Community School Corp., at-large (choose 4): Amy Austin*, Maria Koliantz, George Lyle, David Purpura, Beau Scott and Yue Yin*.
Public questions
Shall the Constitution of the State of Indiana be amended to remove the state superintendent of public instruction from the list of officeholders who shall discharge the powers and duties of the governor if the office of the governor and lieutenant governor are both vacant?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Mark S. Massa be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Derek Read Molter be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Supreme Court Justice Loretta Rush be retained in office?
Shall Indiana Appeals Court Judge Rudolph Reginald Pyle III be retained in office?
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Finally a whack-a-doo Libertarian that I can vote for.