Contested primaries blossom on Tippecanoe County ballots
After the candidate filing deadline, the final count of contested primaries on May 5 ballots in Tippecanoe County: 15 GOP, six Democratic.
There will be no shortage of contested races on both Republican and Democratic sides ahead of the May 5 primary in Tippecanoe County, after the filing deadline Friday.
From top to bottom, Republican ballots will feature 15 contested races in the primary. Democrats will have six contested races.
A few notables in the closing days of a month of candidate filing:
Tracy Brown, a three-time Tippecanoe County commissioner and two-time county sheriff, surprised many by skipping a re-election bid for commissioner in favor of filing last week to take on state Rep. Sheila Klinker, a Lafayette Democrat who has served in Indiana House District 27 since first elected in 1982. “I guess if someone is going to run, it’s good that it’s someone I consider a friend,” Klinker said late last week. “Tracy’s a friend. … It’s going to be a little more pressure, as you can imagine. But I will work hard, whether I have an opposition candidate or not.” But in the final hours of filings, Brown wound up with a primary challenger in Oscar Alvarez. Alvarez ran against Klinker as a Republican in 2024 – a race where Klinker received 61.5% of the vote.
Brown’s move left a crowded field for the District 1 seat for the county commissioners. Julie Roush, now the county clerk, will face James Waters on the Republican ticket. Andrea Burniske, Travis Dowell, Justin Kendall and AR Lane will be on the Democratic ballot. There also will be contested Republican races for Tippecanoe County positions for clerk and two county council seats.
U.S. Rep. Jim Baird, looking for a fourth term in Congress, has two challengers in the 4th District, including from state Rep. Craig Haggard. The list of Democrats hoping to win a nomination to the November ballot swelled to nine by Friday’s deadline.
No incumbent member of the Indiana General Assembly who represents a portion of Tippecanoe County will go without a challenge, whether in May or in November. That includes a challenge of state Rep. Chris Campbell, a West Lafayette Democrat, in House District 26, where Magdalaine Davis filed to run as a Republican.
Townships are, again, a target in fresh Indiana General Assembly legislation aimed at consolidating or eliminating trustee and township board responsibilities. It’s not clear whether that memo got through around here. Of the 13 townships in Tippecanoe County, there will be contested primaries for two trustees positions – one Democratic, another Republican – and six contested primaries for nominations for three seats on township boards.
Here’s a look at who will be on Tippecanoe County ballots for the May 5 primary, based on filings at the Feb. 6 deadline.
U.S. House, District 4
Current: Jim Baird, Republican
Republicans: Jim Baird, Craig Haggard, John Piper
Democrats: Drew Cox, Roger Day, Darin Griesey, Thomas Hall, Robert Lovely, Joe Mackey, Jayden McCash, Paul McPherson and John Whetstone.
Indiana Senate, District 22
Current: Ron Alting, Republican
Republicans: Ron Alting and Richard Bagsby
Democrats: Natasha Baker and Marlena Edmondson
Indiana Senate, District 23
Current: Spencer Deery, Republican
Republicans: Spencer Deery and Paula Copenhaver
Democrats: David Sanders
Indiana House, District 13
Current: Matt Commons, Republican
Republicans: Matt Commons
Democrats: Brenna Geswein and Ed Moyer Jr.
Independents: Ben Davis
Indiana House, District 26
Current: Chris Campbell, Democrat
Democrats: Chris Campbell
Republicans: Magdalaine Davis
Indiana House, District 27
Current: Sheila Klinker, Democrat
Democrats: Sheila Klinker
Republican: Tracy Brown and Oscar Alvarez
Indiana House, District 38
Current: Heath VanNatter, Republican
Republicans: Heath VanNatter and Mark Hufford
Democrats: Nate Stout
Indiana House, District 41
Current: Mark Genda, Republican
Republicans: Mark Genda
Democrats: Jackson Hayes
Tippecanoe County offices
County Commissioner, District 1
Current: Tracy Brown, Republican
Republicans: Julie Roush and James Waters
Democrats: Andrea Burniske, Travis Dowell, Justin Kendall and AR Lane
Tippecanoe County Council
Current: District 1, Ben Murray; District 2, Jody Hamilton; District 3, Kathy Vernon; District 4, Lisa Dullum.
District 1
Republicans: Trent Richter
Democrats: Ben Murray
District 2
Republicans: Jody Hamilton and Jonathan Chapin
Democrats: None
District 3
Republicans: Lynn Beck and Jaime Ortiz
Democrats: None
District 4
Democrats: Lisa Dullum
Republicans: None
Prosecutor
Current: Pat Harrington, Republicans
Republicans: Jason Biss
Democrats: None
County Clerk
Current: Julie Roush, Republican
Republicans: Abby Myers and Carrie Sanders
Democrats: Karan Benner
Auditor
Current: Jennifer Weston, Republican
Republicans: Jennifer Weston
Democrats: Eric Grossman
Recorder
Current: Kristy Martin, Republican
Republicans: Kristy Martin
Democrats: Monica Casanova
Sheriff
Current: Bob Goldsmith, Democrat
Republicans: Tom Lehman
Democrats: None
Assessor
Current: Eric Grossman, Democrat
Democrats: Kaitlyn Butler
Republicans: Anthony Hustedt-Mai
Tippecanoe County judicial offices
Superior Court 1
Current: Randy Williams, Republican, retired; Kevin McDaniel named to fill the vacancy
Republicans: Kevin McDaniel
Democrats: None
Superior Court 2
Current: Steve Meyer, Democrat
Republicans: Sarah Wyatt
Democrats: None
Superior Court 4
Current: Matt Sandy, Republican
Republicans: Matt Sandy
Democrats: None
Superior Court 5
Current: Kristen McVey, Republican
Republicans: Kristen McVey
Democrats: None
Superior Court 7
Current: Dan Moore, Republican
Republicans: Dan Moore
Democrats: None
Shadeland Town Council
Republicans: Tim Balensiefer, David Downey, Chad Hoey and David Vanderkleed
Democrats: None
Otterbein Town Council
Republicans: Jackie Apache and Craig Martin
Democrats: None
Otterbein Town Clerk-Treasurer
Republicans: Deandra Pritchett
Democrats: None
Township offices
Tippecanoe County has 13 townships, each with a trustee and three-member township board.
Fairfield Township trustee
Democrats: Ted Hardesty and Rocky Hession
Republicans: Ray Williams
Fairfield Township Board
Democrats: Jessica Holsinger, Reed Davisson, Amy Paget, Susan Schechter and Perry Schnarr.
Republicans: Perry Barbee
Jackson Township trustee
Republicans: Jim Stafford
Democrats: None
Jackson Township Board
Republicans: Christian Gamble, Tami Greer Minniear and Christine Wise
Democrats: None
Lauramie Township trustee
Republicans: Harold “Junior” Tull
Democrats: None
Lauramie Township Board
Republicans: Larry Funk and Hal Graham
Democrats: None
Perry Township trustee
Republicans: Frank Cederquist
Democrats: None
Perry Township Board
Republicans: Greg Brown, Joseph Daubenmier, Rich Groeber and Dan Huff
Democrats: None
Randolph Township trustee
Republicans: Jeanne Benjamin
Democrats: None
Randolph Township Board
Republicans: Fred Inskeep, Natalie Kanaby, William Kitterman and Brian Snyder
Democrats: None
Sheffield Township trustee
Republicans: Pam Crum
Democrats: None
Sheffield Township Board
Republicans: Jerry Arvin, Jane Coleman and Terry Thayer
Democrats: None
Shelby Township trustee
Republicans: Treeva Sarles
Democrats: None
Shelby Township Board
Republicans: Heather Beasley, Betsy Jones, Stephen Lange and Donald Nesbitt
Democrats: Susan Rowe
Tippecanoe Township trustee
Republicans: Bill Jones
Democrats: Eric Ehrman
Tippecanoe Township Board
Republicans: Jim Fields, Dan Haan and Samuel Porter Richardson
Democrats: John Muller, Barbara Whitlock and Dean Whitlock
Union Township trustee
Republicans: Jo Ritchie
Democrats: None
Union Township Board
Republicans: Steven Plantenga, Mary Grace Gish and Paul Sietsma
Democrats: None
Wabash Township trustee
Democrats: Angel Valentin
Republicans: None
Wabash Township Board
Democrats: Ian Pytlarz, David Tate and Briton Weise
Republicans: Frank Hannan, Eric Hoppenjans and Jeff Stefancic
Washington Township trustee
Republicans: Karen Cadle
Democrats: None
Washington Township Board
Republican: Angie Austin, Tom Davidson, Nate Hofmann, Tyler Hustedt and Kevin Riggenbach
Democrats: None
Wayne Township trustee
Republicans: Norman Hayman
Democrats: None
Wayne Township Board
Republicans: Mark Christian, Phil Katter and Pam Rosen
Democrats: Lawrence Guentert
Wea Township trustee
Republicans: Jim Slaven and Alan Williams
Democrats: Al Salazar Jr.
Wea Township Board
Republicans: George Buck, Andrea Moore, Susan Pfeifer, Tim Radice and Aaron Slagel
Democrats: Dennise Grater, Talitha Huber and Jesse Washburn
General Election only
School boards: Lafayette School Corp. board, four seats; Tippecanoe School Corp. board, three seats; and West Lafayette Community School Corp. board, three seats.
State offices: Secretary of State, state auditor and state treasurer
Thank you for supporting Based in Lafayette, an independent, local reporting project. Free and full-ride subscription options are ready for you here.
Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
How shocking = incredibly sad that so many offices are uncontested. There is No 2 party system in our county! How does anyone expect democracy to continue?
I vote for.....
....poll volunteers. I've joined them for many cycles as a poll volunteer. I love them because they never talk about politics... really.