The May primary lineup, so far

Primaries are guaranteed for Democrats and Republicans in Tippecanoe County, as candidates get sorted out ahead of Friday’s filing deadline

Feb 05, 2024

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THE PRIMARY LINEUP, SO FAR …

Candidates looking to run in major party primaries May 7 have until noon Friday, Feb. 9, to file.

With a week to go, Tippecanoe County was guaranteed primaries on the Democratic and Republican tickets, thanks to a handful of contested, countywide races.

Among the highlights, so far …

Tippecanoe County Council: With three at-large seats on the ballot in 2024, the Tippecanoe County Council election has attracted, nine candidates had filed, as of Friday. The county council is the fiscal, budget-making part of county government.

On the Republican side, Dan Dunten filed late last week, pushing incumbents John Basham, Barry Richard and Kevin Underwood into a primary.

Five Democrats – Katy Bunder, Ben Carson, Amanda Eldridge, Joe Mackey and Wendy Starr – have filed and will face off for the party’s three slots on the November ballot.

Tippecanoe County commissioners: No primary looms, yet, for incumbent Republican county commissioners Dave Byers and Tom Murtaugh. But a pair of Libertarians filed last week for the commissioners seats. Steven Mayoras filed in District 2, Byers’ district. Jaime Ortiz filed in District 3, Murtaugh’s district. No Democrats had filed, as of Friday, to run for county commissioner.

U.S. House, 4th District: U.S. Rep. Jim Baird will, as promised, get a Republican primary challenge as he looks for a fourth, two-year term in Congress. Charles Bookwalter, an Army veteran and business owner in Thorntown, filed for the Republican primary early in the filing deadline. Last week, a third Republican, Chris Lucas, filed.

Baird, a Greencastle farmer, former state representative and Vietnam veteran, was first elected in the 4th District in 2018, successfully winning re-election in two elections since then. Bookwalter attempted a run in 2022 but was blocked when Republicans challenged his candidacy, saying he didn’t meet a state law that says a candidate must have voted in two party primaries to qualify to run, unless a party chair signs off. Bookwalter took that Indiana Election Commission decision to court but lost. Bookwalter has been campaigning since then for a 2024 run, holding listening sessions on social media platforms and calling out Baird’s use of billboards that, while qualifying as franked spending, have been paid for with federal money. Bookwalter has criticized Baird as not conservative enough for the district. Lucas wrote on his campaign site that he would have challenged COVID mandates and vaccine. Lucas said, “I don't know any elected officials who put up a fight.”

Democrats will have a primary, too. Rimpi Girn, an insurance agency owner in the southern portion of the district, and Derrick Holder of Martinsville. The winner there will face a steep climb. Republicans have consistently won with 60% or better of the vote in the past two decades.

Statehouse races: Five districts in the Indiana House – House District 13, House District 26, House District 27, House District 38 and House District 41 – have some part of Tippecanoe County. As of Friday, all five incumbents had filed for re-election. Two of those face primaries, with another guaranteed a challenge in November. Among them:

District 41: Rep. Mark Genda, a Republican from Frankfort in his first term, will face Joe Sturm, a Lauramie Town Council member, in the May primary. That district covers parts of Clinton, Boone and Tippecanoe counties.
District 13: Rep. Sharon Negele, R-District 13, is facing a challenge from Matthew Commons, a Warren County Council member, in the Republican primary. Democrat Ed Moyer Jr. filed last week in District 13. That district includes portions of Tippecanoe, Benton, Warren, Fountain, Jasper, Montgomery, Newton and White counties.
District 27: Rep. Sheila Klinker, first elected in 1982 and the longest serving member of the Indiana House, will run for another two-year terms. Republican Oscar Alvarez filed last week to challenge for the seat in the November election.
State Rep. Chris Campbell, D-District 26, and Rep. Heath VanNatter, R-District 38, had no challengers, as of Friday.

Here’s a list, including candidates who have announced intentions to file, as of Friday. (* = incumbent)

Tippecanoe County

Commissioner, District 2: David Byers*, R; Steven Mayoras, Libertarian

Commissioner, District 3: Tom Murtaugh*, R; Jaime Ortiz, Libertarian

County Council, at-large (3): Republicans: John Basham*, Dan Dunten, Barry Richard* and Kevin Underwood*. Democrats: Katy Bunder, Ben Carson, Amanda Eldridge, Joe Mackey and Wendy Starr.

Coroner: Carrie Costello*, R; Elizabeth Tran, D

Treasurer: Yadira Salazar*, R

Surveyor: Zach Beasley*, R; Deni Gavin, D

Judge, Circuit Court: Sean Persin*, R;

Judge, Superior Court 6: Michael Morrissey*, R

Statehouse races

House District 13: Matthew Commons and Sharon Negele*, R; Ed Moyer Jr., D

House District 26: Chris Campbell*, D

House District 27: Sheila Klinker*, D; Oscar Alvarez, R

House District 38: Heath VanNatter*, R

House District 41: Mark Genda* and Joe Sturm, R

Statewide

Governor: Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden, Curtis Hill, R; Jennifer McCormick, D

Federal

U.S. House, District 4: Jim Baird*, Charles Bookwalter and Christopher John Lucas, R; Rimpi Girn and Derrick Holder, D

U.S. Senate: Jim Banks and John Rust, R; Valerie McCray, D

Towns

Shadeland Town Council: Michael Kuipers, R; Pamela Luenz, R; Robert Morrison Jr., R;

Shadeland Clerk-Treasurer: Charlene Brown, R

The general election also will include …

School boards: Lafayette School Corp., three at-large seats; Tippecanoe School Corp. seats in District 4, District 5, District 6 and District 7; and West Lafayette Community School Corp, four at-large seats.

For information about filing as a candidate, go to: https://www.tippecanoe.in.gov/448/Candidate-Information

ICYMI …

From weekend editions of Based in Lafayette:

Purdue trustees get an update on the July 1 start of the university’s Indianapolis campus, once the amicable separation with IU at IUPUI. Why university officials believe this is their chance to make Indianapolis a Purdue city. The story: Purdue digs in on mission of Indy campus
Tickets go on sale March 15 for the first, regularly scheduled passenger flights out of Purdue Airport in two decade. The story: “Return of passenger flights out of Purdue set for May 15.”

Thanks, again, to Stuart & Branigin for sponsorship help with today’s edition.

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