With early voting up, Tippecanoe Co. Democratic chair takes stock
Where to vote, candidate Q&As and more. Plus, $3.1M project at and near rail crossing will close South Street for 4 to 6 weeks this summer. And Purdue’s $95M haul at Wednesday's Day of Giving.
Support for this edition comes from the Lafayette Master Chorale, presenting E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One Song at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at St. Mary Cathedral, 1207 Columbia St., Lafayette. Patriotic fanfares and Americana will headline this celebration, as the Lafayette Master Chorale celebrates the United States during its Semiquincentennial. Enjoy music from some of the USA’s finest composers, all with a tale to tell, all wrapped up in the red, white and blue. Get tickets here.
WITH EARLY VOTING UP, TIPPECANOE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CHAIR TAKES STOCK
Early voting continued to run way hotter, so far, in Tippecanoe County than either of the past two primaries. Heading into Thursday’s expanded vote center sites, the county election office had 4,474 ballots cast in person and by mail since April 7, ahead of the May 5 primary.
“We continue to be miles ahead of the last two cycles,” Mike Smith, part of the county elections office staff, said.
That’s 2.5 times as many as the 1,795 ballots cast by the same point in 2022, the last, comparable midterm primary, according to county figures. And it’s up 44% from the same point during the 2024 presidential year primary in Tippecanoe County.
The numbers are up for both parties’ tickets, with more than double the Republican ballots pulled this year compared to 2022. For Democratic ballots, the numbers are 3.8 times more.
Republican ballots requested in the open primary edged ahead of those pulled on the Democratic side after Wednesday’s voting – 2,323 to 2,151. The past two primaries tilted heavier toward the R’s at roughly 64% by this point.
On the Democratic side, a few questions, then, for Ken Jones, the county’s party chairman, about what he sees in those numbers, with less than a week to the primary.
“I think it’s the number of races,” Jones said Wednesday. “And I think it’s who’s in the races, up and down. You see races like Indiana Senate (District) 22, where it’s contested with Marlena (Edmondson) and Natasha (Baker), and both really worked hard. And to me, I look at them, and it’s like that’s the generational shift. I think finally younger voters are starting to see people that look like them. I think that’s exciting, finally like, hey, people who are like me are actually showing up on the ballot, and I think that’s motivating.”
Jones said a concerted effort to get Democrats into local races traditionally dominated by Republicans, even those that aren’t contested in the primary, might have contributed to the early voting push. Having a crowded county commissioner race – one featuring four candidates running for the Democratic nomination in District 1: Andrea Burniske, Travis Dowell, Justin Kendall and AR Lane – could have, too. The winner in that race will face either Julie Roush or James Waters, who are running in the Republican primary.
“We found four people for a district-based race, which was astounding,” Jones said. “I was sweating it and didn’t know that we’d find any. Then we found four. … I get the criticisms, well, Democrats never put anyone up and we don’t have a choice. Oh, we gave you a choice.”
Does it signal anything for the general election, once the primary’s sorted out?
Jones said he took the early vote as evidence of what he called a “blue-ing” of Tippecanoe County. He rejected the idea that 2026 found the party just in rebuilding mode or riding a momentary wave.
“We’re in it to win,” Jones said. “We’re far from helpless. In a lot of ways, we’re thinking about ‘27 and ‘28 already. And I think we’ll do well in ’26. It’s not a given. We’ve got to work hard. But I don’t see us having to fight for the scraps of the Republicans decide to leave us. I think it’s up to us to, honestly, put out qualified candidates with the political persuasion and the policies, etc., that appeal to our voters. I think we’re doing it.”
The Democratic ballot in Tippecanoe County also features 80 candidates – choose up to 56 – looking to be a delegate to the party’s state convention. How much of that early bump in Democratic ballots can be attributed to those 80 delegate candidates and a few of their friends getting to the polls before May 5?
“Hard to say, but that could be another reason,” Jones said. “It’s a proxy for the Secretary of State race, is the way it’s been framed. … The Secretary of State race is interesting, and if you think you’re voting for them in the primary, you’re not. The push was, I want those who are passionate about that race or about the party platform or whatever, here’s the path to get involved.”
Jones said that list of 80 includes “not a small number of former Republicans” that he wrote letters as party chair to allow them on the ballot, despite not meeting a state standard of voting in past Democratic primaries required by state law to automatically qualify.
“That is, honestly, not an uncommon conversation that I’m having,” Jones said. “It’s like, I used to vote this way, I can’t do it anyway. I think in Tippecanoe County, the Richard Lugar Republicans maybe don’t have a party anymore. … Maybe that’s what we’re seeing this year, too. We’re going to find out, right?”
EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS
Early voting continues through 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.
Through Friday, May 1
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; noon-6 p.m.
Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; noon-6 p.m.
Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; noon-6 p.m.
John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette; noon-6 p.m.
Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 2
Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, 1406 Teal Road, Lafayette; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Wea Ridge Baptist Church, 1051 E. County Road 430 South, Lafayette; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Eastside Assembly of God, 6121 E. County Road 50 South, Lafayette; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
John Dennis Wellness Center, 1101 Kalberer Road, West Lafayette; 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St., Lafayette; 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Monday, May 4
Tippecanoe County Office Building, 20 N. Third St. in Lafayette; 8 a.m.-noon
HOW TO CHECK WHO IS ON YOUR BALLOT
A good way to check – and then line everything up against candidate Q&As below – is through the Indiana Secretary of State’s portal at www.indianavoters.com. There, you can check who will be on your ballot, based on your address and whether you plan to ask for a Republican or Democratic ballot.
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
Find Q&As in contested races in Tippecanoe County in this edition of BiL …
WORK ON RAIL CROSSING WILL MEAN 4- TO 6-WEEK CLOSURE OF SOUTH STREET THIS SUMMER
A portion of South Street, one of the busiest routes in Lafayette, will be closed for four to six weeks at some point this summer, as part of a $3.1 million project to repair a rail crossing east of Sagamore Parkway and improve signals and pedestrian access stretching to the entrance of the U.S. Post Office.
The Lafayette Redevelopment Commission on Thursday awarded the project to Milestone Contractors. Part of the contract included a series of deadlines, including getting work done on the crossing in time to open traffic by Aug. 13 so it isn’t closed when Purdue students arrive for the start of the fall 2026 semester.
The full project, including trails, storm sewer improvements and new signals at Hamman Street and the Century Place post office entrance, is expected to be done by April 30, 2027, according to the contract.
The city has been negotiating with Norfolk Southern, the rail company that owns the tracks, on the project for some time. The tracks carry only a handful of trains each month at a spot that handles daily traffic of 22,840 vehicles on a street formerly designated as Indiana 26, according to Federal Railroad Administration counts.
The closure of South Street – the dates hadn’t been determined, as of Thursday – will allow access to the post office and local business. An official detour will include a route following Sagamore Parkway, Union Street and Creasy Lane, Jeromy Grenard, city engineer, said.
PURDUE DAY OF GIVING HAUL: $95.5 MILLION
Purdue reported it generated $95.5 million from 34,454 donations over 24 hours during Wednesday’s Day of Giving.
It was the second largest total in the event’s 13-year history, following the $105 million raised during the Day of Giving in 2025. Since 2014, Day of Giving has raised $697.6 million, according to Purdue.
The Daniels School of Business received $26.6 million, the most of any unit on campus, led by a $20 million from the Ricks Family Foundation to establish the Purdue Institute for Healthcare Systems Innovation at the university’s Indianapolis campus and a $4.295 million gift from a donor who asked to remain anonymous.
Purdue announced 19 gifts of $1 million or more during the Day of Giving, according to university figures.
Thanks, again, for support of this edition from the Lafayette Master Chorale, presenting E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One Song at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at St. Mary Cathedral, 1207 Columbia St., Lafayette. Get tickets here.
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;Hello all readers of BIL, my wife and I found all the necessary political candidate interviews through this site. I believe we cast one of our more informed votes earlier this week based on our research made possible by the posting of ALL of those interviews. Thanks to Dave and whoever else helped him.
I'm in my mid forties and have lived here in Lafayette most of my life. And I can say, I do not remember ever seeing a train cross South Street by the post office. But I guess they use it as per the article...