Carl Lienhoop
County Commissioner District 2
Four years ago, an official with the local Democratic Party said it was almost impossible to find an opponent to run against Bartholomew County Commissioner Carl Lienhoop because he’s too well-known and too well-liked.
That was perhaps the case Tuesday when Lienhoop, the cousin of Columbus Mayor Jim Lienhoop, earned a lopsided victory against challenger Christopher K. Sims to retain his District 2 seat. The win means a sixth consecutive term for Carl Lienhoop as one of the three county executives. The other two are Larry Kleinhenz and Tony London.
This was the first election that Lienhoop received public criticism from an organized group. An animal rights group had urged its supporters to consider voting against incumbent commissioners for not supporting a number of their proposals.
Sims, a 33-year-old employee of TA Services, Inc. received a bachelor’s degree in English from Indiana University in 2012, followed by a master’s degree in English from Kansas State University in 2016.
County Council – District 1
Even before Greg Patterson defeated incumbent District 1 County Council member Scott Bonnell in the Republican primary, several GOP leaders spoke of Patterson’s reputation as a leader in organizing youth sports and as leader in his church. He also won against another Republican candidate, Dave London, last spring.
That helps to explain why Patterson, a sales representative for Stewart Seed/Bayer Corp. started with a firm lead Tuesday night and held that lead to eventually win over Democrat Joshua (Shua) Cobb.
While Cobb spent most of his childhood in the Columbus area, he lived in communities outside of Indiana for a number of years before returning to his roots in Bartholomew County. Cobb works for Verizon Wireless and manages a number of the company’s public service projects.
County Council – District 2
As part of a Republican sweep, Leah Beyer was chosen by voters to succeed Greg Duke as the District 2 representative on the Bartholomew County Council.
Duke was selected by GOP precinct committee members last year to fill out the remaining term of Laura DeDomenic, so voters had not seen his name on a ballot before last May.
Perhaps best remembered for the two years she served on the CAFO/CFO Regulation Study Committee, Beyer was challenged by author and publisher Paul Hoffman. Although he long served the community as a journalist and has authored a number of books before opening his own publishing company, Hoffman’s name did little to counter the GOP preference among rural voters.
Beyer works for Corteva Agrisciences, headquartered in Indianapolis.
County Council – District 3
Before Mark Gorbett won reelection Tuesday, he announced that if given a third term as District 3 representative on the Bartholomew County Council, he would retire from local politics at the end of 2026.
While political newcomer Democrat Blake Wesley Fields garnered a respectable number of votes Tuesday, it wasn’t nearly enough to seriously challenge the GOP incumbent.
After serving the county for more than 40 years, including two consecutive terms as sheriff, Gorbett said he’s ready to retire from public life after his third term on the council.
Fields was among a young but talented group of candidates recruited by the Bartholomew County Democratic Party. The 31-year-old, who works for Cummins, Inc. is also known as a civil rights advocate.
Council Council – Dist. 4
Jorge Morales has won a fourth term as the District 4 representative on the Bartholomew County Council. The 78-year-old Cummins Inc. retiree came out victorious after being challenged by Josh Burbrink, a 36-year-old Democrat with a background in internet and information technology.
Although Morales has always called himself a fiscal conservative, he set an example for others by going to each county department and seeing firsthand how public employees do their job. Morales has since cultivated a reputation as an ally of nonadministrative county workers.
Burbrink earned an associate’s degree in computer networking from ITT Tech in Indianapolis, and works for Mainstream Fiber. He’s also served five years as a volunteer firefighter in Harrison Township.
County Commissioner – District 2
Carl H. Lienhoop (R); 14,723
Christopher K. Sims (D); 7,568
County Council – District 1
Greg Patterson (R); 3,619
Joshua (Shua) Cobb (D); 1,539
County Council – District 2
Leah Beyer (R); 3,975
Paul Hoffman (D); 2,191
County Council – District 3
Mark E. Gorbett (R); 2,610
Blake Wesley Fields (D); 1,886
County Council – District 4
Jorge (George) Morales (R); 4,428
Josh Burbrink (D); 2,022
