Several people filed paperwork to appear on the ballot over the final days of candidate filing for this year’s presidential primary, setting up numerous contested races.
On the Republican ballot, there are 10 contested races, including the party’s nomination for U.S. president, Indiana governor, U.S. Senate, two U.S. House seats, two state House seats, three Bartholomew County Council at-large seats, one Bartholomew County Commissioners seat and a Hope Town Council seat.
On the Democratic ticket, there are three contested races, including U.S. Senate, Indiana governor and one U.S. House seat.
In the primary, voters must select either the Republican ballot or the Democratic ballot. It is not possible to vote for candidates in both parties. The deadline to file to run in the primary was noon on Friday, according to the Indiana Election Division.
Republicans
After a slow start, a flurry of Republicans filed to run for their party’s nomination for Indiana’s 6th Congressional District, which includes parts of Bartholomew, Johnson, Shelby and Hancock counties and southern portions of Indianapolis.
Rep. Greg Pence, who has held the seat for three terms, is not seeking reelection this year.
A total of eight candidates are on the ballot, including state Rep. Mike Speedy, state Rep. Jeff Raatz, Jamison E. Carrier, Darin Childress, Bill Frazier, John Jacob, Sid Mahant and Jefferson Shreve.
The race for the GOP nomination for the governor’s mansion also has grown crowded, with six candidates filing to run. Those candidates include Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Sen. Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Eric Doden, Curtis Hill and Jamie Reitenour.
State Rep. Jim Lucas of Seymour is facing a primary challenge from Brownstown teacher and former West Virginia lawmaker Brian Savilla.
Lucas recently completed probation after pleading guilty to chargers that he crashed his vehicle through an interstate guardrail while under the influence of alcohol and then fled the scene.
Rep. Erin Houchin is facing a primary challenge from Hugh Doty in Indiana’s 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of southern Bartholomew County, as well as Brown, Jackson, Jennings, Decatur, Monroe and Lawrence counties and much of the southeaster portion of the state
State Rep. Jennifer Meltzer also is facing a primary challenge from Edward K. Comstock II in Indiana state House District 73.
Two candidates — Rep. Jim Banks and Seymour resident John Rust —also are vying for the GOP nomination for an open U.S. Senate seat.There are currently three contested races on the Democratic primary.
On the county level, four people will be competing for the GOP nominations for three Bartholomew County at-large seats. Those people include John Prohaska, Kim Bennett, Marcus Daniel Speer and Michael R. Bell.
Bartholomew County Commissioner Larry Kleinhenz also is facing a primary challenge from Rick D. Miller for the District 1 seat.
Two people also are seeking the GOP nomination for Hope Town Council Ward 2, John Walstad and Peter Begin.
Additionally, the following Republican candidates are running unopposed in the primary:
- Rep. Ryan Lauer, state House District 59
- Sen. Eric Koch, state Senate District 44
- Bartholomew County Commissioner Tony London, District 3
- Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge James “Jim” Worton
- Tom Barrett, Bartholomew County Coroner
- Jake Fitzsimmons, Bartholomew County Surveyor
- Steven Rucker, Hartsville Town Council
- Ohmer Miller, Hope Town Council Ward 3
Democrats
On the Democratic side, two people — Jennifer McCormick and Tamie Dixon-Tatum — are seeking their party’s nomination for Indiana governor.
Valeria McCray and Marc Carmichael also are seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, while Timothy Peck and D. Liam Dorris vying for the Democratic nomination for Indiana’s 9th Congressional District also is up for grabs after Timothy Peck and D. Liam Dorris filed to run.
Additionally, Jerry Bragg — a former Hope Town Council president who said he is being forced to run as a Democrat even though he wanted to run as a Republican — will run unopposed in the Democratic primary for Hope Town Council Ward 3.
Under election rules that took effect in 2022, primary candidates’ last two primary votes must be for the party they are seeking to represent. Previously, the requirement was for just the candidate’s most recent primary vote.
Bragg voted in the Democratic primary in 2022 and 2018, according to the Bartholomew County Clerk’s Office, meaning he is ineligible to appear on the Republican primary ballot.
The following Democratic canddiates are running unopposed in the primary:
- President Joe Biden
- Bartholomew County Democratic Party Chair Ross Thomas, state House District 59
- Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth, Indiana’s 6th Congressional District
- Trish Whitcomb, state House District 69
- Hollie Payton, state House District 73
- John Burbrink, Bartholomew County Commissioner District 1
- Zach Patchett, Michelle Carr and Nancy Merbitz, Bartholomew County Council at-large
- Edward Johnson, Hope Town Council Ward 1
- Jerry Bragg, Hope Town Council Ward 3
- Terry Barnhart, Jonesville Clerk-Treasurer
- John Bennett and Donald Frey, Jonesville Town Council
