Primary ballot set

<p>Staff Reports</p><p>The primary ballot is set, and Democrat and Republican voters will have choices to make at the state and federal levels when they head to the polls this spring, while Republicans have decisions to make in two local races.</p><p>Locally, Melinda K. Griesemer threw her hat in the ring Wednesday for one of three Johnson County Council at-large seats. She is joined by fellow newcomer Republicans Ron Deer, Tim Frye, John Mallers and Josh Marshall. Incumbents Josh McCarty and John Myers filed as Republicans to keep their seats. Amanda Stevenson-Holmes is a Democrat challenger, and will appear on the fall ballot, along with the three Republicans who are selected in the primary to move forward to the general election in November.</p><p>Major-party candidates had to file by noon Friday to be considered in the primary election in May, when Republicans and Democrats will choose who they want to advance to the general election. Any resident who wants to seek office as an independent candidate has until July 1 to file to be on the ballot in November. Those candidates have different requirements than major party candidates.</p><p>County coroner is the only other local race that is contested. Two Republicans have filed to be Johnson County Coroner, Travis Kost and Michael Pruitt, a local firefighter and public information officer for Indiana Task Force No. 1. Coroner Craig Lutz did not file for reelection, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.</p><p>Heather R. Bline filed Thursday for the Indiana House, District 58 seat, which is currently held by longtime Rep. Woody Burton, R-Whiteland. Burton plans to retire at the end of the year after more than three decades serving Johnson County residents. He was honored by Congressman Trey Hollingsworth, R-Indiana, this week in Washington D.C. during President Donald Trump’s State of the Union.</p><p>Other candidates for Burton’s seat include: Greenwood City Council member J. David Hopper; former city council member Bruce Armstrong, who served the southeast side of the city for 16 years; former city council candidate Jay Hart, also of Greenwood; and Michelle Davis, director of adult education at the Central Nine Career Center.</p><p>Whoever wins in the primary will face Democrat Cindy Reinert, a retired Greenwood attorney who has run against Burton in the past.</p><p>Both parties will choose candidates to compete for seats in the Indiana House of Representatives, while Democrats will also pick a candidate to run for Congress in November.</p><p>All registered voters in Johnson County are eligible to cast ballots this year and make decisions about who will lead some of the county’s highest courts, the state and the nation.</p><p>Locally, 25 seats are up for grabs, more than half of which are on school boards. County offices that will appear on the ballot this year include: three superior court judges; treasurer; coroner; surveyor; county commissioners in districts 1 and 3; and three Johnson County Council at-large members. Voters will also select precinct committeemen and state convention delegates.</p><p>At the state level, two new governor candidates joined the race on Friday. Republican Brian D. Roth will face off against current Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in the primary. Woodrow “Woody” Myers joined the governor race as a Democrat, and will appear on the fall ballot.</p><p>At the national level, Johnson County voters will help decide who will represent Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. The seat is currently held by Hollingsworth, who is completing his second term. Voters will also be tasked with deciding who they want to be President of the United States for the next four years.</p><p>The Democratic primary ballot could be crowded as nine Democratic candidates have met Indiana’s requirement of at least 500 voter petition signatures from each of its nine congressional districts.</p><p>Former Vice President Joe Biden, Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, businessmen Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard all filed by Friday’s deadline.</p><p>Some offices will only appear on ballots during the General Election in November. That includes all school board seats, which are non-political, and lieutenant governor, who is selected by governor candidates. The state parties will nominate candidates for the offices of attorney general and superintendent of public instruction.</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="Primary races" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p>Here is a look at how primary races are shaping up with a week left to file:</p><p>DEMOCRAT RACES</p><p><strong>U.S. President</strong></p><p>Joseph R. Biden</p><p>Michael R. Bloomberg</p><p>Pete Buttigieg</p><p>Tulsi Gabbard</p><p>Amy Klobuchar</p><p>Bernie Sanders</p><p>Tom Steyer</p><p>Elizabeth Ann Warren</p><p>Andrew Yang Democratic</p><p><strong>U.S. Representative, 9th Congressional District</strong></p><p>D. Liam Dorris</p><p>Brandon Hood</p><p>James C. O’Gabhann</p><p>Mark J. Powell</p><p>Andy Ruff</p><p>Republican challenger: Trey Hollingsworth</p><p><strong>Indiana Senate, District 36</strong></p><p>Ashley Eason</p><p>Jason E. Fletcher</p><p>Republican challenger: Jack E. Sandlin</p><p><strong>Indiana House, District 93</strong></p><p>Angela Elliott</p><p>Andy W. Miller</p><p>Abdul-Aziz Yamobi</p><p>REPUBLICAN RACES</p><p><strong>U.S. President</strong></p><p>Donald J. Trump</p><p>Bill Weld</p><p><strong>Governor</strong></p><p>Eric J. Holcomb</p><p>Brian D. Roth</p><p>Democrat challenger: Woodrow (Woody) Myers</p><p><strong>Indiana House, District 58</strong></p><p>Bruce Armstrong</p><p>Heather R. Bline</p><p>Michelle Davis</p><p>Jay Hart</p><p>J. David Hopper</p><p>Democrat challenger: Cindy (Cynthia) Reinert</p><p><strong>Indiana House District 93</strong></p><p>John Jacob</p><p>Dollyne Sherman</p><p><strong>Johnson County Council At-Large (3)</strong></p><p>Ron Deer</p><p>Tim Frye</p><p>Melinda K. Griesemer</p><p>John Mallers</p><p>Joshua L. Marshall</p><p>Josh McCarty</p><p>John Myers</p><p>Democrat challenger: Amanda Stevenson-Holmes</p><p><strong>Johnson County Coroner</strong></p><p>Travis L. Kost</p><p>Michael D. Pruitt</p><p><strong>CANDIDATES WHO HAVE FILED BUT ARE NOT CONTESTED:</strong></p><p>Rodric D. Bray, Republican, State Senator, District 37</p><p>Tom Wallace, Democrat, State Senator, District 37</p><p>John Young, Republican, State Representative, District 47</p><p>Chris May, Republican, State Representative, District 65</p><p>Paula Staley, Democrat, State Representative, District 65</p><p>Peter D. Nugent, Republican, Judge of the Johnson Superior Court, No. 2</p><p>Lance Hamner, Republican, Judge of the Johnson Superior Court, No. 3</p><p>Marla Clark, Republican, Judge of the Johnson Superior Court, No. 4</p><p>Michele Ann Graves, Republican, Johnson County Treasurer</p><p>J. Gregory Cantwell, Republican, Johnson County Surveyor</p><p>Brian P. Baird, Republican, Johnson County Commissioner, District 1</p><p>Ronald (Ron) H. West, Republican, Johnson County Commissioner, District 3</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]