Brian Baird will again be the Republican nominee to represent District 1 residents on the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.
Baird received 71% of votes, besting his opponent Daniel Chupp, who received 29% of votes in the Republican primary.
Chupp, a Franklin resident and Indianapolis firefighter, also challenged Baird in the 2016 primary. This year, Chupp fared a little better. In 2016, Baird took 74% of the votes, while Chupp earned 26% of votes.
No Democrat or third-party candidate has filed to run for the seat. If no candidate is slated, Baird will have a clear shot at a third term.
Baird heard the news he had won while poolside in Gulf Shores, Ala., where he was vacationing with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, he said. The election was pushed back and the Johnson County Republican Party canceled its gathering this year.
“When they moved the election, they moved it right into my family vacation,” Baird said. “I only get two a year.”
Though he was out of state, supporters campaigned for him at vote centers in District 1 on Tuesday. District 1 comprises Blue River, Nineveh and Hensley townships which make up the southern third of the county.
Baird’s main goals for office are continuing the board’s work on projects such as the I-69 extension, jail expansion and maintaining county buildings and roads, he said. Another priority for Baird is being available when county employees and elected officials need help, he said.
“We just keep doing what we are doing. We have a good group right now and we are going to keep moving everything forward,” Baird said.
He is glad Republicans put their faith in him to serve for four more years.
“I just love what I am doing. I always have since I started,” Baird said. “I’ll do what I always have and do the best I can for the county.”
Getting a large share of the votes also means a lot, he said.
“It is a blessing. I wanted to make sure that the people of Johnson County wanted me to be their commissioner. I didn’t want to win by a fingernail,” he said.
The District 3 seat on the board, which covers the northern third of the county, is also up for grabs. But Republican incumbent Ron West ran unopposed in the primary and, so far, has no contenders in the general election either.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How You Voted” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Brian Baird;71%
Daniel Chupp;29%
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