Candidates for various local offices and state delegations wait in line to file their candidacy on Jan. 6 at Johnson County Courthouse in Franklin. Jan. 6 was the first day to file to be a candidate for the 2022 election.
DAILY JOURNAL FILE PHOTO
Most local races in Johnson County will be uncontested during the November general election this year, as the deadline for parties to slate candidates passed Tuesday.
Four new candidates not on the ballot during the May primary were slated to be on ballots in November. Three of them are running for township boards and one for township trustee.
Suzanne Fortenberry, a Democrat, filed to run for White River Township Trustee. She will face Republican incumbent Mark Messick in November.
Elisa Horne, a Democrat, will be on the ballot for White River Township Board. She fills the third spot for the party, as two other Democrats are already running for the board. Voters can select up to three candidates for township boards during the general election.
Dennis Brownfield filed as a Republican to take the third spot in Republican candidates running for Hensley Township Board.
In the Clark Township Board race, Republican Bonnie Moynahan will replace Kimberly Harlow on the ballot. Harlow withdrew from the general election.
Other most other local offices for the November election were largely decided with the primary.
Democrats did not file to run in most races, besides some township boards, during the May primary. Political parties had the chance to slate candidates to fill vacant spots left on the ballot after the primary, if they didn’t have a candidate run then. The deadline for slating was Tuesday, and no additional Democrats filed to run in other races, apart from White River Township Trustee and White River Township Board.
With the new filings, Democrats have a full slate of three candidates to run for the seats on both the Franklin Union Needham and White River township boards.
Uncontested county-wide candidates this year include incumbent Trena McLaughlin for county clerk, Elizabeth Ann Alvey for county auditor, incumbent Teresa Petro for county recorder, Mike Watkins for county assessor and incumbent Duane Burgess for sheriff. Lance Hamner, a former judge who unseated incumbent Joe Villanueva in the Republican primary for county prosecutor, will also be uncontested.
Johnson County Commissioner Kevin Walls, a Republican, will be uncontested in his reelection bid in November.
Republican candidates on the ballot for Johnson County Council are Pamela J. Burton in District 1, Charlotte Sullivan in District 2, incumbent Jon Myers in District 3 and John Mallers in District 4.
In Bargersville, Republican incumbent Andrew Greenwood and Republican newcomer Jaime Pfeifer will be uncontested for at-large seats on the town council.
In Edinburgh, Republican incumbents Marshall Ryan Piercefield and Debra Buck, have a clear path to retain their seats on the town council.
Candidates for two New Whiteland Town Council seats will be Republicans John Schilawski in Ward 5 and John Purdie in Ward 2.
Some races at the state level will be contested, including the statewide races for Indiana’s secretary of state, auditor and treasurer.
The race for one of Indiana’s U.S. Senate seats will be a contested, as Republican Sen. Todd Young will face Democrat Tom McDermott, the mayor of Hammond.
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, a Republican, will also face Democrat Cindy Wirth in the Sixth Congressional District race.
There is also a choice to make for the Indiana Senate seat representing Johnson and Bartholomew counties, as Sen. Greg Walker, R-Columbus, will face Democrat Bryan Muñoz.
No other Democrats filed to run in other local statehouse races. Indiana House incumbents Reps. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland, and Peggy Mayfield, R-Martinsville, will be uncontested for their House seats during the November election. Robb Greene, who unseated incumbent Rep. John Young, R-Franklin, in House District 47 is also unopposed. Also running uncontested is Republican Craig Haggard, who won his party’s nomination for the new House District 57 in Johnson and Hendricks counties.
The ballot for the Nov. 8 election is not final yet as filings for school board seats open later this month on July 27. Candidates will then have until Aug. 26 to file to run.
