For the first time in years, both major parties will have choices in Johnson County and Indiana Statehouse races.
Ballots are mostly set for this year’s primary elections as the candidate filing period came to a close Friday.
There are 40 offices up for election this year in Johnson County — 27 for the May 7 primary and 33 for the Nov. 5 General Election. A majority of offices will appear on both ballots, though some are primary only, like state convention delegates and precinct committeemen, while others, like Vice President, Lieutenant Governor, State Attorney General and school boards, are general election only.
Major party candidates had until noon Friday to file to be on Republican and Democratic primary ballots. Of the roughly 49 local candidates filing for office, five were the last to file on Friday — excluding precinct committeemen and convention delegates.
Ballot overview
Most, if not all, candidates listed will be on the ballots for the May primaries. Candidacy challenges and withdrawals are still possible though, with the withdrawal deadline being noon Feb. 16. Presidential primary candidates have until noon Feb. 22 under Indiana law.
For the primary, federal offices up are president, U.S. Senator and U.S. Representative for District 6. State offices include governor, and for Johnson County specifically, there are four state representatives and three state senators up in the primary.
County offices include coroner, surveyor, treasurer, county commissioners for Districts 1 and 3, three county council at-large seats and judges for circuit court and superior court 1. The town of Prince’s Lakes has two at-large town council seats up this year, as a result of a change that staggered terms for the five-member council.
Candidates selected by Democratic and Republican voters in their respective primaries in May will then proceed to the general election, where they will face off against the opposing party, along with any Independent or third-party candidates that file. This includes Libertarians.
Several races are contested for this year’s primaries, with more contested races to come in the fall once candidates are nominated.
Republican voters will have many contested races to decide in the primary: U.S. Congress, Johnson County Council At-Large, county coroner, county commissioner District 3, Prince’s Lakes Town Council At-Large and Indiana Senate District 36.
Democrats who live in Senate District 32 will have one contested race in the primary. Though other races aren’t contested, Democrats county-wide will generally have more candidates to vote for overall than in recent years.
Republican ballot
A majority of the candidates running for office this year are incumbents, but some incumbents have chosen to not seek reelection.
U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, is the current officeholder for Indiana’s 6th Congressional District and is not seeking reelection. On the local level, Johnson County Council member John Myers, a Republican, is also not running again.
For Indiana’s 6th District, which is comprised of Fayette, Hancock, Henry, Johnson, Rush, Shelby, Union, Wayne, Bartholomew, Marion and Randolph counties, eight Republicans are vying to replace Pence. They are Jamison Carrier and Sid Mahant, both of Greenwood; Darin Childress and State Sen. Jeff Raatz, both of Richmond; John Jacob, Mike Speedy, and Jefferson Shreve of Indianapolis; and Bill Frazier of Muncie.
Jacob is a former state representative who used to represent Indiana House District 93, which included Johnson County for a portion of his term, also unsuccessfully running in an October caucus to replace the late Sen. Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis. Shreve ran unsuccessfully for Indianapolis mayor last year.
For Johnson County Council, six Republicans are seeking the nomination for three seats. Incumbents Melinda Grisesmer and Ron Deer, both of Greenwood, and challengers James Copp of Franklin, Michele Ann Graves of Morgantown and Ron Bates and Brian Moore, both of Greenwood. Graves is Johnson County’s Treasurer, while Moore unsuccessfully ran for Greenwood City Council last year. Bates was previously on the Greenwood City Council.
Incumbent County Coroner Mike Pruitt is facing a challenge from Robbie Williams, both of Bargersville.
While, incumbent Commissioner Ron West is facing a challenge from Steve Powell for District 3, which is comprised of White River, Pleasant and Clark townships.
Two at-large seats on the Prince’s Lakes Town Council are up for election this year, and five Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination. Incumbents Charlie Bourne and Greg Nelson are seeking reelection and will face Michael Gallamore, Anthony Giger and Catherine Gleason in the primary. Giger previously ran for town council last year, as did Gleason who did it as an Independent.
In the Indiana Senate, incumbent Sen. Rod Bray, R-Martinsville, is facing a challenge from Jay Hart of Morgantown. Bray is the president of the Senate, and Hart — who was among the last people to file Friday — previously ran for Greenwood City Council in 2019 and Indiana House District 58 in 2020.
Democratic ballot
This year’s Democratic primary features the most candidates running for office in several years. Thirteen Democrats are seeking county, state, or Congressional seats, excluding governor and other federal offices.
For the first time in at least the last decade, there is a contested Democratic primary for Johnson County Council At-Large. Four people — Michael Chiappetta, Blythe Potter, Charrie Stambaugh and Saad Tawfeeq — are seeking their party’s nomination for three available seats.
As for the Statehouse, there is a contested race for the Democratic nomination for Senate District 32, which includes all of Clark Township and a portion of Pleasant Township in Johnson County and southeastern Marion County. Indianapolis residents David Nicholson and Katrina Owens will face each other in this race, and whoever receives the nomination will face incumbent Sen. Aaron Freeman, R-Indianapolis.
ON THE BALLOTS
Here’s a look at who will be on the Democratic and Republican ballots for the May 7 primaries. Convention delegates and precinct committeemen are not included, and this list is subject to change as candidacy challenges and withdrawals occur.
Democratic
President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.
U.S. Senate: Marc Carmichael, Valerie McCray
U.S. Representative – District 6: Cynthia (Cinde) Wirth
Governor: Tamie Dixon-Tatum, Jennifer McCormick
Indiana Senate District 32: David Nicholson, Katrina Owens
Senate District 36: Suzanne Fortenberry
Senate District 37: Kimberly M. Schofield
Indiana House District 47: Michael E. Potter
House District 58: Sandy James
House District 60: Michelle Higgs
Johnson Superior Court 1 Judge: Gloria J. Danielson
Johnson County Council At-Large (pick three): Michael F. Chiappetta, Blythe E. Potter, Charrie Stambaugh, Saad Tawfeeq
Republican
President: Nikki R. Haley, Donald J. Trump
U.S. Senate: Jim Banks, John Rust
U.S. Representative – District 6: Jamison E. Carrier, Darin Childress, Bill Frazier, John Jacob, Sid Mahant, Jeff Raatz, Jefferson Shreve, Mike Speedy
Governor: Mike Braun, Brad Chambers, Suzanne Crouch, Eric Doden, Curtis Hill, Jamie Reitenour
Indiana Senate District 32: Aaron Freeman
Senate District 36: Cynthia “Cyndi” Carrasco
Senate District 37: Rod Bray, Jay Hart
Indiana House District 47: Robb Greene
House District 57: Craig Haggard
House District 58: Michelle Davis
House District 60: Peggy Mayfield
Johnson Circuit Court Judge: Andy Roesener
Johnson Superior Court 1 Judge: Brandi Foster Kirkendall
Johnson County Treasurer: Kimberly “Kim” Hamilton
Coroner: Michael D. Pruitt, Robert “Robbie” Williams
Surveyor: J. Gregory Cantwell
County Commissioner – District 1: Brian P. Baird
County Commissioner – District 3: Steve Powell, Ronald H. “Ron” West
County Council At-Large (pick three): Ronald “Ron” Bates, James Copp, Ronald “Ron” Deer, Michele Ann Graves, Melinda Griesemer, Brian Moore
Prince’s Lakes Town Council At-Large (pick two): Charlie Bourne, Michael Eugene Gallamore, Anthony Giger, Catherine Gleason, Greg Nelson