Pruitt
In Tuesday’s primary election, the incumbent clinched the nomination by a large margin.
Mike Pruitt, who has served as coroner for the past four years, emerged victorious during the primary, receiving 71% of the votes. Republican challenger Robert “Robbie” Williams took 29% of votes.
The coroner’s office is in charge of investigating deaths in cases involving violence, suspicious circumstances or unknown causes, as well as issuing death certificates and overseeing autopsies.
Pruitt, who was elected as coroner in 2020, is a Bargersville resident and has lived in Johnson County all but four years of his life. He is the deputy fire chief of the Bargersville Fire Department.
Throughout his first term, he lead an effort to open a brand-new coroner’s office, which will serve as a central location for all of the office’s services. He also spearheaded the hiring of the office’s first-ever full-time staff member to better serve families when needing coroner services, as well as adding more part-time personnel in the office.
Pruitt said he wants to focus on getting the under-construction coroner’s office up and running, as well as continuing his focus on prevention initiatives to reduce deaths by overdose and suicide.
Williams was running for political office for the first time. The Bargersville resident works as a paramedic preceptor for the vascular access team for IU Health Methodist. He felt the coroner’s office needed new leadership to provide more compassion to families and loved ones going through the worst time of their lives.
With the win, Pruitt moves on to November’s general election. Currently, there are no other candidates running for the office, though a candidate could still file.
HOW YOU VOTED
Michael Pruitt: 71%
Robert “Robbie” Williams: 29%
