Dems Pick-Up County Seats In Scott; GOP Rules In Jackson
Democrats Beau Bayh and Jessica Bailey broke a 12-year political drought winning statewide races last Tuesday, Nov. 3. Bayh was elected Secretary of State with 51.8% of the vote to Republican Max Engling’s 42.7%.
Former Indianapolis mayor and newly formed Lincoln Party candidate Greg Ballard received 3.6% of the vote to insure that his new party would gain ballot status in the 2027 and 2028 election cycles.
Libertarian Lauri A. Shillings received 1.9% of the vote.
For Comptroller, formerly known as Auditor of State, Democrat Jessica Bailey received 59.8% of the vote to defeat incumbent Republican Eliose Nieshalla with 47.3% statewide.
While those Democrats won statewide, Jackson and Scott Counties voted solidly for the GOP in those races.
In Scott County, Republican Scott Zellers defeated Democrat Joe Guarneri 3,314 to 2,860 to become County Sheriff next year.
In contested races for county council, Democrat Raleigh Campbell Jr. defeated Republican Scott McCoskey 790-651 for the District 1 county council seat.
Incumbent Republican John M. Miller Jr. defeated David G. Barrett 809-687 to retain the District 2 council seat for the GOP.
Incumbent Republican District 4 councilman James (J.R.) Ward was defeated by Democrat James D. Coomer 705-617.
While Campbell and Coomer will join incumbent Democrat John Lizenby on the council, the GOP still holds a 4-3 advantage.
In the Jennings Township Board race Democrats Mahala (Haley) Baker (670) and Iva Gasaway (610) and Republican Ronnie Howard (620 ) were re-elected over Republican Yvonne Dowd (507) and Democrat Virgil Johnson (462).
In the only contested school board race in the county, to represent Vienna Township on Scott County School District 2, Coty Bowen, Jennifer Craig and Monty Craig all filed as write-in candidates. Because they were write-ins, each ballot must be counted by hand. The County Election Board was to have met on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to complete that hand count, according to Scott County Clerk Michelle Shelton. The counties have until Nov. 13 to certify election results to the Secretary of State, she added.
In Jackson County there was only one contested county race that was for County Council District 2 where incumbent Republican Jacquelyn Hackman Jasinski defeated Democrat Edward Bowen 1,502-605.
All other county offices had only the incumbent GOP office holder filing.
In the State Representative District 62 race, incumbent Republican Dave Hall won with 726 votes in Pershing, Owen and Salt Creek Townships over Democrat Amy Huffman Oliver. However, Oliver crushed Hall district-wide 15,746 to 10,799 to unseat the two term Republican.
Oliver was one of 16 Democrats to pick off Republicans in the house races statewide breaking the GOP super-majority.
Since 2012 Republicans held a 70-30 majority which is expected end up with just a 54-46 majority in January.
One of the Republican casualties was GOP House Speaker Todd Huston who was upset by Democrat Lauren Cole. That prompted the Republican caucus last Wednesday to select Rep. Ben Smaltz of Auburn as their new speaker. Smaltz led the President Donald Trump push for Indiana congressional re-districting last year.
In the Indiana Senate, Republicans enjoyed a 40-10 majority but Democrats flipped five seats to reduce the GOP margin to 35-15.
