Political and business experience won over voters as incumbent state Rep. Jim Lucas of Seymour earned the Republican nomination for the Indiana House District 69 seat in Tuesday’s primary election.

Lucas, who is seeking his third two-year term in office, received 60.5 percent or 4,228 votes in Jackson County to defeat Nancy Franke, a Lutheran school teacher, also from Seymour. She received 39.5 percent, or 2,764, of the 6,992 votes cast.

Besides most of Jackson County, District 69 also includes portions of Bartholomew, Jennings and Jefferson counties.

Right now, Lucas faces no opposition in the Nov. 8 general election. But the Democratic Party has until June 30 to fill the ballot vacancy.

“It feels great,” Lucas said Tuesday night after hearing the results. “I love serving the people. It’s humbling and an honor to represent our district.”

Although campaigning can be “grueling,” Lucas said it’s also part of the process he welcomes.

“You do what needs to be done, but this election was especially sweet because it’s a signal that we are doing a great job, we have a great message and people are happy with it,” Lucas said.

Bob Beatty of Seymour said he voted for Lucas because of his stance on issues, including protecting Second Amendment rights.

“He is a solid, pragmatic, constitutional conservative who is not afraid to fully explain to his constituents his view on the many issues that he is asked to deal with at the Statehouse,” he said.

Although Franke was able to get a lot of educators behind her campaign, it wasn’t enough to sway the vote her way.

But she enjoyed the process of running for state office and plans to continue to be involved in the political process, she said. She currently serves on the board of trustees for Seymour Community School Corp.

“I feel bad, not for losing to my opponent, but I feel we took a loss for where education stands today and the direction it is heading,” she said. “It is a challenging environment in the classroom. I feel for those who have a love for teaching and I feel for the students.”

Chris Kaufman of Seymour said he voted for Franke because of her background and passion for education.

“I voted because it’s my duty, but the race for District 69 state representative was the most important race, in my opinion,” he said. “We need a representative that supports and listens to their constituents and supports public education with not only their words but their votes also.”

Lucas said although he and Franke disagreed on certain issues, he commended her for stepping up and getting involved.

“I have a lot of respect for that,” he said.

Both candidates said they were impressed by voter turnout and appreciated everyone who took to the time to vote.

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Indiana House District 69

Republicans

Nancy Franke;2,764

Jim Lucas;4,228

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