The Democratic Party has not had a nominee for Seymour mayor since 2007, the same year of its last contested primary.
Things are different in 2019, as the party has three candidates vying for the nomination.
Democrats will choose between Tyler Henkle, 28, James Michael “Mike” Kelly, 61, and Rexanne Ude, 62, to take on a Republican challenger in the general election.
Henkle is a career counselor with Atterbury Job Corps and server with Rails Craft Brew and Eatery in Seymour.
Kelly works as a cell leader at PMG Indiana in Columbus.
Ude serves as director of development for Schneck Medical Center and executive director of the Schneck Foundation.
Each are political newcomers and could be the first Democrat elected mayor since Jim Bullard in 2003.
The mayor’s office will experience its first transition of power in 12 years, as Mayor Craig Luedeman announced in November he would not seek a fourth term. That has opened the race up with eight candidates between Democrats and Republicans ahead of the May 7 primary election.
Early voting began April 9 at the Jackson County Public Library, 303 W. Second St., Seymour, and will continue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Fridays until Election Day.
As of Friday morning, 185 people out of 10,338 registered voters had cast ballots at the site. The total included 127 Republicans and 58 Democrats.
A second polling site opened a week ago and operates from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the Jackson County Judicial Center, 109 S. Sugar St., Brownstown.
The Seymour site also will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 4, while the Brownstown polling site will be open from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. May 4. Both sites will be open from 8 a.m. until noon May 6.
The ballot does not include independent or Libertarian candidates, who may appear on the general election ballot.
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Registered voters by precinct
Jackson 1 East;1,273
Jackson 2 East;1,027
Jackson 2 West;611
Jackson 3 North;801
Jackson 3 South;1,012
Jackson 4 North;1,416
Jackson 4 South;903
Jackson 5 East;1,175
Jackson 5 North;1,243
Redding-Seymour City;877
Total;10,338
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