Staff Reports
Although counting of ballots of Jackson County voters took longer than normal, there were no real surprise winners.
Nearly 68% of the county’s 28,648 registered voters cast ballots, or 19,422 people. The total included 10,199 who voted before the election, and counting those ballots delayed the release of official results until early Wednesday morning.
Republicans won all five of the contested countywide races.
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Incumbent District 2 county Commissioner Bob Gillaspy of Seymour won reelection by soundly defeating challenger John Schafstall 12,547 to 6,206. That means Gillaspy will continue another four-year term with fellow Republican Drew Markel of Brownstown, who picked up 15,859 votes in an uncontested District 1 race.
“It’s time to roll up our sleeves and take care of our county’s business,” Gillaspy said.
The seat of the third commissioner, Republican
Matt Reedy of Freetown, will be up for election in 2022.
The race for the three county council at-large seats was won by Republicans Dave Hall and John Nolting, both of Brownstown, and Brett Turner of Crothersville.
Nolting, an incumbent, led the field with 11,979 votes, followed by Hall, also an incumbent, with 11,439 votes and Turner, a political newcomer, with 10,959. Democrat Brad Smith was fourth with 4,347, followed by Yvonne Willhite with 3,770 and Scott Olsen with 3,540. The Democrat candidates are all from the Seymour area.
“I am extremely proud and humbled by the voter turnout,” Hall said of being able to hold onto his seat. “We’ve got a great group of conservative elected officials working well together in Jackson County. I want to thank the other candidates that signed up to run. I know it’s not easy to put yourself out there, and I respect the fact that you did.”
Nolting said he feels honored and humbled by everyone who has supported him.
“I’m anxious to get started on another four-year term,” he said. “I hope to keep tax rates low, and county council is doing a good job at that right now.”
Turner said he is excited to become a part of the county council.
“More than anything, I’m humbled,” he said. “I’m an admirer of the entire process that allows normal people like myself to represent the taxpayers of Jackson County. To those that didn’t get elected, everyone ran a clean campaign, and my opponents worked hard. I look forward to getting going and have made arrangements to learn a lot more.”
In the coroner’s contest, political newcomer Paul Foster, a Republican, defeated Seymour Democrat Jeffrey Walters 12,850 to 5,897.
“I just want to thank everyone that supported me and voted for me,” Foster said. “I appreciate the people of Jackson County entrusting me with this office. I’m looking forward to taking on this new responsibility.”
In the uncontested county races featuring all Republicans, vote totals were Jackson Superior Court I Judge AmyMarie Travis, 16,374; Auditor Roger Hurt, 16,382; Treasurer Kathy Hohenstreiter, 16,487; and Surveyor Daniel Blann, 16,198. All are incumbents.
Democrats do not hold any of the other county offices.
School boards
For Vernon Township voters, there was one contested race for the Crothersville Community School Corp. board of school trustees on the general election ballot.
For the District 1 seat, Chad Ord defeated Jerad Sporleder 800 to 318.
This was Ord’s first time running, while Sporleder had run for Crothersville Town Council in the past.
“Running for the first time was both nerve-racking and exciting, and I was very glad to hear I had won,” Ord said. “I would like to thank all those who came out and voted for me and trusted that I have the best intentions for the children and the school.”
John Riley also will be joining the board. He received 1,003 votes for the District 4 seat but was unopposed.
“We have some good members on the board already, and I look forward to working with them and John Riley because I feel we will all work great together to do what’s best for our school,” Ord said.
Sporleder said he and Ord had talked a lot before the election.
“To all that voted for me, thanks and God bless,” Sporleder said. “I’m going to concentrate on my farm and not wonder what if. My kids and family is where God apparently feels I need to be, not on an elected seat. Again, God bless and good luck to the new school board members.”
Ord and Riley will start their four-year terms in January. Ord will replace B.J. McLain, while Riley will replace Dale Schmelzle, the board’s current president. Neither McLain nor Schmelzle chose to seek reelection.
Medora and Seymour also had uncontested school board races on the ballot.
For Medora, vote totals were 379 for Joe Campbell, 325 for Faythe Gill and 292 for John Hughes. Campbell is the current board president.
For Seymour, vote totals were 7,544 for Ken Browning (representing Hamilton Township), 8,046 for Jeff Joray (Jackson Township) and 7,946 for Art Juergens (Seymour City). Juergens is the current board president.
State representatives
Voters also gave Seymour Republican Jim Lucas his fifth two-year term as state representative for District 69, which includes portions of Jackson, Bartholomew, Jefferson and Jennings counties.
In Jackson County, Lucas finished with 9,916 votes, compared to political newcomers Independent Katrina “Kat” Hardwick’s 2,892 and Democrat Jeffery Prewitt’s 2,601.
Districtwide, Lucas finished with 18,666 or 67.4%, while Prewitt received 4,884 or 17.6%, and Hardwick rounded out the field with 4,160 or 15%.
Lucas tipped his hat to his opponents and thanked them for running.
“First, I want to show respect to my two opponents for having the courage to throw themselves into the political arena and getting involved,” he said.
He also thanked the voters.
“I want to thank everyone in District 69 that supported our platform of honoring the Constitution, fighting for all of our shared individual rights and keeping government in check,” he said. “It is an absolute honor and privilege to serve the people, and I love my job.”
But Lucas said there are things he needs to work on.
“The overwhelming margin of victory tells me that there is incredible support of what we’re doing, but I recognize the need for more civility on my part and will work on it moving forward,” he said.
Prewitt congratulated Lucas on his win.
“I said from the beginning that democracy only works if voters have choices,” Prewitt said. “I could not in good conscience allow Representative Lucas to run unopposed, and even though we fell short last night, I am proud that we did our part to ensure our democracy works as intended.”
He also had a message for voters.
“Thank you to everyone here in District 69 for giving me a chance and moving forward,” he said. “I hope we can all work together to make this a better place for all of us.”
Hardwick said she is glad she made the decision to run to honor her late mother.
“I am proud of myself for taking a chance, and I know I made my mama and the people who love me proud,” she said. “I have so much gratitude for everyone who supported me.”
She also said voters likely will see her run for office again in the future.
“This was just my first try,” she said.
Bedford Republican Chris May also was returned to office as state representative for District 65, which includes portions of Jackson, Brown, Johnson, Monroe and Lawrence counties.
In Jackson County, May received 693 votes to Democrat Paula Staley’s 145.
Salem Republican Steve Davisson was uncontested as the state representative for District 73, which includes all of Washington County and portions of Jackson, Clark, Harrison, Lawrence and Orange counties.
U.S. Ninth District House
With 95% of the votes reported in the race for U.S. representative for District 9, Republican incumbent Trey Hollingsworth was in front with 210,866 votes, followed by Monroe County native Andy Ruff, who received 122,013 votes, and Libertarian candidate Tonya Millis, who received 12,234 votes.
Ruff campaigned Tuesday afternoon in front of the Jackson County Courthouse in Brownstown.
“It’s my last opportunity to go out and demonstrate to people that, unlike Trey Hollingsworth, I am committed to and connected to communities all through the Ninth District of Indiana,” he said. “I have been my whole life, and I’m not going to change.”
Ruff spent the day campaigning in every county of the district with the exception of Clark County due to strict electioneering rules enforced this year. From Jackson County, he was planning on going to Jennings and Brown counties before the polls closed at 6 p.m.
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*Note: The following numbers are only Jackson County vote totals
Jackson County Commissioner District 1
Drew Markel (R) – 15,859
Jackson County Commissioner District 2
Bob Gillaspy (R) – 12,547
John Schafstall (D) – 6,206
Jackson County Council at-large
John Nolting (R) – 11,979
Dave Hall (R) – 11,439
Brett Turner (R) – 10,959
Brad Smith (D) – 4,347
Yvonne Willhite (D) – 3,770
Scott Olsen (D) – 3,540
Jackson Superior Court I judge
AmyMarie Travis (R) – 16,374
Jackson County auditor
Roger Hurt (R) – 16,382
Jackson County treasurer
Kathy Hohenstreiter (R) – 16,487
Jackson County coroner
Paul Foster (R) – 12,850
Jeffrey Walters (D) – 5,897
Jackson County surveyor
Daniel Blann (R) – 16,198
Crothersville Community School Corp. board of school trustees
District 1
Chad Ord – 800
Jerad Sporleder – 318
District 4
John Riley – 1,003
Medora Community School Corp. board of school trustees
Joe Campbell – 379
Faythe Gill – 325
John Hughes – 292
Seymour Community School Corp. board of education
Hamilton Township
Ken Browning – 7,544
Jackson Township
Jeff Joray – 8,046
Seymour City
Art Juergens – 7,946
President and vice president of the United States
Donald Trump and Mike Pence (R) – 14,555
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (D) – 4,302
Jo Jorgensen and Jeremy “Spike” Cohen (L) – 381
Governor and lieutenant governor of Indiana
Eric Holcomb and Suzanne Crouch (R) – 11,714
Donald Rainwater and William Henry (L) – 4,188
Woodrow “Woody” Myers and Linda Lawson (D) – 3,234
Attorney general of Indiana
Todd Rokita (R) – 13,884
Jonathan Weinzapfel (D) – 4,374
U.S. representative District 9
Trey Hollingsworth (R) – 14,149
Andy Ruff (D) – 4,038
Tonya Millis (L) – 756
Indiana senator District 44
Eric Koch (R) – 11,794
Cynthia “Cinde” Wirth (D) – 3,481
Indiana representative District 65
Chris May (R) – 693
Paula Staley (D) – 145
Indiana representative District 69
Jim Lucas (R) – 9,916
Katrina “Kat” Hardwick (I) – 2,892
Jeffery Prewitt (D) – 2,601
Indiana representative District 73
Steve Davisson (R) – 2,261
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