Tight Auditor’s Race Featured in Pulaski County Primary

Pulaski County voters have narrowed down their list of candidates heading into November’s General Election. The tightest race of Tuesday’s primary was for county auditor. Incumbent Republican Laura Wheeler narrowly defeated challenger Tim Hoffa Jr. by a margin of 50.49-percent-to-49.51-percent or just 17 votes. Hoffa had led throughout the early returns, before Wheeler took the lead with the final vote center counted.

In the race to replace Jerry Locke as District 1 County Commissioner, Maurice Loehmer will face Democrat Doug Denton in November’s General Election, after defeating former commissioner Terry Young in the Republican primary. Charles Mellon Jr. is the Republican nominee for the District 2 County Commissioner’s seat currently held by Kenny Becker. Mellon won over 56 percent of the vote, over Mervin Lemeron and Robert D. Schultz.

Some uncertainty remains over the county council race, though. Tim Overmyer apparently indicated to the Clerk’s Office that he wanted to withdraw, but ended up coming in the top three of the Republican candidates anyway. As it stands, he’d join Adam Loehmer, incumbent Ken Boswell, and the lone Democrat, Renee Calabrese, in a race for the three available seats in November.

The three Winamac Town Council members up for reelection this year all made it through the primary round. Incumbent Republicans Judy Heater, Tom Murray, and Jim Watkins will face Democratic challenger Larry Weaver in the General Election.

Medaryville officials were up for election for the second year in a row, due to the change in election cycle. Ray Saltsman was unseated Tuesday after being reelected last year. Incumbents Judy Harwood and Suzanna J. Wilcoxon will run against Art Conley and Joe Jackson Jr. for the three available council seats in November. The winners will once again be elected to a four-year term.

President Donald Trump got 1,627 votes in Pulaski County’s Republican Primary, while Bill Weld got 140. In the Democratic primary, Joe Biden got 378 votes, followed by Bernie Sanders at 53 and Pete Buttigieg with 27.

Despite the delay and change in operations due to the COVID-19, Pulaski County Election Board members reported a pretty smooth process Tuesday. Election Board Chair Patty Sullivan said the process went 100-percent better than they were anticipating.

The increase in mail-in ballots didn’t delay results at all in Pulaski County. Clerk JoLynn Behny says the county got an early start to the counting and used an extra set of watchers. She says no duplicate ballots were returned.

There were slight issues with the Francesville and Medaryville vote centers not having power when poll workers arrived and one voting machine that stopped working, but officials say they were quickly resolved.

Voter turnout was just over 31 percent. More than 37 percent of those who took part voted absentee.

Click here for complete results, including uncontested races.

Breakdowns by precinct are available here.