­The following is some food for thought as Tuesday’s election approaches:

• Indiana’s primary is one of four Tuesday. Others are North Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia. As a warning, prepare for lots of pundits on Wednesday assessing the potential blue wave impact.

• Kosciusko County’s sheriff’s race could be viewed as a great chance to assess the strength of the county’s Republican base as three candidates with ties to the department face off against a fourth, considered an “outsider.”

Two-term sheriff Rocky Goshert – the interim sheriff – is the likely landing spot for many in the base, but deputy Chris Rager and former deputy, current County Coroner Tony Ciriello are expected to draw from some of those folks. And who knows how much ISP trooper Kyle Dukes can attract.

• Tuesday’s race between the four sheriff’s candidates is the most wide open in 20 years.

At the same time,  the county’s GOP caucus helped set the stage for how the primary would play out. The caucus last June was called to fill the vacancy after Aaron Rovenstine’s resignation, and included six candidates. Five ballots were needed before Rocky Goshert was declared the winner. Kyle Dukes finished second by a handful of votes.

Imagine for a moment what the primary would have looked like if Dukes had been chosen to replace Rovenstine.

Or imagine if Goshert had not entered the race. As you recall, on the night of the caucus, Goshert had indicated he would not run and predicted as many as six would enter the primary.



TWO ENDORSEMENTS – We have two more endorsements to report.

Kyle Dukes won the support from Elkhart County Sheriff Brad Rogers, who has gained national attention for his constitutional outlook on gun rights.

Rogers posted on Facebook that Dukes is committed to placing good people around him “to end the tumultuous relationships with other agencies and to bring trust back to the Sheriff’s office.”

Chris Rager secured an endorsement from Rusty Hart, a sheriff from Warren County in southern Indiana. The two are old friends through Rager’s involvement with a children’s camp sponsored by Indiana sheriffs.

Hart said Rager has “a good heart, is well-educated and dedicated to his profession.”

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Trump Target? – Mel Hall, one of three candidates running in the Democratic primary for the 2nd congressional district, was quick to seize on news that President Donald Trump would hold a rally in South Bend two days after Tuesday’s election.

On Facebook, Hall claims Trump “has already started picking his fights for the rest of the year,” apparently alluding to the matchup with Rep. Jackie Walorski.

Regardless, exactly how much spotlight Trump casts on the race in the upcoming general election might come into focus Thursday.

 The Trump rally is scheduled for Thursday night at South Bend International  Airport.



WHERE’S THE REPORT? Incumbent Plain Township trustee Jerry Kammerer has until 4 p.m. Monday to turn in his campaign finance report to the county election board.

The demand comes after his challenger, Tyler Huffer, filed a complaint alleging Kammerer missed a campaign finance report deadline.

If Kammerer does not comply, the board will have an emergency meeting Tuesday morning, according to the county clerk.

The board has notified Kammerer of the deadline.