The number of Republican candidates who have filed for the 2nd Congressional District caucuses on Saturday increased to six by Monday evening.
Along with current District 22 State Rep. Curt Nisly, Milford, who filed Wednesday, those who have filed include Curtis Hill Jr., Elkhart, former Indiana attorney general; Michael Hogberg, Lakeville, a tax preparer; Tiernan Kane, South Bend, an attorney; Christy Stutzman, Middlebury, former Indiana state representative in District 49 and business owner; and Rudolph Yakym III, Granger, the director of growth initiatives at Kem Krest, an Elkhart logistics company.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb called for a special election last week to coincide with the November general election after the death of District 2 U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski.
Walorski, 58, Elkhart, was one of four people killed Aug. 3 in a two-vehicle accident on Ind. 19, south of Ind. 119. The other three who lost their lives in the crash were Walorski’s district director, Zachery Potts, 27, Mishawaka; her communications director, Emma Thomson, 28, Washington, D.C.; and the driver of the other vehicle, Edith Schmucker, 56, Nappanee.
The Republican caucuses to fill the remainder of Walorski’s current term and to put a Republican candidate on the November ballot for the 2023-24 term will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Grissom Middle School, 13881 Kern Road, Mishawaka.
Yakym is endorsed by Walorski’s husband, Dean Swihart. In a statement, he said, “After deep reflection and deliberation, today I am supporting Rudy Yakym to represent the 2nd District of Indiana in Congress. Rudy has spent years working in public service alongside my beloved wife and will fight for our district to protect our faith, families and communities. Rudy is a political outsider who has what it takes to stand up to the Pelosi-Biden agenda. He will fight to do the right thing, just as Jackie did every day of her career. I encourage the precinct committeemen to support Rudy in this week’s caucus.”
An individual who wants to be nominated by a major political party caucus to the ballot for a special election held to fill a congressional vacancy must file a declaration of candidacy no later than 72 hours before the caucus to nominate a candidate with the chair of the caucus and the Indiana Election Division.
A declaration of candidacy to fill a ballot vacancy must be filed no later than 72 hours before the caucus to fill the vacancy with the chair of the caucus and the official who receives the certificate of candidate selection.
