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Tuesday’s Republican caucus to fill the at-large Kosciusko County Council seat vacated last month by DeLynn Geiger will be contested.
Local attorney John Barrett, 59, Warsaw, declared his candidacy this week for the position. He is the second candidate to file with Kosciusko County Republican Central Committee Chairman Mike Ragan after former Northern District County Commissioner Brad Jackson announced his intention to seek the at-large council seat in December. Jackson announced in September he was going to run in 2026 for the District 1 council seat currently held by Kimberly Cates.
There are three years remaining on Geiger’s term.
As of press time Friday, no other candidate has filed for the council seat. Deadline to file is 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3. The caucus will take place at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6 in the old courtroom of the county courthouse.
In a telephone interview, Barrett said that with the community growing, that brings challenges and opportunities for the council to work through.
“I want to bring my experience as a litigator and business owner to bear to try to make sure that we make sound decisions in those areas moving forward,” he said.
He said he doesn’t have any specific issue he’s interested in addressing right now as a councilman, but he has many things that he’s interested in from following issues in the media. “But, I think the sitting council members probably know a lot more about those issues than I do. So I don’t know that it would be fair for me to comment on anything specifically, prior to me really absorbing all of the information that the rest of the council members have.”
Barrett said this council seat is the first elected position he’s ever sought, but believes he can put in the time necessary to serve.
“I’ve been in the practice of law for about 22 years, and I’ve been able to design a firm that operates very efficiently,” he said. “I have two outstanding full-time support staff members, and I’ve just got a system that allows me to have a lot of extra time to be able to focus on these issues, absolutely.”
As there’s three years left on the term, Barrett said he’s ready to commit to that.
“I wouldn’t throw my hat in there if I wasn’t ready to provide that service for at least the next three years,” he said.
He knows the other six county council members, some better than others. Having been a lawyer here for 22 years, he said they’ve all crossed paths at one point or another.
As to why the precinct committee men and women should choose him at the caucus Tuesday, Barrett stated, “My first job out of law school ... was here in Warsaw. I’ve got to tell you, my wife and I and my young family, we absolutely fell in love with this community. I mean, what a place! What a place to raise children, what a place to build a business. And this community has always welcomed us with open arms, and it has allowed me to - I don’t know of any other way to say - truly live the dream.”
He and his wife of 34 years, Lovie, raised two children, who are now adults. Son Cameron is a Manchester University graduate who operates his own business in the county. Son David is a recent Marine Corps veteran.
Barrett has served as a judge pro tem, the Teen Court judge, as the vice president of the Kosciusko County Bar Association and as a public defender.
“The reason I want to serve is because I love this county, and I want to ensure that things are going to continue to the way it has gone, being such a great place to raise a family and build a business for, not only the short term, but the long term,” he said.
Barrett said he doesn’t know Jackson personally or have anything bad to say about him. He said he doesn’t think the caucus is a referendum against Jackson.
In seeking the votes at the caucus on Tuesday, Barrett said if he is elected, “I will simply apply the same work ethic and judgment that I’ve demonstrated over the course of my career as a lawyer and serving this community in various other capacities. I don’t make a lot of promises. The only promise I can make is hard work, trying to avoid infighting and to make really thoughtful, well-informed decisions that I believe will benefit this county for the short term and the long term.”
