Candidate List For Primary Election Continues Growing

The list of candidates for the May primary election continues to grow as more people file with the Kosciusko County Clerk’s Office.
And as of Friday morning, there will be at least two races.
Four Republicans have filed for the two Syracuse Town Council at-large seats. They are incumbent Larry Siegel, Matthew Goodnight, David Rosenberry and Gregory Scott Abbs. Syracuse Councilman Paul Stoelting previously announced he was not seeking re-election this year.
Two people have filed for county assessor, including Bobbi J. Burkhart and Jerry Davis Jr. Both are Republicans.
Other filings as of Friday are:
County
– auditor, incumbent, Republican, Alyssa Jo Schmucker.
– recorder, incumbent, Republican, Deborah A. “Deb” Wright.
– county council district 3, incumbent, Republican, Anthony W. “Tony” Ciriello.
– county council district 2, incumbent, Republican, Joseph G. Irwin
– county council district 4, incumbent, Republican, David A. Wolkins.
– county council district 1, incumbent, Republican, Kimberly Cates.
– sheriff, incumbent, Republican, James M. “Jim” Smith.
­– county commissioner, southern district, Robert M. “Bob” Conley.
Towns
– Milford Town Council, incumbent, Republican, Doug Ruch.
– Milford Town Council, incumbent, Republican, James A. Smiley.
– Milford Town Council, incumbent, Republican, Kenneth L. Long.
– Milford Town Clerk, incumbent, Republican, Patricia Gall.
Townships
– Etna Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Joe R. Mooney.
– Etna Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Rita Anglin.
– Franklin Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Ann M. Wiesehan.
– Harrison Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Tracy Moyer.
– Harrison Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Edward Rock.
– Harrison Township Board, incumbent, Republican, John E. Hart.
– Jackson Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Gwendolyn L. Ostrom.
– Jackson Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Jill Slater.
– Jackson Township Board, Republican, Joie Lotz.
– Jackson Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Debbie Wilcoxson.
– Lake Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Molly Bradford.
– Lake Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Kathleen Lokotar.
– Plain Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Greg Anderson.
– Plain Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Craig Charlton.
– Plain Township Board, Republican, Robert Warren Bishop.
– Prairie Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Julia Goon.
– Prairie Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Lila Christner Thompson.
– Prairie Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Gordon R. Drake.
– Prairie Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Connie Himes.
– Scott Township Board, incumbent, Republican, John Dougherty.
– Seward Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Aime Hoffman.
– Tippecanoe Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Mark Lawson.
– Tippecanoe Township Board, incumbent, Republican, Edwin D. “Ed” Clayton.
– Tippecanoe Township trustee, incumbent, Republican, Christopher M. Francis.
Candidate filing began Wednesday, Jan. 7 and ends at noon Friday, Feb. 6.
Election of school board offices will appear only on the November 2026 ballot. Filing for those begins May 15 and ends on June 18 at noon.
For more information about the 2026 elections and topics of interest, visit the Kosciusko County website at www.kosciusko.in.gov; click on the “Menu” button” and then hit the “Elections” tab, which will take you to https://www.kosciusko.in.gov/department/index.php?structureid=32
For state candidate filings, visit https://www.in.gov/sos/elections/candidate-information/