PIERCETON – Jerry Kreger was selected the Republican Party clerk-treasurer nominee during the Pierceton town convention Monday. Kreger, a former 16-year town council member, received the majority of votes in the third round of ballots with 23 votes cast by 44 voters. One vote was illegal. Stephanie Campbell received 20 votes in the third round of ballots after the sequence of voting first disqualified Dustin “Shane” Hurt and Nancy Linn in the second round. Precinct chairwoman Lila O’Connell presided over the voting with Tina Davis serving as secretary and Doug Walsh as teller. Voters continued to sign in for the event until 6:22 p.m. The evening began with 46 voters. Two people left after the second round, reducing the number of voters to 44 and changing the number of ballots necessary to win the majority. Each candidate was given two minutes to address the people present at the convention. Kreger reminded everyone he had served on the council 16 years and was president of the council for 13 years. He said knowledge of the clerk-treasurer’s responsibilities requires a huge learning curve, a curve he had navigated during his tenure on the council. He added that he would have an open door policy and consider the clerk’s position a full-time post. Because no Democrats filed their candidacy for the clerk-treasurer’s office, Kreger’s name will be the only one on the ballot in November and he will be sworn into office in January. Janet Castle, who has been the clerk-treasurer for 32 years, always running unopposed, did not file for re-election this year. The votes were counted as: Round one: Kreger, 19; Campbell, 15; Linn, 11; Hurt, 1. Round two: Kreger, 20; Campbell, 14; Linn, 12. Round three: Kreger, 23; Campbell, 20. There was one illegal vote for a candidate who was disqualified in a previous round.
