Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The deadline for Libertarian, Democrat and Republican candidates to file for the small town elections is noon Aug. 1.
The small towns are Burket, Claypool, Etna Green, Leesburg, Mentone, North Webster, Pierceton, Sidney and Silver Lake.
As of June 30, a number of candidates have filed, according to Kosciusko County Clerk Ann Torpy on Monday, including:
• Claypool: Benny Stage Jr., Republican, council north district; Nicole Miller, Republican, clerk-treasurer.
• Etna Green: Patricia Cook, Republican, clerk-treasurer; Keith A. Claassen, Republican, council; Jason W. Hanes, Republican, council.
• Leesburg: Thomas D. Moore, Republican, council at-large; Mitch L. Rader, Republican, council at-large; Christina Archer, Republican, at-large; Michael D. Searfoss, Democrat, clerk-treasurer.
• Mentone: Shelly Krueger, Republican, council; Timothy H. Croy, Democrat, council; Amanda Yaprak, Republican, clerk-treasurer; Hanna Beliles, Democrat, council.
• North Webster: Dan Thystrup, Republican, council at-large; Leigh Anne Jessop, Democrat, clerk-treasurer; Lisa Strombeck, Republican, council; David Waliczek, Republican, council.
• Pierceton: Myra Mast, Republican, clerk-treasurer; Glenn Hall, Republican, council; Eric Trump, Republican, council; Gordon Baker, Republican, council at-large; Chauncey Smith, Republican, council; Jerry Kreger, Republican, clerk-treasurer.
• Sidney: Brandon Allen, Democrat, council at-large; Lisa Parrett, Republican, clerk-treasurer; Jackie Leroy Wolfe, Democrat, council at-large; Sharon Rancourt, Republican, council.
• Silver Lake: Nicole Taylor, Republican, council at-large; Gloria Jean Weller, Republican, council at-large; Medard Hugh Murfin, Republican, council at-large; Tonya Conley, Republican, clerk-treasurer.
If there is a contested race within a party, the party will hold a convention to make a selection from those candidates. If there is a contested race between the parties, the town will have an election in November. Some towns won’t have an election at all because there is only one candidate for each open seat.
The primary for the city of Warsaw, Syracuse and Winona Lake was May 2, though Warsaw had no contested races so it did not have an election. In Winona Lake, the sole race in the primary was for clerk-treasurer, and the winner was Heather James. Syracuse had a clerk-treasurer race with incumbent Virginia Cazier winning, and a three-way race for town board Ward 4 seat, which Nathan Scherer won.
