Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Winners in local contested primaries were ecstatic about the outcome, though turnout for Tuesday’s election was one of the lowest in recent memory.
County Races
In the Republican primary for southern district county commissioner, Don Wiesehan defeated incumbent Bob Conley by a vote of 2,957 (56.35%) to 2,291 (43.65%).
“The people’s voice was spoken loudly tonight, I think, overall and I just brought the message that the people were giving me to the platform that we were running. Nothing special, it was just a lot of talking to a lot of people throughout this county and the county is our big baby and we’re going to take care of it and continue to progress forward and make the great decisions upon which the citizens are saying they want and desire,” Wiesehan stated.
This primary wasn’t the first time Wiesehan had challenged Conley, though Conley won in 2022 over Wiesehan and two others. Wiesehan said the difference this year versus four years ago was that this year it was a head-to-head race.
“It divided the vote, and the topics are much more talked about this time, I think, throughout the public than they were maybe four years ago. I would say the head-to-head race was the big key for us and we saw an opportunity to really get out and talk to the people and really listen to their voice, and I assure you I will bring that voice where it needs to go, and I’m not going to stop listening to them. They’re going to guide me with the help of God and we’ll do it together,” Wiesehan said.
While the parking garage in downtown Warsaw has been a big topic of discussion that needs to be figured out, he said the other “big piece” is the transparency to the people.
“We need to educate the public on what we’re doing before we just make an announcement to do it. I think right now there’s a lot of strain in the public with taxes and other things that people are concerned about, inflation and prices. So, we are going to try to keep that under control and keep it in the wraps to where we can provide this service back to the people. They deserve that,” Wiesehan stated.
Commissioners Cary Groninger and Sue Ann Mitchell are not up for re-election this year.
In the Republican primary for county council District 1, incumbent Kimberly Cates received 797 votes (62.46%) to challenger Thaddeus DuBois’s 479 (37.54%).
“I’m very appreciative to the voters and to my constituents, and I’m very thankful that I get to serve them another four years,” she said.
As of Tuesday, Cates doesn’t have any challengers this fall from any other political party.
Looking forward toward her next four-year term, she said the council needs to “maneuver around (Senate Bill 1), and we’re really lucky because AIC is putting on several budgeting classes.” She said she and Mitchell will be attending those classes. “But I’m just so thankful that we have that organization. We pay a membership to be in there, but they’re actually creating a program to put information in specific to our county to do some projections when the law is totally finished.”
She said she thought the budgeting classes will start in a week or two and will be interesting and intense.
Councilmen Joe Irwin, District 2; Tony Ciriello, District 3; and Dave Wolkins, District 4, were uncontested in the primary. However, Ciriello will face Democrat Tina Holloway in the fall’s general election as she was uncontested in the primary.
Town Races
Jim LeMasters won the Republican primary for Winona Lake Town Council District 3 with 329 votes (68.97%) over Jerry T. Nelson’s 148 (31.03%) votes. The district is currently represented by Jim Lancaster, who did not seek re-election.
“Obviously, I am happy that I won. I appreciate everyone who voted for me and put their faith in me that I’m going to try to make a difference,” LeMasters said. “I think that the background that I have with what I bring from all the years I had at school, all the things that I’ve done ... with all the things I’ve had experience there. I worked for the town before, ran the park. There’s just some things that we need to tighten up. I hope I can make a difference.”
He said next year will be another big year with Senate Bill 1, but there is no huge improvement thing he’s looking at doing. The town just needs to tighten its belt.
“We’re doing a little better about getting information out, that’s the thing. I just think we’re not doing a good job of getting (information out),” he said.
People need to be involved, he stated, as was evident by Tuesday’s low voter turnout.
“I just want to be able to hold people accountable who need to be held accountable,” LeMasters stated, adding everything that preceded the State Board of Accounts audit should have never happened.
“Just trying to listen to people and what they feel are the most important things they have,” he said.
The two Republicans winning the nomination for the two Syracuse Town Council at-large seats were Gregory Abbs with 132 votes (39.64%) and Matthew Goodnight with 146 votes (43.84%). David Rosenberry received 55 votes (16.52%). Abbs and Goodnight will face Democrat Yesenia “Jessie” Vetor in the November election as she was uncontested in the primary.
Goodnight said, “Obviously, I’m ecstatic and so happy to see the numbers from the town of Syracuse. Of course, we’ve got an opponent in the general election, a Democrat, so the work is still ahead of us to get sworn in, in January, if the general election goes the way I sure hope it does.”
He said he didn’t think there was one thing that put him at the top of the race. He said he and his fellow candidates in the primary are very similar.
“I think a lot of it had to do with our experience, and maybe our vision, for the future. That was the differentiater between the three of us,” Goodnight said.
In an emailed statement, Abbs said, “Thank you everyone who voted in the primary election. I am honored and grateful to have been chosen by the voters of Syracuse to advance as a Syracuse Town Council candidate in the November general election. Looking toward the future, I pledge to continue to listen to residents’ concerns and ideas, learn from current leadership, and advocate for policies that support Syracuse today and for years to come. Congratulations to Matt Goodnight, I look forward to strengthening our community together. I also want to thank Dave Rosenberry for his commitment to this race and to Syracuse.”
Turnout
Turnout for Tuesday’s election in Kosciusko County was just 12.41%, with only 6,675 of 53,771 registered voters going to the polls.
Kosciusko County Clerk’s Office Chief Deputy Ann Torpy said in the 2022 primary, they had 9,919 voters, or 21.45%.
In 2022, there was a contested sheriff’s race between then-incumbent Kyle Dukes and current Sheriff Jim Smith in the Republican primary, as well as other contests.
With the Republicans facing challenges from some Democrats, Independents and Libertarians in the November election, that could potentially bring out more people to the polls.
Kosciusko County Republican Party Central Committee Chair Mike Ragan agreed that “races make a difference” in turnout.
“Absolutely. No question about it. We had a sheriff’s race four years ago, and that was a big race. Jim Smith took out the incumbent,” he said.
Smith was uncontested in this year’s primary.
With the Republican primary finished, Ragan said that doesn’t mean the party won’t stop running.
“Tomorrow will be a new day and we’ll start getting ready for November tomorrow,” he stated.
As for Conley’s loss, Ragan said he’s known Conley for a long time and he’s served the county well.
“I wish him well, him and Sue. He’s been a true Kosciusko County statesman, and I thank him for his service and I think Don Wiesehan will be a good commissioner and Kosciusko County is fortunate to have those men in the race,” Ragan said.
