By HOLLY GASKILL
Candidate filings are in full swing for the May primary.
Currently, there are no contested races within the county and only two for state elections. Two weeks remain for filing, with the deadline at noon on Feb. 9.
Incumbent State Rep. Matt Lehman has filed for the District 79 seat and Rob Miller (R) will contest State Rep. Lorissa Sweet for District 50. There are also nine running for 3rd District U.S. Representative — republicans Grant Bucher, Mike Felker, Jon Kenworthy, Tim Smith, Marlin A. Stutzman, Eric Whalen and Andy Zay, and democrats Kiley M. Adolph and Phil Goss.
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Wells County Clerk’s Office, only Valerie McCray (D) had filed for senator and Eric Doden (R) for governor.
In Wells County elections, District 2 and District 3 commissioners will appear on the ballot. Blake Gerber, currently occupying the District 2 seat, has filed for re-election.
Meanwhile, Vicki Andrews, Scott Elzey and Seth Whicker have filed for their current At-Large seats on the County Council.
Rina Stuck has filed to run for recorder, a position she previously held for eight years in Wells County, reaching her consecutive term limit. The county’s current recorder, Carolyn Bertsch, has now encountered the same limit.
Similarly, Treasurer Kathy Peeper has reached her term limit, and one of her deputies, Pam Gregory, has filed for the position.
Surveyor Jarrod Hahn has also filed again for his seat.
Nine have filed for the 12 delegates to the Republican convention— Case Ferree, Sandra Garcia, Brandon Harnish, Becky Holdman, Travis Holdman, Josh Hunt, Zachary Rodgers, Joan Whicker and Preston Wright. As the time of print, none have filed for available four delegates to the Democratic convention.
The following have filed for precinct committeeman: Andrews, Jeffrey Espich, Garcia, Harnish, Holdman, Hunt, Michael Jackson, Mike Lautzenheiser Jr., David Rigney, Zachary Rodgers, Nathan Stauffer, Stuck and Preston Wright.
The primary is on Tuesday, May 7. Voter registration is open through April 8 and early voting begins the following day.
Each school board also has members with terms ending; filing for the general election begins May 21.
At the Jan. 16 meeting of the election board, the board learned that former Rockcreek Township trustee Nathanael Wilson had submitted his resignation from the role. At the time, Clerk Beth Davis expected someone would be appointed to fill the vacancy by the board’s next meeting, Feb. 13.
holly@news-banner.com
