Candidates line up for primary, general election battles

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The Howard County Democrats have returned to the fight. After a year of reorganization and recruitment, the local Dems are sporting a healthy dose of new blood in their ranks, and many of them are ready to run for office.

When voters request a Democratic ballot for primary voting on May 5, they’ll find the following names on their card or screen.

Wendy Wheeler has filed to run for Howard County Recorder while Lisa Washington has thrown her hat in the ring, seeking with 1st District Howard County Commissioner’s seat. The Dems fielded candidates for three seats on the Howard County Council. Sherry Roe is running for District 1. Nicholas Colon has filed to run for the 2nd District seat, and Cathy Stover is the Democratic candidate for the 3rd District seat.

The Center Township Trustee’s Office has gained considerable attention in 2026 as the State Legislature chose to enact a point system that likely will dissolve hundreds of townships throughout the state, based on their output. The measure received bipartisan support, but Center Township isn’t expected to be greatly impacted by the reforms.

That means the trustee’s office and its advisory board will have plenty to do over the next four years. Andrew Durham filed for re-election after serving a term in the office. And the Democrats fielded a full slate for the advisory board, with Essie Foster, Hannah Guillaume, and Mercedes Lahr running for seats.

Harrison Township also has a Democratic candidate running for an advisory board seat in Kallahan Beatty. Michelle Martin is seeking to return to a seat on the Monroe Township advisory board. In Taylor Township, Deborah Lewis is running for trustee while Kenneth Poulard and Abbie Smith are seeking advisory board seats.

The Town of Greentown also will have candidates seeking election to its town council, and Bryan Bertoline is seeking an at-large seat there as a Democrat.

The Democrats also have fielded candidates to run for state office. In the Indiana Statehouse, Joe Kazlas and Kirsten Root are vying for the nomination to run for Senate District 21, while Jack Chance is running for the District 30 representative’s seat and Nate Stout runs for District 38. Both are unopposed in the primary.