2012 primary races set

The 2012 primary races are set, leading to a very interesting match-up on the Democratic side, one contested race on the Republican side and two races that I have a very personal interest in.

The most interesting race should be the Monroe County Council race on the Democratic side. Former councilors Sophia Travis and Scott Wells are challenging the three incumbent Democrats for a spot on the November ballot. Travis gave up her council seat to run for county commissioner in 2008 and lost to Iris Kiesling in the primary. Wells ran for re-election in 2004 and lost in the Democratic primary, finishing in fourth place behind an Indiana University student.

So the Democratic primary features the top vote getters in the last three general elections: Travis, Wells* and Julie Thomas. Wells gets an asterisk because, while he was the top vote getter in official results, Jeff Ellington actually got more votes in the 2000 general election. There were a few hundred votes that did not get counted that would have made Ellington the top vote-getter that year. It should be interesting to hear Wells and Travis explain why the incumbents of their own party need to be replaced.

My races should be interesting. For precinct committeeman, one of my opponents was the Libertarian candidate for Congress in 2010, challenging Todd Young and Baron Hill in a race Young won handily. It should be an interesting challenge given Greg Knott's name ID. I am not familiar with my other opponent.

The delegate race will be very tough. Barbara Clark, who won two countywide races for auditor and three countywide races for treasurer, will almost certainly win one of the two seats in District 4. This leaves the contest for the second seat between me and Marjorie Hudgins, who sits on the city's Historic Preservation Commission and ran for City Council in 2007. Nonetheless, I think my chances are better in my district than at-large, where 43 candidates will battle for 19 seats countywide.

Democrats Candidate's NameOfficeParty Hans HuffmanAuditorD Steve SaulterAuditorD Nicole MeyerCoronerD Mark StoopsCounty Comm District 2D Randy G PaulCounty Comm District 2D Iris KieslingCounty Comm District 3D Geoffrey McKimCounty Council at LargeD Jeff CarsonCounty Council at LargeD Julie L ThomasCounty Council at LargeD Scott WellsCounty Council at LargeD Sophia TravisCounty Council at LargeD Warren HenegarCounty Council at LargeD Alphonso MannsJudge, Seat 3D Kevin P EnrightSurveyorD Catherine(Cathy)SmithTreasurerD

Republicans Candidate's NameOfficeParty Vivien M BridgesAuditorR Walter L HatfieldCoronerR Nelson ShafferCounty Comm District 2R Brian EllisonCounty Council at LargeR Christopher D KilanderCounty Council at LargeR Jennifer K MickelCounty Council at LargeR Skip DaleyCounty Council at LargeR Marc KellamsJudge, Seat 2R Frances HillJudge, Seat 3R Bernice LuckTreasurerR

Candidate's NameOfficeParty Greg "NoBull" KnottP C Perry 05R Scott TibbsP C Perry 05R Tom RobersonP C Perry 05R

Candidate's NameOfficeParty Barbara ClarkS D District 4R Marjorie HudginsS D District 4R Scott TibbsS D District 4R