4th Candidate for Carmel Mayor’s Race is Among Friday’s Last-Minute Filings

When the candidate filing period ended at noon Friday, there were 106 candidates vying for 59 seats in Hamilton County races. Nine candidates filed Friday morning.

Any surprises?

The Carmel Mayor’s seat on Friday attracted a fourth candidate, Fred Glynn, a Republican two-term Hamilton County Council member who ran for State Representative in District 32 and who ran against Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard in 2019. Glynn filed to run for the vacant mayor’s seat along with Republicans longtime Carmel City Councilman Kevin “Woody” Rider and Carmel City Councilwoman Sue Finkam, and Democrat City Councilman Miles Nelson.

Noblesville Common Council District 2 also attracted a last-minute candidate, Republican Matt Witsken vying against incumbent Republican Mike Davis.

Also on Friday morning, Noblesville Common Council District 5 seat saw Republican Rocky Shanehsaz throwing his hat in the ring alongside Republican Dave Johnson, to fill a vacancy left by outgoing Councilman Greg O’Connor.

Republican Emily K. Pearson filed on Friday to run for Cicero Town Council District 2 against Republican incumbent Chad M. Blueher.

While these numbers may sound like a lot of candidates, it really isn’t so many, although there are more candidates running in May 2023 than were on the ballot in May 2019, at 98 candidates.

Recently retired two-term Noblesville Township Trustee Tom Kenley said there are “too many uncontested races in Noblesville.” So let’s look at the numbers. There are 22 uncontested races in the county, including six uncontested races in Noblesville, compared to three uncontested races in each of Atlanta, Cicero, Fishers and Sheridan; two uncontested races in each of Carmel and Arcadia; and no uncontested races in Westfield.

Just hours earlier on Thursday, there were offices in which no candidates had filed to run for office. But by the noon Friday deadline, all seats had candidates. The last remaining seat without a candidate, Cicero Town Council District 3, had lone Republican incumbent Christopher J. Lutz, returning to the ballot.

Why don’t more people run for office?

Most I’ve talked to say it’s a rewarding experience. And serving does make most of us feel good about ourselves.

So, again, why don’t more people run for office?

Maybe it’s the money that candidates raise and spend to run for office.

Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen reported nearly $492,000 in contributions, about $173,000 in expenses and still had $319,000 in his war chest, according to his candidate campaign finance report, filed in January.

With seven-term Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard retiring, four   candidates are vying for his open seat. One of those is Republican Kevin “Woody” Rider, who has more than $572,000 in contributions. Republican Sue Finkam has more than $65,000 in contributions. And Democrat Miles Nelson has about $45,000 in contributions. Fred Glynn, who filed Friday morning, will start from scratch, as he had closed out his campaign account at the end of 2022.

In Westfield, four-term Mayor Andy Cook, Westfield’s first and only mayor, is retiring and not re-seeking office. Republican candidate Scott Willis has about $284,000 in contributions, Republican candidate Kristen Burkman has $500 in contributions and Democratic candidate Jake Gilbert has about $147,000 in contributions.

The races with the largest number of candidates are City Councils in Carmel, Fishers and Noblesville, particularly Carmel City Council At-Large with six candidates vying for three seats, Fishers City Council with five candidates vying for three at-large seats; and Noblesville Common Council at-large with six candidates vying for three seats.

Here is the complete list of candidates who have filed by Friday’s noon deadline to run for election in the 2023 Primary.

Carmel Mayor (vote for 1)

Kevin Woody Rider – R

Sue Finkam – R

Miles Nelson – D

Fred Glynn – R

Carmel Clerk (vote for 1)

Jacob W. Quinn – R

Carmel Judge City Court (vote for 1)

Brian G Poindexter – R

Carmel City Council District Northwest (vote for 1)

Sheldon Barnes – R

Danny Niederberger – R

Ryan Locke – R

Carmel City Council District North Central (vote for 1)

Leah York – R

Teresa Ayers – R

Jonathan K Blake – R WITHDRAWN 02-03-23 (refiled Friday for Council At-Large seat)

Chuck Ford – R

Courtney Culver – D

Carmel City Council District South Central (vote for 1)

Anthony (Tony) Green – R

Jessica Irvine – D

Carmel City Council District Northeast (vote for 1)

Jason Engle – R

Shannon Minnaar – R

Carmel City Council District Southeast (vote for 1)

Adam Aasen – R

Jeremy Eltz – D

Carmel City Council District West (vote for 1)

Ven Tadikonda – R

Loren Matthes – R

Anita Joshi – D

Carmel City Council At-Large (vote for 3)

Jake Madore – D

Rich Taylor – R

Matthew J. Snyder – R

Jeff Worrell – R

Sara Draper – D

Jonathan K Blake – R

Fishers Mayor (vote for 1)

Scott Fadness – R

Fishers Clerk (vote for 1)

Jennifer L. Kehl – R

Rachel Segars – R

Janet Pritchett – D

Fishers Judge City Court (vote for 1)

Daniel E. Henke – R

Fishers City Council District SE (vote for 1)

Pete Peterson – R

Fishers City Council District NW (vote for 1)

Selina Stoller – R

Bill McLellan – D

Fishers City Council District NC (vote for 1)

John P. DeLucia – R

Crystal Neumann – D

Fishers City Council District SC (vote for 1)

John W. Weingardt – R

Lane Skeeters – D

Fishers City Council District SW (vote for 1)

David Giffel – R

Bill Stuart – D

Fishers City Council District NE (vote for 1)

Daniel Canan – R – withdrawn (1-24-2023)

Brad DeReamer – R

Samantha R. Chapman – D

Fishers City Council At-Large (vote for 3)

Tiffanie Ditlevson – R

Cecilia Coble – R

Todd Zimmerman – R

Howard Stevenson – D

Jocelyn Vare – D

Noblesville Mayor (vote for 1)

Chris Jensen – R

Noblesville Clerk (vote for 1)

Evelyn L. Lees – R

Noblesville Judge City Court (vote for 1)

Matt Cook – R

Noblesville Common Council District 1 (vote for 1)

Mike Davis – R

Matt Witsken – R

Noblesville Common Council District 2 (vote for 1)

Todd Thurston – R

Jay Mundy – R

Noblesville Common Council District 3 (vote for 1)

Aaron Smith – R

Noblesville Common Council District 4 (vote for 1)

Mark W Boice – R

Noblesville Common Council District 5 (vote for 1)

Dave Johnson – R

Rocky Shanehsaz R

Noblesville Common Council District 6 (vote for 1)

Megan G. Wiles – R

Noblesville Common Council District At-Large (vote for 3)

Darren Peterson – R

Mike Field – R

Nick Gomillion – R

Pete Schwartz – R

Paul Jo Gilliam – D

Evan Elliott – R

Westfield Mayor (vote for 1)

Scott Willis – R

Kristen Burkman – R

Jake Gilbert – R

Westfield Clerk Treasurer (vote for 1)

Marla Ailor – R

Tonya F. Hyatt – R

Westfield City Council District 1 (vote for 1)

Jon Dartt – R

Mark F. Keen – R

Westfield City Council District 2 (vote for 1)

Victor McCarty – R

Andrew Bouse – R

Westfield City Council District 3 (vote for 1)

Joe Duepner – R

Justin C Griffiths – R

Westfield City Council District 4 (vote for 1)

Patrick T. Tamm – R

Alexis Lowry – D

Scott Frei – R

Westfield City Council District 5 (vote for 1)

Noah Herron – R

Mike Johns – R

Westfield City Council At-Large (vote for 2)

Kurt J. Wanninger – R

Chad Huff – R

Brian Tomamichel – R

Gary Lane – D

Arcadia Clerk Treasurer (vote for 1)

Jennifer S. Pickett – R

Arcadia Town Council District 1 (vote for 1)

Rich Versprille – R

Atlanta Clerk Treasurer (vote for 1)

Jennifer Farley – R

Atlanta Town Council District 1 (vote for 1)

Christopher Calhoun – R

Atlanta Town Council District 2 (vote for 1)

Jody Price – D

Timothy Johnson – R

Atlanta Town Council District 3 (vote for 1)

Pam VanHook – R

Cicero Clerk Treasurer (vote for 1)

Rhonda Gary – R

Cicero Town Council District 1 (vote for 1)

Dennis D Johnson – R

Cicero Town Council District 2 (vote for 1)

Chad M Blueher – R

Emily K Pearson – R

Cicero Town Council District 3 (vote for 1)

Christopher Jr. Lutz – R

Sheridan Clerk Treasurer (vote for 1)

Elizabeth (Liz) A Walden – R

Sheridan Town Council District 1 (vote for 1)

David W Kinkead – R

Cleova M Brown – R

John A Brandenburg – R

Sheridan Town Council District 2 (vote for 1)

Silas DeVaney III – R

Sheridan Town Council District 3 (vote for 1)

Kevin Ricks – R

Voters have about 12 weeks to do their homework between now and Primary Election Day May 2.

Contact Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com