(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - Dearborn County Republicans have chosen a new county council member to replace a deceased councilman.

First-term councilman Jim Hughes died unexpectedly on December 9. A heart attack was suspected in the 62-year-old's death.

On Saturday, a caucus of county Republicans gathered at Dillsboro Town Hall and voted to select current county councilman Maynard Barrett to fill the Hughes seat, according to Dearborn County Republican Party Chairman Allen Goodman.

Barrett's current four year term on county council expires Monday, December 31. He'll be sworn in to serve the remaining two years of Hughes' term on Tuesday, January 1.

Barrett was defeated in the May 2012 Republican primary election by becoming the fourth-place vote getter in a race for three seats.