Mayor Mollaun Survives Three-Way Primary Race To Face Cook; Aurora's Mayoral Nominees Are Drury, Kremer

Winners in Tuesday's mayoral primary races in Lawrenceburg and Aurora provided reaction to their victories.

Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun and supporters celebrate a victory in the Tuesday, May 7, 2019 Republican primary election. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - The results are in. Indiana’s primary election was held Tuesday, with voters in Aurora, Lawrenceburg, and Greendale coming out to cast their ballots for nominees for mayor, city council, and other offices.

Find full local election results on our Indiana Votes 2019 webpage.

In Lawrenceburg, incumbent Mayor Kelly Mollaun emerged as the winner with 51 percent of the vote in a three-man Republican primary race against Steve Linkmeyer and Mike Lawrence. Mollaun’s campaign survived criticism over city spending from his challengers on social media.

“People want to hear what you’re going to do. They don’t want to hear how somebody’s going to tear you down,” Mollaun said outside the Dearborn County Government Center, where candidates gathered to hear the results Tuesday night.

“Mike and Steve, I’ll shake their hands and say ‘hi’ to them like I always would. This is just politics. It’s not life or death. We’re very happy.”

Lawrence was not at the courthouse, but did posted a message on his campaign Facebook page congratulating Mollaun.

Aaron Cook, a current city councilman, defeated former mayor Dennis Carr with 62 percent of the vote for the Democratic nomination for mayor.

“From my side, Dennis Carr and I ran a clean campaign. Neither one of us were bad-mouthing each other. We talked about what we were going to do and that’s all we did. We didn’t talk bad at all,” Cook observed.

Cook and Mollaun will meet in the November general election. So will 18-year-old Dylan Little, who was not on a ballot Tuesday due to his status as an independent candidate.

Cook said he is hopeful that Mollaun and Little will each run a clean campaign.

Mark Drury (left) won the Republican mayoral nomination in Aurora while Mel Kremer Jr. (right) won the Democratic nomination. Photos by Mike Perleberg, Eagle Country 99.3.

The picture for Aurora’s next mayor became a bit clearer Tuesday. Primary voters there chose their nominees to follow Mayor Donnie Hastings, Jr., who is not running this year after 16 years in the mayor’s office.

On the GOP ballot, city councilman Mark Drury defeated fellow councilman Patrick Schwing with 61 percent support.

“Gratitude to the folks of Aurora. I really appreciate you getting behind us. We care about what happens down there in the city,” said Drury. “I think it will be a good race going into the fall. We hope to win and we’re going to put a lot of effort into making that happen.”

Democratic mayoral nominee Mel Kremer Jr. is also promising to keep working toward election in November. The owner of Nite Out Transportation won the party nomination over Dan Valas, 53 percent to 47 percent.

“I am very pleased with the way everything turned out today. Mark Drury won and I congratulated him. We both had a little-teary-eyed together as we shook hands for the first time there,” Kremer said of the reaction to his win.

Kremer said he will continue to campaign on his motto: “Keep Aurora safe, beautiful and growing.”