Your Southeast Indiana 2014 Mid-Term Election Summary

Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 6:28 AM

By Mike Perleberg

Ryan Brandt (center) is congratulated on winning the race for Dearborn County Council District 3 by opponent Kevin Turner (right) as results are announced at the Dearborn County Administration Building in Lawrenceburg on Tuesday, November 4. Re-elected county recorder Glenn Wright (left) looks on. Photo by Mike Perleberg, Eagle 99.3. (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - It was a good night for Republicans not just in U.S. Senate races across the country, but also in many races in the tri-state. Republican Senator Mitch McConnell is in line to become the U.S. Senate Majority Leader after winning his sixth term in the Senate by defeating Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, 56-to-41 percent, in a hotly contested Kentucky U.S. Senate race. Indiana 6th District Congressman Luke Messer (R-Shelbyville) helped make it a clean sweep for incumbents in U.S. House races in Indiana, winning his race with 66 percent of the vote. His opponents were Democrat Susan Hall Heitzman and Libertarian Eric Miller. All nine of Indiana’s congressmen and women were re-elected – seven Republicans and two Democrats. VISIT OUR INDIANA VOTES 2014 PAGE TO FIND ALL OF SOUTHEAST INDIANA’S ELECTION RESULTS, FROM THE US CONGRESS TO YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD. Statehouse Becoming Deep-Red // Post by Vote Chip Perfect. Republicans also enjoyed widespread victory in southeast Indiana’s races for the Indiana House and Senate, strengthening the GOP’s supermajority in each chamber. In the race for House District 68, Brookville Republican Jud McMillin won re-election in a 70-to-30 landslide over Democrat Rick Gill. Perfect North Slopes owner and self-described serial entrepreneur Chip Perfect is adding state lawmaker to his resume. Perfect won Indiana Senate District 43 with 72 percent of the vote. He will take the reins from friend and longtime District 43 State Senator Johnny Nugent (R-Lawrenceburg) in January. In Senate District 27, Dearborn County Democrat Jake Hoog lost to Republican Jeff Raatz, of Richmond. Raatz had 65 percent of ballots in his favor to dispatch of Hoog and Libertarian Rex Bell. The GOP flipped three Indiana Senate seats into their favor Tuesday, creating a 40-10 outnumbering of Democrats. Dominating both the Senate and House could provide little resistance to Republican plans to expand private school vouchers and protections for businesses on religious grounds. New Sheriffs In Town There will be three new county sheriffs in southeast Indiana come January 1. Republican Jeff Cumberworth claimed 68 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat Tim Sutton for Ripley County Sheriff. “I am humbled and sincerely appreciate your confidence in my being your next sheriff. I have received MANY texts, emails, phone calls, and messages on Facebook and want you to know that I will do my very best to lead the Sheriff's Office in a positive and professional manner,” Cumberworth posted on his campaign’s Facebook page late Tuesday night. In Ohio County, Republican Glen Potts won over Democrat Swede Colen 53-to-47 percent. Former Switzerland County sheriff Nathan Hughes will reprise that role. Hughes, a Democrat, defeated Republican Robert Stockmeier 52-to-48 percent. Franklin County Sheriff Ken Murphy, a Republican, won re-election over Bradley Spurlock in one of the most lopsided races in our area, 81-to-19 percent. Republican Dearborn County Sheriff Mike Kreinhop was uncontested in his re-election Tuesday. Close Judge Race in Ripley County A race for Ripley County Superior Court Judge may see a recount before it is finalized. There was reportedly an issue or delay with counting absentee ballots in Ripley County on Election Night. Prior to the absentee ballots being added, the election results site showed 100 percent of the county’s precincts reporting and that Democrat John Kellerman had a small lead over Republican Jeff Sharp. However, once the absentee ballots were counted, Sharp – a Dearborn County deputy prosecutor – jumped ahead of Kellerman. As of Wednesday morning, Sharp has a 19 vote lead on Kellerman, 3,638 to 3,657. On Ripley County Council, Republicans Ron Decker and Chad Pindell won on Tuesday. Pindell ran away with his District 3 race, 72-to-28 percent over Democrat Rachael Melton Curl. Decker, an incumbent, defeated Democrat Bill Dramman 43-to-47 percent for re-election to the county’s fiscal voting body. Dearborn County Remains GOP Bastian In other county-level races, Dearborn County Commissioner Shane McHenry has another four years in office representing District 3. The special investigator with the Dearborn County Proeseutor’s Office won 75 percent of the vote on Election Day to defeat Democrat contender Aaron Watson. Dearborn County Council District 3 was won by Ryan Brandt over Democrat Kevin Turner, 61-to-39 percent. Republicans swept the contested Dearborn County Council races, with only Dan Lansing being elected as a Democrat who was uncontested Tuesday. There were three contested, non-partisan school board races in Dearborn County. In the Sunman-Dearborn School District, John Maxwell garnered 66 percent of the vote to win District 5’s school board seat. One of the closest races in southeast Indiana Tuesday was for South Dearborn Community School Board District 3. In a three-way race, Jeff Lane had 1,040 votes, just ahead of Anthony Hummel’s 1,028 votes. Jerry Hinkle wasn’t far behind in the race with 900 votes. With less than a percent separating Hummel and Lane, a recount may be needed before the result can be finalized. For South Dearborn Community School Board At-Large, Amy Marie Hummel ran away with 71 percent of the vote over two other candidates. Democrats Take Three Council Seats In Ohio County Democrats may have fared better in Ohio County than most any other in southeast Indiana. Dill Dorrell, Tim Adams, and Jeff Iceberg won respective council seats in District 1, 2, and 4. Iceberg’s victory was the narrowest in all of southeast Indiana with just three votes separating him from Republican Marty Dennis, 304 to 301, and possibly triggering a recount. Todd Ray Walton also earned a win in the District 1 County Commissioner race by outgaining Republican Doug Baker 55-to-45 percent. Ohio County Republicans were able to hold on to many other county offices including sheriff, assessor, recorder, coroner, and surveyor. Switzerland County Splits Between R’s and D’s Democrats in Switzerland County won administrative races including sheriff, judge, prosecutor, and assessor. However, Republicans took most other county leader races. Republicans were victorious in all four county council races held Tuesday, including Mike Bear, who ousted incumbent Democrat Mike Jones in a razor-thin District 2 race by just nine votes, 337 to 328. District 1 was taken by Elizabeth Jones over incumbent Thomas Conroy, a Democrat. District 4 went to John Welch over incumbent Democrat Jeff Darling. Glenn Scott was an uncontested Republican in District 3. Democrat Mark Lohide was re-elected County Commissioner District 3 with 57 percent over Republican Thomas Stow.