Several Southern Indiana incumbent officeholders won’t advance to the November election, after losing to challengers in Tuesday's primary election.
This year’s ballots in Clark and Floyd counties included Republican races for coroner, commissioners and county council. There were also races for state and federal office, including governor, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House.
Here's how contested races played out.
Clark County
The Clark County Council at large race saw double the number of Republican candidates than the 2020 primary election, with 10 people vying for three spots.
Ron Blevins Sr., Richard E. Snelling Jr. and Chris Fox will move to the general election.
Incumbents David Abbott and John Miller did not advance.
Clark County Republican Party Chair Ron Grooms said there may have been more council at large candidates this year for a few reasons. One was that Kevin Vissing, who he called “one of the top vote-getters” did not run for reelection.
Property taxes also went up.
“That always generates more interest in the county council and fiscal and taxing matters,” he said.
Republican incumbent Connie Sellers won the Clark County Commissioners District 1 race, with 5,608 votes to Donald E. Johnson’s 3,678. Sellers wasn’t contested in the 2020 primary.
Republican Aaron Scott will move on to the general election for coroner. He beat opponent Jason Brian Brownfield Jr. with 76.1% of the vote.
Clark County Coroner
Republicans
- Aaron Scott: 76.12%
- Jason (Dude) Brownfield Jr.: 23.88%
Clark County Commissioner District 1
Republicans
- Connie Sellers (incumbent): 60.39%
- Donald E. Johnson: 39.61%
Clark County Council At Large
Republicans
- Ron Blevins Sr.: 17.39%
- Richard E. Snelling Jr.: 15.57%
- Chris Fox: 13.55%
- David R. Abbot (incumbent): 12.58%
- Jacob Horton: 9.53%
- Harold G. Goodlett Jr.: 8.49%
- John L. Miller (incumbent): 7.67%
- Dale Sellers: 6.83%
- Chris Albertson: 5.46%
- Donovan W. Harrod: 2.93%
Floyd County
Former Floyd County Sheriff Frank Loop handily beat out incumbent John Schellenberger for the Floyd County Commissioners District 2 Republican nomination.
Unofficial totals posted on the Floyd County Clerk’s website Tuesday night showed Loop winning with 3,747 votes, or 58.8%, to Schellenberger’s 2,624. Schellenberger was first elected to the spot in 2016, after serving on the county council. Loop was sheriff from 2015 to 2022.
Loop said while he was “disappointed with the … total number of votes that were cast, I was pleased that I won the majority of them.”
He said he thinks his win came in part because voters want to see term limits.
“When I was out here, campaigning … the one thing that I've heard over and over again was, ‘We need a new voice in there,’” he said. “So I think that's why I prevailed.”
Matthew Tomlin also beat out Republican incumbent Coroner Greg Roution by 47 votes, according to election night totals.
Sam Sarkisian, Matt Millies and incumbent Dale Bagshaw were the top three vote-getters in the Floyd County Council Republican primary, knocking out incumbent Connie Moon.
Floyd County Republican Party Chair Heather Peters said all the candidates worked hard, and sometimes it comes down to who comes out to vote. Floyd County’s total voter turnout was 15.72%, compared with 25.06% in the 2020 primary election.
“I'm proud of all of them,” she said. “I hate to see the incumbents … be overcome. But I think that their opponents are just as good candidates. We don't put bad candidates on the ballot.”
Peters announced last month she’ll be stepping down as chair June 1. But she still sees a strong path to victory for the party in the November election.
“I think we've got a strong ticket going in,” she said. “I hope that the Republicans continue to win in Floyd County and that we get some good change.”
Floyd County Coroner
Republicans
- Matthew Tomlin: 50.41%
- Greg Roution (incumbent): 49.59%
Floyd County Commissioner District 2
Republicans
- Frank Loop: 58.81%
- John J. Schellenberger (incumbent): 41.19%
Floyd County Council At Large
Republicans
- Sam Sarkisian: 29.21%
- Dale (D.M.) Bagshaw (incumbent): 25.47%
- Matt Millies: 24.74%
- Connie Moon (incumbent): 20.58%
Southern Indiana House Races
State Rep. Zach Payne, the incumbent in District 66, will move ahead to the general election, after defending his seat to Republican challenger James E. “Jim” Baker.
Payne said Tuesday evening before results were in he was feeling good and that he and his team “did all the things that a winning campaign should do.”
He said that if reelected in November, he wants to “continue to shrink the size and scope of government.”
On the Democratic side, Jennifer David had a comfortable lead over Rick Cannon as of late Tuesday night.
Republican incumbent state Rep. Karen Englemen brought in a win over John Colburn in District 70 — the first primary challenger she’s faced since first being elected in 2016.
Republican Scott Hawkins had a sweeping primary win in District 71, with 3,199 votes to James R. McClure Jr.’s 880. Hawkins, who currently serves on the Jeffersonville City Council, will face off again this year with Democratic incumbent Rita Fleming, who ran unopposed in the primary.
Hawkins said before results were called there’s a lot he wants to do.
“I have a whole list of priorities that we're going to move forward with,” he said. “Everything from trying to cap property tax increases for seniors, [to] retaining and paying teachers what I think they are worth.”
Indiana Governor's Race
U.S. Sen. Mike Braun came out victorious in the crowded Republican bid for governor, beating out five other candidates, including current Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch.
He’ll face Democrat Jennifer McCormick in the general election.
U.S. House District 9
Republican U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin successfully defended her seat against challenger Hugh Doty in Indiana’s 9th Congressional District. In the Democratic primary, Timothy Peck beat Liam Dorris with 66% of the vote.
U.S. Senate
Indiana Presidential Primary Results
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
