New Indiana law stymies candidates.
Candidate challenges get opposite rulings
By Mitchell Kirk. Originally published on February 28, 2022, in the Daily Reporter.
HANCOCK COUNTY — Challenges to a Greenfield woman’s candidacies for a state position and a local one resulted in opposite rulings from the county and state.
It means she’s allowed to remain on the upcoming Republican primary ballot as a local state convention delegate candidate, but not as an Indiana House of Representatives contender.
The divided decisions stem from a new election rule that went into effect this year, one that also affected several other Hancock County candidates.
The challenge was one of several that Hancock County Republican Party chair Steven Leonard filed against 2022 primary candidates. For all of the challenges, Leonard listed his reason as the candidate has not voted in two previous GOP primaries.
A new Indiana law states that party affiliation for candidates is determined by which party they voted for in the last two primary elections in Indiana in which they voted, or an OK from their party’s county chair.
Leonard filed challenges against Vernon Township Board candidate Anthony Buechler, McCordsville Town Council at-large candidate Scott Jones, Fortville Town Council District 2 candidate Ryan Rummell and state convention delegate candidates Jeremy Ember, Meghan Carver and her husband, Steven Carver.
Read more here.