New candidates emerge for Indiana House, Senate races

More candidates are filing to represent Wayne County at the state level as the primary election deadline nears this week.

On Tuesday, Feb. 3, Adam Blanton announced his candidacy for Indiana House of Representatives District 56. He will face fellow Republican and Blanton’s former boss at the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Randy Retter, in the May primary election.

Blanton said he began his career as a nurse in medical-surgical and pediatric care and then felt called to join law enforcement nearly 15 years ago. Blanton is currently assistant chief for Richmond Police Department.

“I’ve watched local politicians make trips to Indianapolis while the people back home deal with the consequences,” Blanton said in a social media post.

Blanton claimed that some elected officials encourage people to run for office while also working against having challengers, and he called an unopposed election “power without accountability.”

“For too long, a small circle has decided who runs and who doesn’t,” Blanton said. “I’m done waiting for someone else to step forward. After prayer, reflection, and conversations with my family, today I did.”

During his Jan. 9 candidacy announcement, Retter said he has seen challenges and opportunities facing rural communities while working in public service since 1988. He couldn’t run again for sheriff because of Indiana’s term limits.

“I’m running for the Indiana House because I believe in strong, steady leadership that puts Hoosiers first and reflects the values of the people who live and work here,” Retter said at the time.

READ: Retter to run for retiring Barrett’s spot

Retter had several roles with Wayne County Sheriff’s Office before being elected sheriff in 2018. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ball State University and is an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy graduate.

Senate District 27

Indiana State Sen. Jeff Raatz is being challenged again for his District 27 seat. Democrat Ron Itnyre of Richmond filed Feb. 2 in hopes of unseating the 3-term state senator.

Unless another candidate files to run in the primary before the Feb. 6 deadline, neither will face competition until the fall election.

READ: Election filing deadline nears

Raatz was first elected in 2014 to represent the district, which now includes Wayne, Henry and Union counties and portions of Franklin County. He was reelected in 2018, and again in 2022 when he beat Itnyre with 71% of the vote.

In a news release, Itnyre said he couldn’t sit idly by this election season. He’s concerned about recent tax legislation that he believes has negatively impacted communities across Indiana, as well as current division in the Indiana Senate and around the country.

“I want to bring personal freedom back to Hoosiers and our towns without the heavy hand of the state government interfering in local ordinances, economies and schools,” Itnyre said.

As of press time, Raatz hadn’t issued a statement about this year’s candidacy after filing for re-election in January.

Raatz serves as chair of Indiana’s Senate Committee on Education and Career Development and as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senate School Funding Subcommittee.

Both candidates have worked in education.

Raatz taught at the college level as an adjunct instructor for several years and has worked in K-12 education. He owns a business-coaching organization that offers consulting on general business practice and specializes in financial matters, IT implementation and cash flow.

In 2024, Raatz ran for U.S. House Indiana District 6, losing in the Republican primary to Jefferson Shreve with only 8.9% of the vote.

Itnyre is a senior lecturer of biology and director of the Office of Sustainability at Indiana University East. He grew up on a 300-acre corn and beef farm, eventually earning a doctorate in plant pathology and worked 13 years as a corn breeder.

Itnyre says he plans to ensure residents’ voices are heard in the state legislature, and criticized Raatz’s legislative record.

“Currently, Senate District 27 is represented by an individual who, unfortunately, is heavily influenced by major lobby groups and think tanks,” Itnyre said. “This has led to policies that prioritize special interests over our communities.”