Just days before a key deadline to file for the May primary election, some additional names had joined the list of candidates.

  • Mark Hoelscher withdrew as a candidate for Wayne County auditor and filed to run for the county’s District 1 commissioner.
  • Three Republican candidates (Bradley Bowman, Bobby Gene Gabbard and Judith Kerney) have now filed for Jackson Township board. Lyndon Wicker is the only candidate for Jackson Township trustee as of press time.
  • Don Berger has joined two fellow Republicans to run as a Franklin Township board member. Douglas Toschlog filed as a Republican for Abington Township’s board.
  • Republican Jacquelyn Shroyer filed to run for New Garden Township’s board.
  • Three candidates emerged for Webster Township’s board, Democrat Brittany Miller and Republicans Amy Fouche and Courtney McCauley.
  • Catherine Morris joins three other Democrats seeking to represent their precinct committees.

As of press time, no one had filed to run for Dublin, Fountain City and Hagerstown town councils. Each community needs to fill two at-large seats. However, some current members are independents, so they have an extended filing deadline compared to those running as Republicans or Democrats.

Candidates for the two major parties must submit paperwork by noon Friday, Feb. 6, to get on the May 5 primary ballot.

In addition, all 15 townships (Abington, Boston, Center, Clay, Dalton, Franklin, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, New Garden, Perry, Washington, Wayne and Webster) are seeking trustees and board members. Some townships currently have no candidates, and others don’t have a full slate.

Even though the Indiana General Assembly is discussing the possibility of eliminating some township governments, Wayne County election officials are planning for all those offices to be on the ballot.

These filings reported in WWN’s Jan. 28 edition were supplied by Wayne County’s voter registration office:

  • Wayne County Auditor: Amy Chenowith (Republican)
  • Wayne County Sheriff: Alan Moore and Kyle Weatherly, both Republicans
  • Wayne Superior Court 2 judge: Austin Shadle (R)
  • Wayne Superior Court 3 judge: Mark Cox (R)
  • Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney: Ashley Green (R)
  • County Council: Jeff Cappa (District 1); Bradley “Farmer Brad” Wood and Barry Ritter, District 2; Beth Leisure (District 3), Richard Tincher, District 4, all Republicans
  • County Commissioner: Brad Dwenger (R)
  • County Recorder: Debbie Tiemann (R)
  • County Assessor: Timothy Smith (R)
  • Wayne Township Assessor: Gary Callahan (R)
  • Indiana House of Representatives District 56: Randy Retter (R)
  • Indiana State Senate District 27: Jeff Raatz (Republican)
  • U.S. House of Representatives Sixth District: William Kory Amyx, David Lawrence Boyd and Cinde Wirth, all Democrats; Jefferson Shreve (R)
  • Township board members: Jack Buckland, Boston Township (R); Steve Poindexter, Center Township (R); Louis Artman and Jan Riggleman, Clay Township, both Republicans; Jason Roll and Scott Stemple, Franklin Township (R); Gary Keesling, Anne Smith and Max Soliday, Jefferson Township (R); Robert McGuire, New Garden Township (D); Marilyn Sowers, Wayne Township (R)
  • Township trustees: Steve Kaiser, Abington Township (R); Vicki Chasteen, Center Township (R); Robert Conyers, Greene Township (R); Christopher Lane, Jefferson Township (R); Jeff Himelick, New Garden Township (R); Susan Isaacs, Wayne Township (R); Rodger Smith, Webster Township (R)
  • Democratic Party precinct committee members: Beth Harrick, Alan Murdoch, Charles Ryan Ogden
  • State convention delegates: Jane Bumbalough, Jeff Cappa, Brad Dwenger, Misty Hollis, Tara Pegg and Jerry Purcell (District 1), Aaron Roberts and Lora Roberts (District 2), Chris Beeson, Beth Leisure, Jeff Plasterer, Gary Saunders and Max Smith (District 3), all Republicans. They will only be on the ballot if there is a contest.

Independent or minority party candidates can file a petition of nomination for the November election for verification of petition signatures. Those candidates’ forms are due by noon June 30. Write-in candidates can file their declaration of intent to run in November. Their form is due by noon July 6.

The Libertarian Party must conduct a county convention to nominate candidates by noon July 3.

How to run for office, register to vote

In Wayne County, those interested in running for office, registering to vote for the first time, updating incorrect information on the voter rolls or requesting an absentee ballot can visit the voter registration office inside the courthouse, 301 E. Main St., Richmond, call 765-973-9304 or go online atco.wayne.in.us/clerk/votersreg.html.

Updated February 5, 2026 at 11:09 a.m. to clarify filing information. Incorrect information was provided to Western Wayne News regarding the Jackson Township office Bowman is seeking and the spelling of Jackson Township candidate Gabbard’s first name.

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A version of this article appeared in the February 4 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.

Millicent Martin Emery is a reporter and editor for the Western Wayne News.