Time to vote

Editor’s note: This is the sixth and final in a series of stories previewing the May 3 primary election. Early voting begins Tuesday. All election-related stories will be posted at http://www.thecr.com and will remain active until election day.
Is a sitting commissioner or his predecessor better for the job? Who should each party advance to November to try to fill Jim Zimmerman’s seat?
Those are the key local questions Jay County residents can begin answering Tuesday as early voting for the May 3 primary election begins.
Voting will be open from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Jay County Courthouse through April 29. There will also be voting hours, though those have yet to be determined, on April 23 and 30 as well as from 8:30 a.m. to noon May 2.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day.
Three contested races for county commissioner nominations highlight the election in Jay County, led by a rematch between incumbent Faron Parr and county council member Mike Leonhard on the Republican ballot. That race is a rematch from 2004, when Parr edged the then two-term incumbent Leonhard by 34 votes for the north district seat.
There are contested races for both parties for the south district commissioner seat, for which Zimmerman, a two-term incumbent, chose not to run for re-election.
Wayne Bailey, who works in project development for Commonwealth Engineering, and Chuck Huffman, a trust officer for First Merchants Bank, are hoping to advance to the general election the Republican side. Both are seeking public office for the first time.
In the Democrat primary, business owner James Brewster is competing against bricklayer Ted Champ for the right to advance to the November general election. Brewster has come up short in previous runs for county council and commissioner, losing to Zimmerman in 2012, while Champ is in the midst of his second term on county council and has also served on Redkey Town Council and Jay School Board.
The other contested races local races in the primary are for the Republican nominations for coroner and Jay Circuit Court clerk.
For coroner, incumbent Jason White, a paramedic and volunteer firefighter, is facing a challenge from police officers Michael Brewster and Jeff Hopkins. In the race for clerk, first deputy recorder Jo Newman and Arby’s assistant manager Jon Eads are hoping to earn the nomination as incumbent Ellen Coats, who is completing her second term in office.
Nine candidates will appear on the Republican presidential ballot for president, though only three — Ted Cruz, John Kasich and Donald Trump — are still actively seeking their party’s nomination. Also listed will be Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio.
Democrats will be choosing between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in the presidential race.
There are also contested races for both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, with Marlin Stutzman, who currently represents Jay County in the House, and Todd Young seeking the Republican nomination for the Senate. They are hoping to replace Sen. Dan Coats, who is not seeking re-election. Eric Holcomb, who was initially a candidates for the office, was removed from the ballot after being named lieutenant governor.
Both parties have contested races for the District 3 U.S. Representative position that Stutzman is giving up. The Republican ballot will include Jim Banks, Mark Baringer, Liz Brown, Pam Galloway, Kevin Howell and Kip Tom while Democrats Todd Nightenhelser, John Roberson and Tommy Schrader are seeking their party’s nomination.
The following candidates will be uncontested in the May primary:

Democrat
Jay County Commissioner
Robert (Bob) E. Franks Jr.

Jay County Council
Gary Theurer

Jay County Coroner
Curt Compton

Governor
John Gregg

U.S. Senator
Baron Hill

Republican
County treasurer
Paula Alexander/Miller

County surveyor
Brad Daniels

County council
Jeanne Houchins
Cindy Newton

State convention delegate
Jenae Horn Blasdel
John Coldren
Ilze Koch
Terry LeMaster

Green Township
precinct committeeman
Terry LeMaster

Jackson Township
precinct committeeman
Carla Horn

Pike Township
precinct committeeman
Missy Elliott

Wayne 1
precinct committeeman
Leland LeMaster

Wayne 3
precinct committeeman
Michael Brewster

Wayne 4
precinct committeeman
Jeanne Houchins

Wayne 7
precinct committeeman
Cindy Newton

State representative
District 33
Greg Beumer

Governor
Mike Pence