Filing closes quietly

School board filing added one more contested race to the local list.

No new candidates filed to run for Jay School Board before Friday’s noon deadline, leaving Jay County with a total of three contested races for the November general election.

The lone contested race for Jay School Board will be for the District 6 seat. It will pit former Jay County High School head counselor Vickie Reitz against Ryan Wellman, a Minnich Poultry employee who previously worked in the technology department for Jay Schools. Both are rural Bryant residents.

Incumbent Krista Muhlenkamp chose not to run for a second term.

The other school board incumbents whose seats are up this year will be uncontested. Phil Ford, who represents District 4 and is currently the board president, faces no opposition for a second term after also being uncontested in 2016. Jason Phillips will be uncontested for his first full term in office after he was selected in June 2019 to fill out the remainder of Kristi Betts’ term following her resignation.

Other school board members are Ron Laux, Mike Shannon, Donna Geesaman and Chris Snow.

The battle between Reitz and Wellman joins two other contested races at the county level. For the Jay County Commissioner south district seat, Republican Brian McGalliard will face off against independent Bruce Counterman.

And five candidates — incumbent Republican Jeanne Houchins, Republicans Ray Newton and Matt Minnich and Democrats Josh Gibson and Judy Aker — are vying for three seats on Jay County Council.

There are additional contested races at the state and national levels, including:

•Republican Donald Trump against Democrat Joe Biden for president

•Libertarian Donald G. Rainwater II, Democrat Woody Myers and Republican Eric Holcomb in a three-way race for governor

•Democrat Chip Coldiron versus Republican Jim Banks for U.S. Representative

•Democrat Julie Snider against Republican J.D. Prescott for District 33 state representative

In each of those cases, the Republican is the incumbent.

Local Republicans who will be uncontested in the general election are incumbents Jon Eads for circuit court clerk, Michael Brewster for coroner, Brad Daniels for surveyor and Paula Miller for treasurer, as well as Rex Journay for commissioner representing the north district and Gail Dues for superior court judge.

Early voting is scheduled to begin Oct. 6 at Jay County Courthouse.