First in line

First through the door to file to run for office Wednesday morning was the longest-serving current elected official in the county.

Right behind him were two candidates who hope to be elected for the first time.

Jay County surveyor Brad Daniels was first to get paperwork Wednesday morning as he filed to run for his eighth consecutive term. Also filing were Jay County Commissioner candidates Doug Horn (north district) and Duane Monroe (south district).

Also filing Wednesday morning were Missy Elliott for county clerk of courts, Jon Eads for county treasurer and several candidates for precinct committeeman and state convention delegate.

Filing for this year’s election began at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and runs until noon Feb. 9. Offices up for election this year include the north and south district commissioner seats, three county council at-large seats and county clerk of courts, treasurer, coroner and surveyor. (Three school board seats will also be on the ballot in November, but filing for those non-partisan roles does not begin until May 21.)

Horn is running for the north district commissioner seat that is currently held by Rex Journay, who has indicated that he does not plan to run for a second term.

Monroe announced his candidacy for the south district commissioner seat in late November. The position is currently held by Brian McGalliard, who has said he plans to run for a second term.

Horn, 65, is a lifelong Jay County resident and a 1977 Jay County High School graduate. He has worked as a farmer for his entire career.

“For a long time I’ve wanted to be involved and do things for the community, but I just never thought I had the time to give to it like I should. I’m at a point in my life now where I think I’ve got the time,” said Horn, noting that his farming operation has scaled back. “I hope that the years of watching government work — I’ve been involved in politics for a long time — I hope I can use that and just some life experience, business experience to make some good decisions for the county.”

This will be his first run for elected office, though he noted that he has worked on a lot of campaigns and been involved with the Republican party for 40 years.

Horn’s first wife, Carla, who died in 2021, is a former chair for the Republican Party in Jay County. She was also administrative assistant for the city of Portland under Mayor Bruce Hosier. His daughter, Jenae Blasdel, currently serves as party chair.

Addressing issues that he might deal with if elected, he focused on county employees, business and agriculture.

“I want us to be able to keep good employees and treat them right,” said Horn. “We want to treat the people right that are working here and we want to have a good infrastructure so we can have business … 

“I’d be the only farmer on the board. Not that farmers are any more important than anybody else, but it’s an agricultural county. There’s no doubt about it.”

Daniels has served as county surveyor since 1997. He won his first general election in November 1996 as former longtime surveyor Dick Davidson stepped away from the job.

“I enjoy the job,” said Daniels, adding that he has a good crew of longtime employees in the surveyor’s office. “I enjoy helping the farmers. A lot of people don’t realize how important the job is to the farmers. ... The main purpose of my job is to keep the farmers being able to farm and keep their fields dry.”

    Brad Daniels reviews paperwork Wednesday morning while filing to run for an eighth term as Jay County surveyor. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)
  

Eads is currently in his second term as county clerk. Elliott serves as first deputy clerk.

Both Eads and current treasurer Paula Miller cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Filing Wednesday to run for Republican precinct committeeman were Aaron Loy, Robin Alberson, Angela Moeller and Jesse Bivens. Filing for Republican state convention delegate were Jenae Blasdel and Jon Eads.