By Peg McRoy Glover
The 2020 election results for Hendricks County produced few changes in the county’s political leadership with the exception of the school boards in Northwest Hendricks County and Danville.
District four U.S. Representative Jim Baird (R) retained his seat with 64.34 percent of the vote with only 35.64 going to his opponent, Joe Mackey (D). “I am humbled and honored that Hoosiers of Indiana’s 4thCongressional District voted for me to continue as their voice in Congress, he stated in an email to the ICON. ”During the next two years, I will continue working toward solutions for families impacted by the ongoing pandemic, helping my fellow veterans and expanding rural broadband…”
State Senators John Crane (R), District 24, and R. Michael Young (R), District 35, garnered 62.80 percent and 68.29 percent, respectively.
State Representative, Jeffrey A. Thompson (R), District 28, received 70.84 percent of the vote, Gregory E. Steuerwald (R), District 40, 59.55 percent, and Robert W. Behning (R), District 91, 61.92 percent.
Kendall Hendricks, who won his first political office, topped the vote percentage with 23.24 percent for county council at-large. He said, “I am excited and looking forward to contributing and being part of the county team.” Incumbents Larry R. Hesson and David L. Wyeth retained their seats.
Other county seats retained by incumbents are Nancy Marsh, county auditor, Shawn M. Shelley, county treasurer, Ricky J. Morphew, county coroner, Phyllis A. Palmer, county commissioner district 3. Dennis Dawes, current Brownsburg town council member, was elected county commissioner, district 2.
William Compton and Jimmy Roberts were voted in on the North Salem Town Council At-Large.
Northwest Hendricks County incumbent school board members Craig Peoples and James Diagostino pulled in the least number of votes within their district. Their two seats were challenged by Joe Brooks, Abbie Morgan, and David Pyatt, due some dissatisfaction regarding the school board’s handling of a sexual misconduct allegation between a teacher and a student earlier this year. Morgan pulled in 50.35 percent of the vote to unseat Diagostino. Brooks received 68.89 percent of the vote to replace Peoples.
Five candidates were vying for two open seats on the Danville School Board. The strong race was the result of the failure of two referendums to increase teacher pay and for $53 million for new and renovated facilities. Christina Ward, with 29.61 percent of the vote, and Beth Cherry with 24.88 percent of the vote won the seats.
Those voted to the Avon school board, Washington Township, are Kim Woodward, Anne L. Englehardt, and Cindy Turner Simmons.
The Brownsburg School Board, Brown Township, Seat 1, Eric M. Hylton, and Brownsburg, Lincoln Township, Seat 2, Matthew Thomas Freije. Mike Allen, Katie Chamness and Scott J. Flood were elected to the Plainfield, Guilford Township School Board.
