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The Elections Division of any Indiana County is run by the county clerk. In this case Vanderburgh County Clerk Dottie Thomas.
She said as of Monday more than 3,600 have voted early so far for this primary — these include the military, mail-in, travel board and in-person ballots.
“Midterms are a little slow compared to a presidential primary year,” Thomas said.
Voting has been open on select Indiana locations since April 27. Monday May 4 is the last day or early voting — May 5 is the actual primary election day.
While this election might be a "little slow," there are dozens of races and they will vary per county.
WNIN has been covering the Indiana side of the primary, focusing on larger contested primary races, and a bit about the candidates. For a full list of all races per county, try this website.
Many races are not contested — meaning there's only one candidate listed, and they'll automatically move onto the General Election in November. WNIN didn't cover these races, or any races at the township level.
On any given ballot there are races for township advisors — up to Indiana’s 8th District of the US House of Representatives. This is one race every voter in the Indiana side of the WNIN viewing area will see.
Voters will pick one of three Democrats to face Republican incumbent Mark Mesmer, in his district of more than 700,000 constituents.
In this race, affordability is a core topic among residents, said candidate Mary Allen of Evansville.
“I don't feel like the people our representatives are doing enough about it," Allen said. "I think they're staying silent, and, worse yet, not coming together around the table to work on meaningful solutions that do impact everyday life.”
She’s endorsed by the 8th District Indiana Democrats. She’s an Army Reserve veteran and current Evansville City Council member.
The other candidates are Christopher Rector of Tell City, a 25-year active-duty Army Veteran, and Tabitha Zeigler of Covington, a single mother of three young autistic children.
The lack of support for families with disabilities compelled her to run.
“I'm late diagnosed autistic myself, so I've been an autism advocate and activist for a long time," Zeigler said. "That flows into all disabilities. I feel like Disability Rights Advocates are in a good position to see all of the holes in legislation. I feel like you know, everybody will experience disability at some point in their lifetimes.”
Rector said if elected, anyone marginalized in the current political climate will get their voice back.
“Everyone will have a place at the table," he said. "That's how I want the Democratic Party to represent the people — to be the party Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, a New Deal …”
On the county level, the sheriffs of Vanderburgh, Gibson, Posey and Warrick are up for election in 2026.
Gibson County Sheriff Bruce Vanoven, a Republican, is running again to build on the work of the first four years.
“We've had a lot of community engagement and a lot of transparency,” he said. “I want to build on that with my employees. There's been elevated morale, and I've been able to lay out a culture, the accepted practices and standards of my agency. I want to build upon that.”
Opponent Jeremy Robb, a Princeton Police Officer, feels morale needs to be improved further.
“I've listened to the deputies and first responders and community members, and it's clear that people want stronger leadership, better communication and renewed morale,” he said. “So I look for unified training between the departments.”
Warrick County residents will also vote for a Republican sheriff’s candidate.
Current Chief Deputy Paul Kruse and 29-year Indiana State Police veteran Kevin Brown are on the ballot.
Brown said being sheriff would let him focus on one county, versus the six he can work in the Evansville ISP district.
“This gives me that opportunity to focus all my efforts and work towards bettering the lives of the citizens of Warwick county as well as the officers that work for the agency.”
Kruse mentions his collaboration with other agencies as another reason he’s a strong candidate for sheriff. And of course his experience with the department.
“I understand how it works. I understand how we're uniquely different, because being a sheriff is not just a law enforcement officer, that while you are a law enforcement officer, there's so much more to it and running the job, you know, we maintain the safety and security of over 100 inmates every day.”
If a Democrat isn’t added to the general election ballot the primary will choose the respective county sheriffs. Vanderburgh County Sheriff Noah Robinson is unchallenged in the primary.
In either Sheriff's race — voters will be unable to cast a ballot for the 8th District US Rep primary.
At the state level, Senator Jim Tomes of the 49th Senate District has a primary challenger in Republican Brandi Durham Pugh.
"Ultimately, my goal is to ensure Hoosiers have the freedom to work hard, provide for their families, and pass on a better America to their children," Pugh said via email. "That is why I am running for Indiana State Senate District 49."
Her priorities are public safety and cost of living. She said her decision to run was partially affected by Tomes' initial decision not to run again.
Tomes says he enjoys the accessibility he provides his constituents.
“I'm running because the fact I hear so many people tell me, ‘Jim, you're the only one who answers the calls,’” Tomes said. “I know it's probably not true, but I hear it every time I talk to somebody that they are shocked they have a state senator on the phone with them. It should not be that way.”
WNIN will cover these main races Tuesday night, with updates online and on the air the following morning.
Coverage of the General Election races will begin immediately and include Kentucky races.