KOSCIUSKO COUNTY — Hoosier Republicans throughout Kosciusko County and the state made history Tuesday with the election of Republican candidates in contested races.

The highly watched U.S. Senate race in Indiana saw Mike Braun defeating incumbent Joe Donnelly, with Braun receiving 969,031 votes (53.4 percent) of the votes statewide. Braun won 80 of the state’s 92 counties, including Kosciusko, with Donnelly only winning five counties thus far. Seven counties have not yet reported results to the Indiana Secretary of State’s office. Locally Braun received 18,545 votes (70.34 percent) of the county votes to Donnelly’s 6,799 votes (25.79 percent).

“Tonight, Hoosiers have made history with the election of Senator-elect Mike Braun. With their ballots, Hoosiers voted to send another businessman to Washington who will stand with President Donald Trump to deliver real results for Hoosiers,” stated Indiana Republican Party Chairman Kyle Hupfer. “He’s been working at building solutions in the private sector, in the state legislature and now after one of the nation’s most competitive U.S. Senate races, he’ll do the same thing in the U.S. Senate.”

Elections in Kosciusko County almost went off without a hitch. Strong winds in the afternoon caused a power outage at Living Hope Ministries, polling location for Plain Township Precincts 3, 5 and 7, and brief outages at the Moose Lodge, Warsaw, polling location for Wayne Township Precinct 6 and 7; and Kosciusko County Annex Building, polling location for Warsaw Fourth Ward Precinct 2. Ann Torpy, county clerk, stated trees and/or tree limbs falling on power lines caused the power outage at Plain Township’s poll locations. Because the voting machines are operated on electricity, large battery power supplies were taken to the locations as quickly as possible to allow voting to continue. “Nothing was lost,” Torpy stated, the only issue was having voters wait a little longer to cast their votes.

While statewide turnout has yet to be announced, Kosciusko County saw 26,688 of the 51,370 registered voters (51.76 percent) going to the polls. There were 8,681 straight party votes cast by Republicans, 1,358 straight tickets by Democrats and four straight tickets by Libertarians.

This midterm election saw 21,848 voters vote at the polls on election day and 4,740 voters participating in the early voting option.

Looking at local elections in the county, Kosciusko County helped U.S. Rep. District 2 incumbent Jackie Walorski retain her seat over Democrat opponent Mel Hall. Walorski defeated Hall in the county with 6,917 votes (74.53 percent) to Halls’s 2,361 votes (25.44 percent). District wide, Walorski carried all counties defeating Hall with 52,338 votes (63.6 percent) to Hall’s 29,906 votes (36.4 percent).

In the U.S. Rep. District 3 race incumbent Jim Banks retained his seat receiving 147,622 votes (65.5 percent) in the district over his opponent Courtney Tritch, who received 77,693 votes (34.5 percent). Kosciusko County voters gave Banks 12,750 votes (76 percent) to Tritch’s 4,023 votes (23.98 percent).

State Rep. District 18 David Wolkins retained his seat in the House with 7,156 votes (78.51 percent) in the county to his Democrat opponent Dee Moore’s 1,959 votes (21.49 percent). District wide, Wolkins received 16,942 votes (76.1 percent; to Moore’s 5,322 votes (23.9 percent).

In the only county-wide race, that of the seat for County Commissioner Southern District, Robert (Bob) Conley easily defeated his opponent J. Todd Weingart to retain his seat. Conley received 18,913 votes (73.86 percent) to Weingart’s 6,695 votes (26.14 percent).

Results for two county council seats, the win went to incumbents. Ernest B. Wiggins, Republican, defeated his Democrat opponent Gary L. Schue for the County Council District 3 seat. Wiggins received 4,550 votes (74.18 percent, to Schue’s 1,584 votes. (25.82 percent). Jon L. Garber, Republican, defeated Democrat David Morgan for the County Council District 4 seat. Garber received 5,459 votes (79.04 percent) to Morgan’s 1,448 votes (20.96 percent).

Township Races

In  township races the Republican candidates took contested races for township trustee and township advisory boards.

In the township trustee races, Chris Francis, Julie Close and Jeanie Stackhouse, were winners in the Tippecanoe Township Trustee, Turkey Creek Township Trustee and Wayne Township Trustee races.

In Tippecanoe Township, Francis defeated his Democrat opponent Rebecca Burton with 2,090 votes (79.20 percent) to Burton’s 549 votes (20.80 percent).

Close, in Turkey Creek Township, received 1,986 votes (67.51 percent) to her Democrat opponent Martha Stoelting’s 956 votes (32.59 percent).

Stackhouse defeated her opponent Democrat Shari L. Benyousky with 6,927 votes (72.89 percent) to Benyousky’s 2,577 votes (27.11) percent.

Looking at township advisory board races:

Incumbents remain on the advisory board for Clay Township. Donald L. Morris received 394 votes (29.96 percent); Dan Ransbottom, 442 votes (33.61 percent); and Daniel Willis, 345 votes (26.24 percent). Democrat opponent Adam Hyde received 134 votes (10.19 percent).

The Republicans won in the Etna Township Advisory Board election. Incumbents Joe R. Mooney and Tony Tribalski retained their seats with newcomer Steven L. Sechrist joining the board. Mooney received 242 votes (27.72 percent) Sechrist received 276 votes (31.62 percent) and Tribalski received 257 votes (29.44 percent). Democrat candidate Patrick Morr received 98 votes (11.23 percent.

Jackson Township Advisory Board race saw the three Republican incumbent candidates retaining their seats. Marcia J. Dierks received 292 votes (31.30 percent); Ray P. Fisher, 243 votes (26.05 percent) and Jill L. Slater, 305 votes (32.69 percent). Democrat opponent Stanley Moore received 93 votes (9.97 percent).

Republicans Robert W. Bishop and Craig Charlton retained their seats on the Plain Township Advisory Board with newcomer Republican Larry Kammerer winning his first term. Bishop received 1,892 votes, Charlton 1,689 votes and Kammerer received 1,765 votes. Democrat candidate Gaynor Worden received 698 votes.

The Turkey Creek Township Advisory Board race saw all three Republican incumbent board members retain their seats. Dennis Darr, William Dixon and John D. Heckaman defeated their Democrat opponents Jama Owens Brown, Victoria Carvey Morton and Tim Yeager. Darr received 1,784 votes; Dixon 1,757 votes; Heckaman, 1,653 votes; Brown, 550 votes; Morton, 567 votes; and Yeager, 750 votes.

Republican incumbents also won in the Van Buren Township Trustee Race. Robert Beer received 933 votes; Shane Bucher, 949 votes; Steve Unruh, 758 votes; and Democrat Vickie Marquart received 399 votes.

The Wane Township Advisory Board race saw Republican incumbent Gordon Nash retaining his seat with Republican newcomers Joshua Spangle and Bruce A. Woodward joining the advisory board. The three Republicans defeated their Democrat opponents, Laura Deal-ecker, James (Jim) Falkiner and Loi Roe, in this race. Nash received 5,956 votes (24.44 percent); Spangle, 5,913 votes (24.26 percent); Woodward, 5,719 votes (23.46 percent);  Deal-Decker, 2,332 votes (9.57 percent); Falkiner, 2,192 votes (8.99 percent); and Roe, 2,261 votes, (9.28 percent)

School Board Races

Tippecanoe Valley School Board had two races for the three district seats.

For District 4, Thomas J. (Tom) Bauters, defeated opponent Krisopher Fear. In Kosciusko County Bauters received 1,175 (63.34 percent) to Fear’s 680 votes (36.66 percent). District wide, Bauters received a total of 1,713 votes (57.3 percent) to Fear’s 1,274 votes (42.7 percent).

Todd L. Hoffman was the winner in the District 5 seat. Hoffman received 1,148 votes (57.83 percent) in Kosciusko County and Craig A. Durkes received 837 votes (42.17 percent). District wide Hoffman received a total of 1,625 votes (51.8 percent) to Durke’s 1,513 votes (48.2 percent).

Steven D. Stichter was the winner, district wide, for the Triton School Board District 2 Etna Township, seat. In Kosciusko County, Stichter received 180 votes (53.41 percent) to Andrew Cook’s 157 votes, (46.59 percent). District wide, Stichter received a total of 783 votes (55.5 percent) to Cook’s 629 votes (44.5 percent).

The lone contested Warsaw School Board races saw Michael Coon winning the District 1 seat. Coon received 926 votes (55.02 percent). His opponents, Wendy Fairchild, received 486 votes, (28.88 percent) and Keith E. Manuel received 271 votes (16.10 percent).

Only Kosciusko County totals are available on the two contested Whitko School Board races. In Kosciusko County Richard Jason Thomas defeated Bill Patrick for the District 4 seat. Thomas received 803 votes (50.09 percent) to Patrick’s 800 votes (49.91 percent. In the District 5 contest it was Scott Werstler defeating opponents Annette J. Arnold, Dale Anthony Starkey and Jorell T. Tucker. Werstler received 928 votes (59.22 percent); Arnold, 469 votes (29.03 percent); Starkey, 95 votes (6.06 percent; and Tucker, 75 votes (4.79 percent).

For a complete list of all Kosciusko County vote totals see All Precincts Reported In, Turnout At 51.76 Percent.