Republican Chad Miner, who touted himself as a native of Kosciusko County in his bid for Superior Court 3 judge, will face another native in the fall election.

Warsaw Attorney Antony “Tony” Garza confirmed Friday night that he intends to file paperwork and challenge Miner for the judicial seat and run as a Democrat.

The news comes just days from the June 30 deadline for anyone to file for the Nov. 3 election.

Garza’s entry marks the fifth Democrat lined up in recent weeks to be on the ballot.

The 48-year-old Garza, who owns his own law firm. said a variety of factors motivated his decision. “Given the calls for equal justice across the country, I think this is a good time to enter the race,” he said. “On top of that, I think the Democrat party has a very good slate of candidates this time around and I hope to be supportive of and supported by those candidates.”

Miner defeated three other GOP candidates in the June 2 primary. Garza was one of a handful of attorneys who openly opposed Miner’s bid.

Garza’s announcement was one of several developments that surfaced Friday night.

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MORALES STEPS ASIDE – Kosciusko County Democratic Party Chair Brian Smith confirmed Friday that Paul Morales has decided to withdraw his name from the ballot as an at-large candidate for the county council.

Morales is one of three Dems who stepped forward recently to run for one of the three at-large seats and face three Republicans in November.

Smith issued the following statement: “This afternoon, Paul informed me that he had removed his name from the ballot. He realized the time (and financial) commitment necessary to be a successful candidate just wasn’t feasible for him. He has two young daughters, is the founder of a non-profit and also owns a photography business. The rigors of a countywide candidate was simply going to be too much to juggle. While I’m disappointed it didn’t work out, I’m going to press forward to find a replacement nominee.”

The Dems will face Republicans Joni Truex, Sue Ann Mitchell and Kathy Groninger in what has quickly become the premier local race on the ticket.

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UNITED FRONT – The two other Dems running for at-large seats are both longtime teachers and their campaigns, fresh out of the gate, appear to be collaborating to a certain degree. Noemi Ponce and Itanya Coon-Kauffman announced they will both share the same campaign theme: A Change We Need. A Voice We Deserve.

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POSTPONED – Democrat Kelly Thompson, who is challenging incumbent Republican Curt Nisly for the State House District 22 seat, had to abruptly postpone a fundraiser set for Friday, June 26, in North Webster over concerns with the coronavirus. I was told the move was done out of the utmost precaution.

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HEAVY ON THE DEMS? – If you are Republican and got this far, you’re probably thinking, “Holy cow, Spalding’s devoted his entire column to Democrats! Outrageous!” So instead of waiting for the inevitable complaints that will surface online, here’s my reply: It’s a two-party system. We report both sides when news happens. It was a newsworthy week for Democrats.

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STYLE CHANGE – The groundswell movement to become more racially sensitive is moving swiftly in various forms. NASCAR banned the confederate flag, Aunt Jemima is being retired and the Dixie Chicks announced this week that they will simply go by The Chicks.

And here is a subtle one for journalists: A week ago, the Associated Press, which provides a comprehensive writing style guide for reporters, announced changes and will begin to capitalize Black as it refers to people in a racial, ethnic or cultural context.

The AP expects to decide later this summer whether to change its style guide to capitalize white in reference to people of that skin color.

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Dan Spalding is the editor at InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.
He can be reached at [email protected] or at (574) 855-7612.