By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW – The number of candidates running to fill the vacated 2nd Congressional seat is growing quickly ahead of Saturday’s Republican caucuses.

By Monday afternoon, Aug. 15, five people had filed paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office.

Those include Curtis Hill, the former Indiana Attorney General; Christy Stutzman, a former state lawmaker whose husband is a former Congressman; Tiernan Kane, an attorney; and Rudy Yakym, who is Director of Growth Initiatives at Kem Krest, Elkhart, and worked with Walorski.

State Rep. Curt Nisly announced his run last week.

Walorski’s husband, Dean Swihart, released a statement Monday morning, endorsing Yakym, who is Walorski’s former finance director.

“As I mentioned last week, I am confident that Jackie would want to weigh in on her successor to ensure that our voices continue to be represented in Congress,” Swihart said.

“Rudy has spent years working in public service alongside my beloved wife and will fight for our district to protect our faith, families and communities. Rudy is a political outsider who has what it takes to stand up to the Pelosi-Biden agenda. He will fight to do the right thing, just as Jackie did every day of her career. I encourage the precinct committeemen to support Rudy in this week’s caucus,” he said.

Two Republican caucuses will convene Saturday, Aug. 20, to pick a replacement to fill the remainder of the current term and to nominate a candidate for the Nov. 8 election.

Walorski was one of four people who died in an automobile accident north of Nappanee on Aug. 3.