GENERAL VOTING INFORMATION
The 2018 General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Boone County polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. To check voting status, find polling location and check precinct, visit indianavoters.in.gov. Voters must bring a photo ID to cast a vote. Otherwise, voters will be issued a provisional ballot. Early voting ends at noon, Nov. 5.
CANDIDATE BIOS
U.S. Senate
Mike Braun (R)
Personal: Braun is married to Maureen. They have four children, Jason, Jeff, Kristen and Ashley.
Background: Braun graduated from Jasper High School in 1972. He also graduated from Wabash College in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and earned his master’s from Harvard Business School in 1978. Braun is the president and CEO of Meyer Distributing.
Website: mikebraunforindiana.com
Joe Donnelly (D)
Personal: Donnelly is married to Jill. Together they have two children, Molly and Joe Jr.
Background: Donnelly is an incumbent U.S. senator. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in government and attended Notre Dame Law School for his juris doctorate. He also is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Mishawaka and St. Anthony’s Parish of South Bend.
Website: joeforindiana.com
Lucy M. Brenton (L)
Personal: Brenton is married to Dorn. Together they have 10 children, Jasmine, Phoenix, Sierra, Raven, Falcon, Cheyenne, Laurel, Wakiya, Ozuye and Hanwi.
Background: Brenton graduated from Northwest High School in 1989 and from IUPUI with a bachelor’s in French. She is the vice president of sales and finance at TieDye Digital, LLC. Brenton also is a co-organizer of Indiana Women’s Small Business Owners, and is an organizer for Entrepreneur Mastermind and Small Business Meetup.
Website: lucyforsenate.com
U.S. Representative (District 5)
Susan W. Brooks (R)
Personal: Brooks has been married to David for 32 years and has two children, Jessica, 28, and Conner, 25
Background: Brooks is the U.S. representative for Indiana’s fifth district. She attended Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, graduating in 1978 and earned her bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in 1982. She received her law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in 1985. Brooks is chairwoman of the House Ethic Committee, co-chair of the Bipartisan Women’s Caucus, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including the subcommittees on Health, Communications and Technology and Oversight and Investigations. She is the co-founder of the Access to Civil Legal Services Caucus, School Safety Caucus 5G Caucus and Women’s High Tech Caucus. Brooks also is a member of St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis, serves as a board advisor of the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, is an emeritus board member of the Women’s Fund of Central Indiana and is the sustainer of the Junior League of Indianapolis.
Website: susanbrooksforcongress.com
Dee Thornton (D)
Personal: Thornton lives in Carmel with her husband of 33 years. She has three children and two grandchildren and attends North Central Church of Christ.
Background: Thornton graduated from the University of Louisville with a degree in communications and public relations. She has an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. She works as a business coach and previously spent 30 years working for Xerox. She serves on the Carmel Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Human Relations.
Website: deethorntonforcongress.com
Secretary of State
Connie Lawson (R)
Personal: Lawson is married to Jack and has two children and six grandchildren.
Background: Lawson is Indiana’s secretary of state. She formerly was a state senator and the Hendricks County Clerk. She is a precinct committeeman in Hendricks County.
Website: voteconnielawson.com
Jim Harper (D)
Personal: Harper is from Valparaiso.
Background: Harper is a 2001 graduate of Valparaiso High School. He graduated in 2004 from Indiana University and from 2008 from Georgetown Law. He works as a lawyer at Harper & Harper. He serves on the board of a nonprofit law firm that provides free and reduced-cost legal services to veterans. He also serves on the board of Hilltop House, a Valparaiso-based nonprofit that provides early-childhood education and other services to families in Porter County.
Website: harperforindiana.com
Mark W. Rutherford (L)
Background: Rutherford is a graduate of Carmel High School, Wabash College and Valparaiso University School of Law. He practices business law with Thrasher Buschmann & Voelkel, PC in Indianapolis. He also serves on the Indiana Public Defender Commission and with the National Liberterian Party.
Website: markforindiana.com
Auditor of State
Tera Klutz (R)
Personal: Klutz is married to Zach. She has two children, Alyx and Julian.
Background: Klutz is Indiana’s state auditor. She graduated from Elmhurst High School in Fort Wayne in 1995 and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Indiana University Fort Wayne in 1999. Klutz is a member of Pass the Torch, an organization that provides professional mentoring for women in order to provide networking and leadership development. She also is a member of Cornertsone Lutheran Church in Fishers.
Website: teraklutz.com
Joselyn Whitticker (D)
Personal: Whitticker lives in Marion and has a son, eight step-children and 15 step-grandchildren.
Background: Whitticker graudated from Tennessee State University with a bachelor’s degree in home economics. She earned two master’s degrees in vocational home economics and secondary administration and supervision from Indiana State University. Whitticker is a former educator, teaching at Plaza Park Middle School in Evansville for 15 years and was principal at McCulloch Middle School in Marion for 11 years and Wayne High School for seven years. She owns a small business that specializes in instruction curriculum consulting. She also is president of the Marion NAACP Branch No. 305 and the Marion Grant County Minority Health Coalition.
Website: joselyn4indiana.com
John Schick (L)
Personal: Schick has been married for 37 years and has three sons.
Background: Schick graduated from high school in Marcellus, Mich., and earned his master’s degree from Indiana University. He works as a management consultant and is involved with F.A.A.M. and Special Olympics.
Website: schickforauditor2018.org
Treasurer of State
Kelly Mitchell (R)
Personal: Mitchell is married to Larry. She has two children, Chloe and Colin.
Background: Mitchell is Indiana’s treasurer. She graduated from Woodstock High School in Woodstock, Ill., in 1985, from Valparaiso University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government, from IUPUI in 2011 with a master’s degree in philanthropic studies, and from U.S. Army War College in 2018 with a master’s degree in strategic studies. Mitchell also is a member of Common Ground Christian Church and is an alumna of the Richard G. Lugar Excellence in Public Service Series.
Website: votekellymitchell.com.
John C. Aguilera (D)
Personal: Aguilera is married to Vanessa and has four daughters and two granddaughters.
Background: Aguilera graduated from East Chicago Roosevelt in 1978. He also earned two degrees in business management and computer information systems from Calumet College of St. Joseph. Aguilera has owned a consulting company since 1996. He has served 4 terms as an state representative and two terms as a Lake County Councilor.
Website: aguileraforindiana.com
Indiana State Senator (District 23)
Philip Boots (R)
Personal: Boots is married to Farzaneh Boots. He has two children, Brian and Kavian, and five grandchildren, Annabelle, Eva, Eli, Kamran and Colin.
Background: Boots has served in the Indiana State Senate since 2006. He attended New Market High School, Milligan College and Wabash College. He is the owner of Boots Bros. Oil Co. in Crawfordsville, is co-owner of The Paper of Montgomery County and co-owner of The Noblesville Times.
Website: indianasenaterepublicans.com/boots
Indiana State Senator (District 29)
Mike Delph (R)
Personal: Delph is married to Beth. They are parents to Abby, Evelyn, Anna, Emma and Lilly.
Background: Delph graduated from Carmel High School in 1988 and earned his BA in 1992, master’s degrees in 1996 in environmental science and public affairs and a law degree in 2010, all from Indiana University. He was first elected to the Senate District 29 seat in 2005 and was re-elected in 2006, 2010 and 2014. He also serves as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, having served since 2001.
Website: mikedelph.com
J.D. Ford (D)
Background: Ford graduated from Brookfield High School in Ohio in 2001. He graduated from the University of Akron in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and criminal justice, minoring in conflict management. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis on human services, from Purdue University. Ford works as a substitute teachers, is a board member of At-Your-School, is a past-president of the Wayne Township Democrat Club, and is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team.
Website: jdford2018.com
For more: youarecurrent.com/2018/09/10/marion-county-democrat-ford-once-again-tries-to-unseat-delph/
Indiana State Representative (District 24)
Donna Schaibley (R)
Personal: Schaibley is married to John. They have two children, John and Jade, and two grandchildren.
Background: Schaibley is the Indiana State Representative for District 24. She graduated from Our Lady of Providence High School in Clarksville, Ind., in 1971 and from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and social studies education in 1975. Schaibley is a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and the Carmel Rotary Club.
Website: schaibleyforindiana.com
Naomi S. Bechtold (D)
Personal: Bechtold is married to Marty and has two children, Bridget and Bryant.
Background: Bechtold graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Md., in 1978. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University and a master’s degree from Lehigh University. She works as an extension education for the Marion County Purdue Extension. Bechtold also is an accredited financial counselor, a Clay Parks Foundation board member, president of the Indiana affiliate of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, a volunteer at the SS Peter and Paul Soup Kitchen in Indianapolis, a founding member of the Carmel Kiwanis Club and a former precinct chair in Hamilton County.
Website: bechtoldforindiana.com
For more: https://youarecurrent.com/2018/09/17/bechtold-to-challenge-schaibley/
Donald G. Rainwater II (L)
Personal: Rainwater is married to Leslie and has six children, Emily, Kenton, Kelsea, Shane, Kalie and Olivia.
Background: Rainwater graduated from Warren Central High School and attended Bob Jones University. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving from 1982 to 1990. Rainwater is a product manager at Ascension Technologies. He also is a member of the Libertarian Party of Indiana and Liberterian Party of Hamilton County.
Website: rainwater4indiana.com
Indiana State Representative (District 28)
Harlan Vondersaar (D)
Personal: Vondersaar grew up in Hendricks County and was the first in his immediate family to attend college.
Background: Vondersaar studied communications at Indiana University, then attended law school at Ohio Northern University. He earned an MBA from Butler University.
Website: harlanvondersaar.com
Jeffrey Thompson (R)
Personal: Thompson lives in Lizton with his wife of more than 20 years, Michelle. He has six children, Caleb, Isaac, Abraham, Lydia, Josiah and Anna.
Background: Thompson graduated from Purdue University in 1978 and spent more than 30 years in education, teaching chemistry, physics and math at Danville Community High School. First elected in 1998, Thompson has served as a state representative for nearly 20 years.
Website: indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/jeff-thompson
Indiana State Representative (District 41)
Brock Ervin (D)
Personal: Ervin is married to Summer and has three children, Kaden, Chloe and Kiefer.
Background: Ervin graduated from Purdue University and taught high school math and science for four years in Tippecanoe County. He was an environmental manager for the Indiana Dept. of Transportation and local highway departments and has returned to teaching in Montgomery County.
Website: brockforindiana.com
Tim Brown (R)
Personal: Brown lives in Crawfordsville with his wife, Jane. They have four daughters.
Background: Brown graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University and received a medical degree from the University of Illinois. He is a retired physician who was elected as a state representative in 1994. Prior to serving in the Indiana House of Representatives, Brown was the treasurer for the State Medical Association for four years. He also has been a board member of the Franklin Methodist Retirement Community since 2005. Rep. Brown is an emergency room physician for St. Elizabeth Hospital in Crawfordsville and also is a member of the Indiana State Medical Association.
Website: indianahouserepublicans.com/members/general/tim-brown
Boone County Circuit Court Judge
Pam Buchanan (I)
Personal: Buchanan raised her family as a single mother and has lived in Boone County for nearly 30 years.
Background: Buchanan graduated from Earlham College in 1988 and the Indiana University School of Law in 1991. She served as the Boone County Prosecutor from 1997 to 1999, where she oversaw the caseload of five deputy prosecutors and managed an office staff of 10. Buchanan is a past-president of the Boone County Bar Association. She is a founding partner of Buchanan and Bruggenschmidt, where she practices family law and criminal defense. Website: pambuchanan.com
Read more: youarecurrent.com/2018/07/02/pam-buchanan-vies-for-circuit-judge/
Lori Schein (R)
Personal: Schein has been married to her husband, Rob, for 21 years. She has three children, Sam, 18, Sarah, 17 and Matthew, 15. She is a Zionsville resident and has lived in Boone County since 2001.
Background: Schein is the deputy general counsel for the Indiana BMV. This is her first political campaign. She is a graduate of the Lugar Series, a women’s leadership program, and former secretary of the Boone County Republican Party. She’s been an attorney since 2003.
Website: schein4judge.com
Schein did not respond to requests for interview as of press time.
Boone County Council (District 1)
Jennifer Hostetter (R)
Personal: Hostetter grew up in Zionsville.
Background: Hostetter graduated from Adrian College and Indiana University School of Law. She is the vice president of the Boone County Bar. She is an associate attorney at Broyles Kight & Ricafort, P.C. Hostetter serves on the boards of the Zionsville Education Foundation and Boone County Community Corrections Board.
Website: votehostetter.com
Marcia Rosenfeld (D)
Personal: Rosenfeld is married to Adam and has four sons.
Background: Rosenfeld has been a patent attorney with Dow AgriSciences for eight years and has practiced law for 13 years. She is a 2017 graduate of the Boone County Leadership Program and is a volunteer for ZCS PTO, Zionsville Little League and Boone County Voices for Change.
Website: voterosenfeld.com
Russell Mueller (L)
Personal: Meuller has been a Zionsville resident for three years.
Background: Meuller graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Earth Science and Sustainability. He works as an environmental consultant specializing in environmental compliance and also is the treasurer of the Boone County Libertarian Party.
Website: facebook.com/russell4countycouncil
For more: youarecurrent.com/2018/09/01/libertarian-candidate-running-for-boone-county-council/
Boone County Council (District 4)
Steve Jacob (R)
Personal: Jacob is married to Janet and has three children, Jeff, Jill and Chris.
Background: Jacob graduated from Purdue University and Wabash College and took part in the United States Congressional Fellowship Program. He is board president for the Boone County Council and board president of the Boone County Convention & Visitors Bureau. He is a former member of the Boone County Economic Development Board of Directors.
Website: stevejacobforcouncil.com
Erin M. Brewster (D)
Personal: Brewster lives in Zionsville and is married to Benjamin.
Background: Brewster is a former tax attorney and financial adviser. She volunteers her legal services at Lafayette Urban Ministry, United Way and the Boone County Democrats on their Social Media Committee. She formerly volunteered legal services for CASA of Marion County. She was selected for the 2017-18 Democratic Emerging Leaders Class.
Website: votebrewster.com
Boone County Commissioner (District 1)
Tom Santelli (R)
Personal: Santelli has three daughters.
Background: Santelli serves on the Boone County Council. He also devotes time to Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Council, the Emergency Management Agency, the Health Dept.’s Substance Abuse (Disorder) Task Force and the advisory Board for Probation and Community Corrections.
Website: boonecounty.in.gov/Offices/County-Council/Council-Board-Members/Tom-Santelli
Ellen Robinson (D)
Personal: Robinson is a mother of three boys and is a 20-year Zionsville resident.
Background: Robinson graduated from Purdue University and began her career in the private sector. In her free time, she led the startup FACE Clinic, a first-of-its kind spay/neuter clinic. The FACE Clinic became one of the most impactful nonprofit corporations in Indianapolis and is one of very few low-cost spay/neuter clinics in the country.
Website: ellen2018.com
Zionsville Community School Corporation Board (At-large)
Debbie Ungar (NP)
Background: Debbie Ungar holds the at-large position on the Zionsville Community Schools Board of Trustees. Ungar has been a school board member since 2014. She graduated from Indiana University. She has been a member of the Zionsville Education Foundation Board, PTO president and fundraising chair at both Eagle Elementary and Zionsville West Middle School.
Website: facebook.com/pg/Debbie-Ungar-for-School-Board
Zionsville Community School Corporation Board (Eagle Twp.)
Nicholas Sproull (NP)
Personal: Sproull is married to Jenn and has two children.
Background: Sproull graduated from Butler University, Johns Hopkins University and Michigan State University. He received a certificate from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Sproull is the director of high school review at the NCAA Eligibility Center, a board member of the Butler University College of Education and a Zionsville youth sports coach.
Website: nicksproullzcsboard.com
Michael Berg (NP)
Personal: Berg lives in Zionsville and is a father of three children in Zionsville schools.
Background: Berg is a licensed mental health counselor and has worked in the mental health field for more than 15 years.
Website: facebook.com/Berg4Board
Erol Ali Cetinok (NP)
Personal: Cetinok is a father and lifelong Hoosier first-generation American Muslim.
Background: Cetinok graduated from Indiana University, then earned an additional degree from Purdue University. He is a major in the US Air Force Auxiliary and a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Website: facebook.com/ErolforLiberty
UNCONTESTED RACES
- Boone County Sheriff – Michael T. Nielsen (R)
- Boone County Prosecutor – Kent T. Eastwood (R)
- Boone County Clerk – Jessica J. Fouts (R)
- Boone County Assessor – Lisa C. Garoffolo (R)
- Boone County Surveyor – Kenneth Hedge (R)
- Boone Council District 2 – John Riner (R)
- Boone Council District 3 – Kevin Van Horn ®
- Zionsville Community School Corp. Board (Union Twp.) – Michael Coussens (NP)
POLLING LOCATIONS
- Boone County Courthouse, 112 Courthouse Sq., Lebanon
- Whitestown Municipal Building, 6210 Veterans Dr., Whitestown
- Zionsville Town Hall, 1100 W Oak St., Zionsville
- Boone County Senior Services, 515 Crown Pointe Dr., Lebanon
- Freedom Church, 2061 Indianapolis Ave., Lebanon
- Zionsville Presbyterian Church, 4775 W 116th St., Zionsville
- Thorntown Public Library, 124 N Market St., Thorntown
- Jamestown Municipal Building, 421 E Main St., Jamestown
- Advance Community Christian Church, 305 N. Main St., Advance
- Elizaville Christian Church, 5745 N. 500 E., Lebanon
