Election line-up for primary set

A flurry of activity hit the Adams County Clerk’s Office Friday morning prior to the noon deadline for candidates to file for the May 2 primary election the line-up of candidates for Decatur, Berne, and Monroe has been set with three Republican races in Decatur.

Despite the unusually high number of primary races, literally decades of public service to their respective communities will be absent from the primary ballot as the city clerk-treasurers in both Decatur and Berne opted not to seek new terms after devoting over 40 years to their towns.

Democrat Phyllis Whitright of Decatur and Republican Gwen Maller of Berne have both been powerful figures if past city administrations and have been greatly relied on for their knowledge of budgets, local government, grants, and taxes. Prior to Friday’s deadline, Decatur City Utilities Director Kevin D. Hackman of High Street, filed his bid for Decatur Clerk-Treasurer and will be opposed by Decatur Police Department office manager Amy Gage in the primary. The Berne position remains open on both sides of the political spectrum.

Any office for which a candidate did not file can be filled by the party hierarchy following the primary so Whitright and Maller could conceivably run again if party officials convince them to do so.

Since none of the races in Berne have opponents, there will be no election there.

The Decatur City Council came under heavy fire by a group of citizens in 2022 after they had originally rejected a move by the Zoning Board to allow a meat processing plant–otherwise known by many as a slaughterhouse–but then reversed course to grant a variance to a local ordinance that would allow such activity (for this one group only) in the city at the former Dean’s Food plant in Industrial Park.

Three of the incumbents who eventually supported the plant to get a variance–Wylie Sirk, Craig Coshow, and Matt Dyer– now have GOP opponents in the primary with Sirk being challenged in the First District by Gina M. Melcher, Coshow facing off against Abby Wilder in the Third District, and Dyer being opposed by Tim Ehlerding in the At-Large race.

Scott D. Murray, a Republican incumbent, is unopposed in the Fourth District as is Tyler P. Fullenkamp, a Democrat incumbent in the Second District.

Republicans were unable to field a primary candidate to run against Democratic incumbent Dan Rickord, who knocked off GOP Mayor Ken Meyer four years ago and is seeking a new term. The GOP will have a chance to fill that spot along with the second district city council position following the primary.

Democrats had a late entry into the City Council race as Jenny M. Shultz of W. Jefferson Street, Decatur, filed in the District 1 battle and will face the winner of the GOP battle. The Democrats had just one other candidate for City Council file in addition to

Fullenkamp as Jennifer L. Hitchcock will face the winner of the DyerEherlding match-up in November. Democrats have open spots in Decatur for the third and fourth district council seats and the ClerkTreasurer position.

In Berne, no primary races will be held but neither party filed candidates for the At-Large council seat or for Clerk-Treasurer. GOP incumbents that filed for new terms in Berne include Mayor Gregg A. Sprunger, Curtis L. Wanner, First District City Council, Kelly A. Amstutz, Second District City Council, Rodney E.

Mason, Third District City Council, and Democrat incumbent Ronald N. Dull, Fourth District City Council. Current Republican At-Large Councilman John Wanner did not seek a new term but Wesley Haight filed on Friday for the At-Large post.

In Monroe, a race will be guaranteed but not until the fall as GOP incumbent Michael J. Geels and challengers Joshua R. Geerken and David A. Bard–will square off in the November \ general election against Deb Giessler, an incumbent Democrat who also filed Friday morning as did Bard.

Another Monroe candidate, Rachel E. Tague, filed for the ClerkTreasurer’s job as a Republican on Friday.

2023 Line-Up DECATUR

Mayor–Dan Rickord, Democrat

City Council 1–J. Wylie Sirk and Gina M. Melcher, Republicans, Jenny M. Shultz, Democrat

City Council 2–Tyler P. Fullenkamp, Democrat

City Council 3–W. Craig Coshow and Abby Wilder, Republicans

City Council 4–Scott D. Murray, Republican

City Council At-Large– Matthew J. Dyer and Timothy R. Ehlerding, Republicans and Jennifer L. Hitchcock, Democrat,

Clerk-Treasurer–Amy Gage and Kevin D.

Hackman, Republicans

BERNE

Mayor–Gregg A. Sprunger, Republican

City Council 1–Curtis L. Wurster, Republican

City Council 2–Kelly A. Amstutz, Republican

City Council 3–Rodney E. Mason, Republican

City Council 4–Ronald N. Dull, Democrat

City Council At-Large– Wesley Haight, Republican

Clerk-Treasurer–No candidate filed.

MONROE

Town Board –Michael J. Geels, Joshua R. Geerken, and David A. Bard, Republicans, and Debra S. Giessler, Democrat

Clerk-Treasurer– Rachel E. Tague, Republican