Amy Redman, Phil Inman, Craig Chenault, Jeff Lytton emerge from Lawrence County primary

BEDFORD — By margins slim and large, four Republican candidates for Lawrence County Council emerged with victories in the primary election Tuesday.

Amy Redman, one of four candidates running in District 1, prevailed by 56 votes. With 36% cast in her favor, she defeated Jeff McKnight, (31.8%) Bill Spreen (25.15%) and Ryan Turner (7%).

Related: 2022 Lawrence County Election Results.

In District 2, Phil Inman finished with the largest margin of victory (70%) as he received 811 votes in his win over Jake Mathews, who received 341 votes.

Incumbents Janie Craig Chenault, who holds the District 3 seat and Jeff Lytton, District 4, won handily with Chenault collecting 63.25% over Ray Todd Stevens and Lytton receiving 59% of votes in his race with Justin Grant.

District 1: Ahead of the pack

Reflecting on the win, Redman, who is director of the North Lawrence Career Center and formerly taught at Mitchell Community Schools, said, "I'm really excited to get to that next hurdle," Redman said. "I thank everyone that has supported me."

As a first-time candidate in a crowded field, Redman used social media to share her platform, which she said connected her with younger voters to get her views out to the community.

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Clear communication was and will continue to be a primary message of her candidacy, she said. By increasing communication within the various levels and departments of county government, she said different points of view can be worked through and solutions can be found to address issues.

Redman will face Democrat Donald Smiter, who was unopposed, in the November general election. No other Democrats were on the ballot for Districts 2, 3 or 4.

District 2: A new face

Voters showed confidence in newcomer Inman, who will be serving in public office for the first time, during this year's primary election.

Although Inman has no background serving in local government, he cites his work experience at Peabody Energy as an example that he possesses the skills necessary to successfully lead District 2.

"I have worked with the public and state regulators many times during my tenure working for Peabody Energy in Southern Indiana and Wyoming. In this role as County Council for District 2, I'll be using those same successful skills to influence the county council to address our needs," Inman said. "I look forward to serving the people of Lawrence County in District 2."

Inman outlined his next steps before the general election.

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"My aim is to serve the people in District 2 in the best possible capacity," Inman said. "Over the last several months, I have met many great people and listened to their concerns. I have attended all council meetings and other functions to learn more about District 2's issues and I will continue to do so until the fall election."

He credited his opponent and fellow first-time candidate Jake Mathews for a well-run campaign.

"Jake was a formidable opponent and I was pleased to be able to meet with him at the Lincoln Day Dinner. Both Jake and I campaigned on valid issues but I am pleased they have chosen me as the Republican candidate for County Council District 2," Inman said.

District 3: Experience wins the day

In Lawrence County, winning a Republican primary can feel like a victory.

Chenault said she worked to get as much contact with voters as possible, attending numerous community functions.

Looking ahead to November, Chenault, who has served on council and as a commissioner, will continue to work toward getting re-elected.

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"I love my county, I love people," she said. "I love to think I might make a difference. When you're on a council, you're one of seven people so you have to remember you're working as a team. But you can influence people if you're passionate about something and we have people who are passionate about different things but we're able to come together."

The structure of the council has changed over the past few years as new members have been elected. Chenault said her many years of county government experience is an asset when it comes to knowing the history of county business. She previously served two years on county council, three terms as a county commissioner and was elected to her current seat in 2018.

District 4: A continuation

Lytton thanked everyone who voted for him. Lytton said he is looking forward to continuing in the role that he has served in for the last nearly three years.

He reserved special words of praise for his District 4 opponent, Justin Grant.

"Prior to this race, I had only briefly met Justin Grant. The last few months, sharing various speaking platforms with him, I have gained respect for him as a gentleman and as a worthy opponent," Lytton said.

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Lytton spent 38 years working at Citizens National Bank before retiring from Bedford Federal Savings Bank. This relevant experience has enabled Lytton to gain an invaluable understanding of how to manage financial needs, bookkeeping and budgeting.

"For the upcoming term, I plan to continue to serve the taxpayers of Lawrence County with sound and fair fiscal leadership," Lytton said.

Lytton came out on top with 627 total votes (59%) while Grant received 436 votes (41%).

Voter turnout

According to the final count from the Lawrence County Voter Registration Office, a total of 5,823 votes were cast in the primary, reflecting a turnout of 17.58%. A total of 3,628 voted on Election Day, 1,782 cast early votes and 413 voted absentee on paper ballots. Lawrence County has 33,127 registered voters.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Mail: Indiana primary 2022 results: Four Republicans win in Lawrence County