Challenger Bianca Tirado unseats incumbent South Bend Clerk Dawn Jones in primary

SOUTH BEND — Boosted by support from most of the city's top Democrats, Bianca Tirado won the Democratic bid for city clerk Tuesday over incumbent Dawn Jones with over 55.7% of the vote.

Tirado will face Republican Tina Wilson in the November general election.

Tirado said she believes her messaging during the election resonated with voters.

"My messaging for voters was my experience, my integrity and my relationships with the common council and the mayor," she said. "Because that is what I have worked on my five years in the office, and I have the knowledge to see the clerk's office forward."

For the past year, Jones has protested that her office felt under siege by Tirado and the South Bend Common Council's most prominent member, Sharon McBride. Ahead of the primary, most other councilors joined McBride in supporting Tirado for the clerk's office.

As May 2 neared, South Bend Mayor James Mueller also gave Tirado ringing endorsements in a slew of ads the two appeared in together. Mueller's message was clear: For the city to progress smoothly, Tirado needed to replace the sitting clerk.

"We heard from voters that people don't want to be thinking about the city clerk's office. They just want the job to get done," Mueller said after it was announced that Tirado had won the primary Tuesday. "And so Bianca bringing the experience in the office in being able to get the job and work with both council and the administration, that's critical."

Tirado expressed gratitude for the support she received from the mayor and the majority of the council.

"That just speaks to my relationships that I've had with them," she said. "That was a big deal for me because they trust my work. They know my work. What better support to have than the individuals that know who you are and know that you can do the job?"

More: Dysfunction between city clerk and Council brings steep consulting fees, canceled meeting

Jones argued earlier this year that McBride sought to undermine the clerk's authority by paying Tirado hefty fees to do mostly clerical work and to serve as a liaison between Jones and the council.

McBride, the council president, acted on behalf of the council in April 2022 to form a consulting agreement with Tirado. A former deputy clerk for more than four years before stepping down in April 2022, Tirado has been paid nearly $80,000 since then, according to a consulting agreement obtained by The Tribune.

Jones' annual salary is around $80,000. The clerk said the fees seemed unreasonably high and were unethical for the council to pay to her political opponent. Tirado announced her run in January.

McBride said work performed by the clerk's office was so inadequate that councilors needed Tirado to conduct the city's business. The initial agreement said the work would end in 2022, but to date Tirado still consults for the council.

After winning the primary, Tirado spoke about her time as deputy clerk under Jones and why she came back to do consulting work.

"The past couple of years have been challenging for the clerk and the council to communicate," Tirado said. "And so while I was there, that was my job, to build that bridge. And unfortunately, when I left, that communication did not happen. That's why I came back."

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Primary challenger Bianca Tirado unseats South Bend Clerk Dawn Jones