Don Sturch elected Peru mayor; City Council to have five new members

Nov. 7—PERU — City of Peru government will look a lot different when a host of newly elected officials take office next year.

Leading the way will be Don Sturch, who was elected mayor. The Republican received more than 72% of the vote in Tuesday's General Election. He was opposed by Democrat Stephanie Graf. Sturch succeeds Miles Hewitt, who did not run for reelection.

"This journey for me has been two years in making," Sturch said. "Tonight is the culmination of a lot of hard work."

Sturch, who has 40 years in management, retired in 2019 and returned to his hometown. Seeing the current state of the city, he thought he could offer something in terms of growth.

And that's what he intends to focus on as mayor.

"We need to work hard on getting some development," Sturch said. "Peru is poised for growth. We just have to not be afraid to fight for it and take the steps."

Sturch specifically mentioned more single-family homes. More housing could entice people to come to Peru, especially with the economic developments in Kokomo expected to bring new people to the area.

The to-be mayor said upgrading city parks and other amenities will also help in this endeavor. More people will in turn make Peru more attractive to prospective businesses.

To go along with a new mayor, Peru will have a mostly new city council.

Five new members were elected to the seven-person governing body.

That includes Republican Brandi Murphy, who won one of two at-large seats. She received about 34% of the vote, the largest share of the three candidates who ran for the two spots.

Murphy is the president of the Ole Olsen Memorial Theatre.

"I was really nervous going into today, because I knew how close the primary numbers were," she said.

Murphy edged out current city councilwoman Kathleen Plothow by less 100 votes in the May primary.

Improving the city parks department and better utilizing the First Farmers Amphitheater are at the top of the list for Murphy.

"The biggest complaint you see is Peru has nothing to do," she said.

Murphy has experience in fundraising, accounting and finance and has served on several nonprofit boards. This is her first foray into politics.

She said the decision to run for office came after she was complaining to a friend — who serves on the City Council — and they challenged her to do something about it.

Democrat Steve Anderson hung on to his at-large seat, receiving 33.6% of votes. Anderson is one of only two current Council members who will return in 2024.

Republican Peter Sahaidachny is the other, who ran unopposed in District 3. However, Sahaidachny won his primary by one vote.

The results indicate people want a change, according to Anderson.

"I don't feel that our current administration has performed to the best of our ability for our citizens, and they were looking for better than what we gave them," he said. "It's just not been a team effort, and I think a lot of people could see that."

Current council members Patricia Russell, R-District 4, and Mark Ramsey, R-District 5, both lost in the primary. Betsy Edwards-Wolfe and Tom Gustin did not run for reelection.

Joining the City Council are Arick Ulery, District 1; Tim Fisher, District 2; Drew Stevenson, District 4 and Robert Huber, District 5. They are all Republicans.

Anderson said he knows most of the new Council members, it is a small town after all.

"Where we ended up is exactly who I hoped would be there," he said.

The councilman said figuring out each person's strengths and where they fit best on committees should be a priority when new members take office in January.

Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.