Familiar names from past elections will appear on 2024 primary ballot

David Penticuff, Muncie Star Press
·4 min read

MUNCIE, Ind. — Local candidates finished filing to be listed on ballots for the Democratic and Republican primaries May 7.

Candidates who beat the deadline Friday be on the ballots include Brad Bookout, Delaware County's economic development consultant, filing in the Republican primary as a candidate for an at-large county council seat.

Bookout has a history of running for elected office and has served on the county council before as a Democrat. Bookout was elected to county council in 2004 and again in 2008, In 2012 he won the Democratic primary for Congress when the county was in the 6th Congressional District. He lost to Republican Luke Messer in the general election that year.

James King (Delaware County Commissioner), Bill Walters (Director of the ECI Regional Planning District), Thomas Schwegmann (CEO PONS Atlantic Partners in Berlin), and Brad Bookout (Director of Municipal and Economic Affairs in Delaware County) pose for a photo during their 2019 seven-day working trip to Germany and the Netherlands. Bookout has filed to run for Delaware County Council at-large in the GOP Primary May 7. (Credit: Photo Provided)

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Now he is returning as a political candidate, this time as a Republican, after years working as the top economic development advisor for the county commissioners through Augusta Consulting Inc., which is based in Yorktown. Augusta also employs Bill Walters as a consultant and Bookout's wife, Lisa, is founder and president of Augusta.

The county has won several major economic development projects during Bookout's time, including INOX Market North America, which established a steel-forming factory in the county. Bookout has made an effort with some success to lure Italian manufacturers and companies looking to expand into North America. He and commissioners have made trips to Italy in pursuit of economic development.

In 2022 a contract between Augusta and Delaware County paid the firm $20,054.28 a month for its economic development work and $6,883 a month for its work providing redevelopment services for the county, which totals more than $320,000 a year.

More: Republicans Basham, Dillon in race to see who faces Errington in fall for District 34 seat

Bookout was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Susan Dillon
Susan Dillon

Also joining the Republican ballot for a run this year is Susan Dillon, who is the only Republican vying for state representative from the 34th District. That seat, which includes most of Muncie, has long been held by Democrat Sue Errington, who is on the ballot this year. In 2022, Dillon ran in the primary for the same seat but lost to Dale Basham. Errington went on to defeat Basham in the general election.

Former Muncie City Council member Roger Overbey is running in the Democratic primary this year for Delaware County Council.
Former Muncie City Council member Roger Overbey is running in the Democratic primary this year for Delaware County Council.

Roger Overbey, who had served on Muncie City Council briefly, is running as for Delaware County Council in the Democratic primary. Overbey lost his city council seat in the Democratic primary last year. The other Democrat running for an at-large seat is Chris Musick.

Former Muncie City Council Member Troy Ingram joined the race for Delaware County Commissioner as a Republican. He is opposing GOP incumbent Sherry Riggin in District 2.

More: Ingram and Miller bounced from GOP primary ballot due to filing errors

Ingram attempted to run for re-election as a city councilman last year but was taken off the ballot after his filing was challenged. The Delaware County Election Board ruled that Ingram had failed to fully fill out his candidate filing paperwork.

Troy Ingram speaks on election night in November 2019 after being elected to city council. Ingram is running for county council this year.
Troy Ingram speaks on election night in November 2019 after being elected to city council. Ingram is running for county council this year.

The primary candidates will be subject to challenges to their candidacy this week. The deadline to make challenges to a candidacy is noon Friday.

Local Republican Primary Candidates include:

Indiana House of Representatives

Gregory W. LeMaster, 33rd District John (J.D.) Prescott, 33rd District Susan Dillon, 34th District Elizabeth Rowray, 35th District

Delaware County Circuit Court judge

Doug Mawhorr, Delaware Circuit Court 3

Delaware County Offices

Bradley (Brad) Polk, Delaware County treasurer

Tom Borchers, Delaware County surveyor

Delaware County Commissioners

Stephen Brand, 1st District James D King, 1st District Troy Ingram, 2nd District Sherry K Riggin, 2nd District

Delaware County Council

Bradley T. Bookout, at-large Amber Greene, at-large Lori Jessee, at-largeJessica Piper, at-large Ryan S Webb, at-large Eugene Whitehead, at-large David Williams, at-large

Yorktown Town Council

Nanci Sears Perry, 2nd District Rick Glaub, 3rd DistrictChris Greene, 3rd DistrictMarta Guinn, 5th District

Local Democrat Primary Candidates include:

Indiana House of Representatives

John E Bartlett, 33rd District Jim Phillips, 33rd DistrictSue Errington, 34th DistrictPhilip G. (Phil) Gift, 35th District

Delaware County Circuit Court judge

Kimberly S. Dowling, Delaware Circuit Court 2

Delaware County Commissioners

Ashley N Wright, 1st District

Delaware County Council

Chris Musick, at-largeRoger Overbey, at-large

Yorktown Town Council

Spencer Rutherford, 5th District

David Penticuff is a reporter with The Star Press. He can be contacted at dpenticuff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Bookout jumps in county council race, joins Bookout and Ingram