Who is running for Westfield City Council in 2023? Here is a running list

The 2023 city council elections in Westfield could act as a referendum on how the local government has operated in recent years, as candidates are lining up already to run for the seven seats on the council.

In 2019, Westfield voters elected a series of challengers over incumbents who had often voted in line with Mayor Andy Cook. The current city council was first seated in January 2020.

Since then, the city has been plagued by lawsuits between Cook and Clerk-Treasurer Cindy Gossard and public disagreements between the mayor and the council over legal fees and city operations.

More:'We're dysfunctional': Westfield's government wars with itself as growth explodes

Candidates who win the primaries in May could face general election opponents. Winning candidates would receive four-year terms on the council starting in 2024.

At least four seats are currently open on the council: both District 1 and District 2 Councilors Scott Willis and Jake Gilbert are running for mayor. District 3 Councilor Joe Edwards and At-large Councilor Cindy Spoljaric said they do not plan to run for reelection.

Here is the current list of candidates who have announced for Westfield City Council.

This story will be updated as more candidates announce for races. Did we miss someone? Send me an email at brittany.carloni@indystar.com.

Westfield City Council District 1

This seat is currently held by Councilman Scott Willis, who is running for mayor.

Jon Dartt - Dartt, a Republican, is a retired business executive and a 29-year resident of Westfield. He had a 28-year career at Delta Faucet Company and for 22 of those years served as vice president. He lives in the Woodshire community of Westfield where he previously served as president of the homeowner's association and now serves as secretary.

Mark Keen - Keen, a Republican, is a former Westfield City Councilman who held the District 1 seat from 2016 through 2019. He also previously served as superintendent of Westfield Washington Schools. Keen and his wife moved to Westfield in 1997, according to his former city council bio. He served in the Army for 28 years in active duty and the reserves.

Westfield City Council District 2

This seat is currently held by Councilman Jake Gilbert, who is running for mayor.

Andrew Bouse - IndyStar has reached out to Bouse.

Victor McCarty - McCarty, a Republican, is a member of the city’s plan commission. McCarty is a lifelong resident of Westfield and graduated from Westfield High School. McCarty graduated from Huntington University and worked for Indiana House Republicans. McCarty worked as a special education staff member at Westfield High School starting in 2018 but returned to marketing in the private sector in 2022.

Westfield City Council District 3

This seat is currently held by Councilman Joe Edwards, who is not running for reelection.

Joe Duepner - Duepner, a Republican, is a licensed attorney in Indiana. His practice, Duepner Law, which centers on injury, family, criminal and estate and probate issues. Duepner, a long-time Westfield resident, is also a board member for Westfield Youth Sports and serves on the HOA board for Villages of Oak Manor. Duepner and his wife have two children who attend Westfield Washington Schools.

Justin C. Griffiths - Griffiths, a Republican, is an employee of White's Ace Hardware in Carmel and a part-time broadcaster for Indiana Sports Radio Network. Griffiths has lived in Westfield for two years and graduated from Carmel High School in 2011. He attended Vincennes University, Ball State and IUPUI where he majored in broadcasting and communications.

Westfield City Council District 4

This seat is currently held by Councilman Scott Frei.

Scott Frei - Frei, a Republican, was elected to the Westfield City Council in 2019 after defeating Charles Lehman in the Republican primary. Frei is a member of the Westfield City Council's finance committee. Frei and his family have resided in Westfield since 2001.

Alexis Lowry - Lowry, a Democrat, is a small business owner and a nutritional coach. Lowry and her husband are foster parents and have fostered more than a dozen children, four of which they adopted. Lowry coaches youth soccer, basketball and volleyball, according to her campaign press release.

Patrick Tamm - Tamm, a Republican, runs Tamm Capital Group, a firm focused on association management and government affairs. His history in business and politics began in 1995 as an intern for the Republican State Committee and through work for former Indianapolis Mayor Steven Goldsmith and former U.S. Rep. David McIntosh as well as former Gov. Mitch Daniels. Tamm has three children.

Westfield City Council District 5

This seat is currently held by Councilman Mike Johns.

Noah Herron - Herron, a Republican, moved to Westfield with his family 10 years ago. Herron started Urban Farmer Seeds in 2009 and six years ago began Westfield winery Urban Vines. Herron and his wife began work on Urban Apples, a 25-acre cidery near Grand Park. Herron graduated from Indiana University with a biochemistry degree and previously worked at Eli Lilly.

Mike Johns - Johns, a Republican, was first elected to the Westfield City Council in 2019. He has served as president of the council since the group was first seated in 2020. In addition to his council duties, Johns serves as a member of the Westfield plan commission, which provides recommendations on development projects in the city. Johns also works in real estate with Century 21 Scheetz.

Westfield at-large council seats

The current at-large city councilors are Troy Patton and Cindy Spoljaric. Neither are running for reelection.

Chad Huff - IndyStar has reached out to Huff.

Gary Lane - Lane, a Democrat, is the executive director of statewide lab business operations at IU Health. He studied engineering at Rose-Hulman and earned an MBA from the University of Chicago, according to his campaign. Lane has served as treasurer of his neighborhood homeowner's association. Lane has two sons with his wife, Becky.

Brian Tomamichel - Tomamichel, a Republican, is an assistant superintendent and chief financial officer of Westfield Washington Schools. Recently, Tomamichel was named treasurer of the Indiana Association of School Business Officials and chief financial officer of the year for governments and schools by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Tomamichel is also a member of the board of directors for the Westfield Education Foundation.

Kurt Wanninger - Wanninger, a Republican, previously served as Westfield’s public works director between 2002 and 2012. Wanninger is currently a senior project manager for an engineering firm and previously worked with one of the largest water providers in the U.S. Wanninger is the vice president on the board of directors for Open Doors Food Pantry of Washington Township and is the treasurer of the Rotary Club of Westfield. He is a board member of his neighborhood’s homeowner’s association. Wanninger and his wife, Tami, have two children who graduated from Westfield schools.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Westfield City Council elections are in 2023. Here are the candidates