There’ll be at
least one contested primary race in the Town of Chesterton in May and it
looks to be a doozy, pitting two veterans of municipal service against each
other under unusual circumstances.
Late last year,
Republican Jeff Trout resigned his seat on the Town Council, after selling
his house in the 2nd District and moving into a new one in the 1st District.
On Thursday, Trout
formally filed his candidacy for the 1st District seat, one day after the
1st District incumbent, and his former colleague, Republican Jim Ton, did
the same.
Trout versus Ton.
Trout, co-owner of
Trout Glass & Mirror, was first elected to the Town Council in
2007--memorably by a margin of only nine votes--over Democrat Larry Chubb.
Before that, however, Trout served for many years on the Advisory Plan
Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. On his election to the Town
Council he resigned his seats on both boards but accepted a new appointment:
to the Redevelopment Commission, on which he sat with Ton.
Trout told the
Chesterton Tribune today that he was “asked by a number of people” to
run for the 1st District seat “so that we can continue to pursue many of the
economic development projects that I have been very involved with over the
past several years.”
Ton, retired
Chesterton Middle School principal, was first elected to the Town Council in
1985 by a GOP caucus, after Member Fritz Dietrich died in office, won
re-election, and then opted not to run again in 1990 due to illness in his
family. Ton was again elected by caucus in 2005, after Member John Kosmatka
resigned in mid-term. Ton has served continuously since then. Between his
first tenure on the Town Council and his second, he served for 10 years on
the Police Commission.
Like Trout, Ton
also sits on the Redevelopment Commission. Ton also sits on the Northwestern
Indiana Regional Planning Commission’s Executive Board and has served as its
Secretary and its Treasurer.
Contested Race in
the Town of Porter
Making a race of it
in the Town of Porter, meanwhile, is Clerk-Treasurer and Republican Carol
Pomeroy, who filed for re-election on Thursday.
On Wednesday,
Republican Zathoe Sexton filed to challenge Pomeroy for the GOP nomination.
The Slate So Far
As of mid-morning
today, there had been no new filings.
The slate to date:
Republican:
In Chesterton: For Clerk-Treasurer, Stephanie Kuziela (inc.). For
1st District, Town Council, Jim Ton (inc.) and Jeff Trout.
In Porter: For
Clerk-Treasurer, Carol Pomeroy (inc.) and Zathoe Sexton.
Democrat: In
Chesterton: For 3rd District, Town Council: Dane Lafata.
In Burns Harbor:
For Clerk-Treasurer, Jane Jordan (inc.).