With a handful of mayors not seeking re-election in 2019, this municipal election saw many contested contests throughout northeast Indiana.
Angola:
Four-term incumbent Richard “Dick” Hickman again won the Angola mayor’s seat. Hickman received 834 votes to Republican Joe Hysong’s 641, according to unofficial results.
Auburn:
Republican Michael Ley won the contest for whom would fill the seat vacated by long-time mayor Norm Yoder, who has served five terms at the helm of the DeKalb County seat. Ley defeated Pete Stinson in the May primaries to square off against Democrat Sarah Payne.
According to the unofficial results, Ley pulled in nearly 56 percent of the votes, with a total of 1,850 to Payne’s 1,463.
Bluffton:
After popular Bluffton Mayor Ted Ellis announced his intention not to seek re-election, the seat opened up. The Democrat was first elected in 1995. But Wells County Democrats lost the seat, with John Whicker defeating Charles King. The Republican Whicker pulled in about 64 percent of the vote, with 1,484.
According to unofficial results, voter turnout in Wells County was about 35 percent.
Huntington:
Larry Buzzard defeated incumbent Republican Brooks Fetters in the May primary, but had to fend off two independent candidates to win the Huntington mayoral seat. And those two independent candidates split the vote, leaving Buzzard short of votes to claim the office.
Richard Strick gathered 2,060 votes to Buzzard’s 1,577. Independent Johnnie Hiles pulled in 505 according to unofficial results.
Kendallville:
The residents of Kendallville kept Republican SuzAnne Handshoe in office, awarding her nearly 70 percent of the vote. She easily defeated Democrat Timothy Schlotter to win her fifth term.
New Haven:
Republican Steve McMichael defeated Darren Peterson in a race for New Haven mayor. McMichael takes over for Republican Terry McDonald, who decided not to run for a fifth term.
McMichael won 65 percent of the vote with 1,797, according to unofficial results.
