GREENFIELD — Voters will get to hear from the Republican candidates for a litany of races through a series of five political debates scheduled in April.
Republican candidates for county commissioner, council, judge, prosecutor and sheriff will each get a chance to answer questions in front of voters and pitch themselves as the best candidate for the job before voters head to the polls in May.
The Democratic Party has no contested primaries this year.
This is the first year the debates have been spearheaded by Leadership Hancock County, a tuition-supported program that works to foster leadership skills in community members. This year, one of the leadership teams took up the project of organizing the debates, which historically have been hosted by the Daily Reporter.
Staci Starcher, one of the team members, said the group researched what the Indiana Debate Commission does on a statewide level as they shaped the events.
“We did a lot of research regarding what the commission does and tried to tailor it to best fit our needs,” she said.
All five debates will be similar in format, Starcher said. In the interest of time and making sure as many topics are covered as possible, there will be no opening statements from the candidates and no rebuttals during the debates. Candidates will answer some pre-planned questions from moderator John Jester (retired Greenfield police chief), and then the floor will be opened for audience questions.
“We’re really trying to tell people to come and be informed,” Starcher said. “Come and get your questions answered and see where the candidates stand on the issues.”
Janice Silvey, the Hancock County GOP chairwoman, said the candidates are excited to take part in the debates as a chance to stand out in the crowd and have their voice heard.
After all, May’s primary sees some of the most candidates on the ballot in years.
“Some of the races are pretty crowded,” Silvey said. “This is their chance to clearly let voters know where they stand.”
Four of the five debates will be conducted at the Hancock County Public library, and the debate April 4 between county commissioner candidates Kent Fisk and Marc Huber will be conducted in McCordsville at the town hall. Starcher said the group decided to move one of the debates outside of Greenfield in an attempt to involve more county residents.
Jester, who retired as chief of police last year, is slated as moderator for all five debates. He’s excited to be involved in what he called “a very important part of the election process.”
“As a voter, this is a great opportunity to really meet the candidates,” Jester said. “That way, voters can make an informed decision when they go to the polls.”
Starcher expects the proposed new jail will be one topic revisited at each debate.
The $55 million project involves county government on many levels and will affect many of the officeholders.
She hopes the debates give candidates a chance to inform the public.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there, and people seem to be unsure about a lot of aspects of the jail proposal,” she said. “We’re hoping these debate forums give everyone a chance to get clarification.”
NineStar Connect crews will record the debates April 4, 11 and 16 for anyone who can’t make it. All of the debates will be free and open to the public. Each debate starts at 7 p.m. and will last approximately 90 minutes.
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Want to meet the candidates? Here is the schedule and location of the upcoming debates:
April 4 – County commissioner – McCordsville Town Hall – 7 p.m.
April 5 – County sheriff – Hancock County Public Library – 7 p.m.
April 11 – Judge – Hancock County Public Library – 7 p.m.
April 12 – Prosecutor – Hancock County Public Library – 7 p.m.
April 16 – County Council – Hancock County Library – 7 p.m.
Getting there:
McCordsville Town Hall: 6280 W. County Road 800N, McCordsville
Hancock County Public Library: 900 W. McKenzie Road, Greenfield
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