GREENFIELD — A direct mail campaign highlighting the financial issues of one candidate for auditor didn’t convince county residents to vote against her.
Debra Carnes was selected as the Republican nominee for auditor. Carnes received 6,609 votes (63.49 percent). Heather Bussell received 3,800 votes (36.51 percent).
The race grew tense after a direct-mail message supporting Bussell hit county residences — the mailer listed Carnes’ financial woes and urged voters to pick Bussell instead.
The Hancock County Auditor’s Office is an open race with the current auditor, Robin Lowder, moving on because of term limits. Debra Carnes is the county’s current recorder and Heather Bussell was a newcomer to the political world.
No Democrats have filed for the office; the party has until June 30 to assign a candidate to the race.
Bussell, a New Palestine native, currently serves as an insurance and financial coordinator for Pritchett Orthodontics.
Debra Carnes has served as the county recorder for eight years, but has reached the term limit in that role. She said she believed her experience managing the claims and budgets in the recorder’s office, combined with her background in county government, made her a good candidate for auditor.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to keep moving forward,” she said.
Both candidates have faced financial issues in the past.
Carnes said she and her husband unknowingly made a mistake on their taxes a year ago. As a result, they now owe about $27,000 to the federal government, records show.
Now, she makes monthly payments and hopes to be caught up soon, she said.
As auditor, she’ll take those lessons with her the new role of overseeing the county’s finances, Carnes said.
Meanwhile, Bussell faced several small claims cases before she was married and changed her name.
Bussell owed about $5,000 to several credit card and utility companies in the last 10 years, including a $4,500 bill owed to Capital One; $233 owed to an Indianapolis-based trash company; and $150 owed to a New Palestine homeowners’ association, records show.
Despite not winning the nomination, Bussell said she was proud of her campaign.
“This has been a goal of mine for years, and I’ve given it my best shot,” she said. “It was such a learning experience and a lot of hard work. Either way, I’m proud of what I’ve done.”
Bussell expressed her appreciation to friends and family, especially her husband, who helped her and were patient with her along the way.
Despite the tone of the campaign, Carnes said there are no hard feelings.
“I feel extremely blessed, honored and humbled,” she said. “I want to thank everyone who came out and voted for me; it is truly an honor.”
