HANCOCK COUNTY — The makeup of the Hancock County Commissioners may look very different after this year’s election. In District 3, two candidates are running to replace three-term commissioner Brad Armstrong, who did not run for re-election. In District 1, John Jessup has a challenger in county council member Jeannine Gray.
The commissioners represent districts but are elected in a countywide vote. District 3 consists of Blue River, Brandywine and Sugar Creek townships. District 1 consists of Vernon, Green and Brown townships. (The third county commissioner, Marc Huber, who represents Buck Creek, Center and Jackson townships, was re-elected in November 2018.)
All the candidates are Republicans. No Democrats so far have filed to run.
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DISTRICT 1
John Jessup
The only incumbent up for re-election, John Jessup, says he’s proud of the work he has accomplished during his first term. He previously served for six years as a member of the county council.
“I’m running for re-election to continue the good things that we’ve started,” Jessup said, including the ongoing jail project. He acknowledged some backlash over the cost, which required the county to take out a $40 million bond backed by local income tax revenue.
“I’ve spearheaded this jail project, which at times has been contentious. There’s been times when I haven’t made friends with some people, but I’ve found that sometimes you have to be a little bit more coarse to get a job done.”
Jessup said he hopes voters will give him another four years to work hard at solving the county’s problems.
“I want to see through these building projects. I’ve started them, I’ve fought for them, I’ve taken a lot of bullets for them,” he said. “I’ve never been afraid to answer to the voters. I feel like everything I’ve done is what I’ve been asked to do.”
Jeannine Gray
A current member of the county council, Jeannine Gray is hoping to make the leap to county executive branch.
In 2017, Gray was elected to the county council via caucus when the seat in her district was vacated. She ran for re-election in 2018 and was unopposed. She said she’s proud of her accomplishments on the council, including helping create a committee to focus on mental health issues.
“I love what I do on the county council,” Gray said. “I’ve learned so much about governing, being a part of a community that really has the best interest of their constituents at heart in the county council.”
Gray said many people asked her to run for county commissioner and told her she would be the right person for the job.
One of her priorities as a commissioner, she said, would be to help complete construction of the jail in a way that would serve the county well for many years. She also said she wants to make sure the public has plenty of input about major projects.
“(County government) became rather divided when it came to building a new criminal justice center,” she said. “That should never happen.”
DISTRICT 3
Matt Holland
Matt Holland, a longtime officer in the Greenfield Police Department, says he has felt compelled to seek office.
“I think a lot of times, police officers in general are drawn to public service. We just kind of have that mindset,” Holland said. “As time went on during my career, I felt a need to serve in a different capacity.”
Holland, who has worked as GPD’s public information officer, among other duties, said his priorities as a commissioner would be to build better communication among municipal governments; make sure the construction of the new jail stays on course and within budget; and support infrastructure and economic development.
His background as a law enforcement officer, he said, would also inform his perspective, particularly on issues like mental health treatment and the jail.
“I’ve had my hand in those issues for several years now on the law enforcement side of things, so I feel like I could have a valuable insight,” he said.
Bill Spalding
Bill Spalding is also a law enforcement professional, having served 30 years with the Indiana State Police.
“Public service is where I want to be. It’s one of those things that when I was young, this was the dream job that I got, and to date I’m still serving as a squad leader,” Spalding said.
Frequently sitting in on sessions of the state Senate while providing protection for the Senate president pro tempore, he said, has given him an up-close look at how government works.
“I think it gives me a better understanding of what happens in the legislative process, and I have a greater appreciation for our legislators, what they actually have to do on a day-to-day basis and how they interact with the public,” he said.
Spalding said he sees being a good communicator as key to the role of the county commissioners.
“We need to communicate and collaborate very well with our local cities, towns and municipalities, and within the existing governmental structure that we have,” he said.