A seventh person filed an objection on Tuesday to the nomination of Anthony Decker as the Republican party candidate for sheriff in a caucus held last week. The newest objection comes from John Thompson, the Patoka Township Precinct Committeeman.
Marion County Clerk Steve Fox says three of the objections have been filed by Cody Rose who announced his candidacy for sheriff ahead of the caucus, but then withdrew during the caucus to protest the procedure. All three objections will be heard together. Three other Republican precinct committeemen, Christopher Duncan and Gavin Cass of Centralia, and Tracie Fisk of Omega Township, have also filed objections along with the person heading the Republican Party Women Janet Carter Sullens and Angela Wyatt who is also active in the party. Both were in attendance at the caucus.
Fox says under the statute, the objections must be heard in three to five calendar days. They all must be held separately before a three-person panel. While it is believed the hearings will be held on Friday, no specifics have been announced.
Each of the objectors filed paperwork challenging Decker’s nomination. Fox says the objections all center around the caucus and events leading up to the caucus and not to Decker’s qualifications.
The election board is supposed to consist of County Clerk Steve Fox, Circuit Clerk Tiffany Schicker, and State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth. However, Fox has a statewide clerk’s conference on Thursday and Friday. He will be replaced by County Treasurer Gary Purcell, the first person identified by state statute as an alternate. Hudspeth tells WJBD/WSIQ news he will also withdraw from the panel because he consulted with Decker about his candidacy which gives him a conflict of interest. Since the next person to be appointed is the sheriff, who also has a conflict, the Chief Judge of the 4th Judicial Court Martin Siemer, will have to appoint a Marion County resident to be the third member of the panel.
Fox says if the panel rules in favor of any of the objectors the Republican Party will have to hold another caucus. He says his understanding of the law is that Decker could NOT be considered as a candidate at a second caucus because his nomination had been thrown out. However, that decision could also be challenged before the electoral board.
