63 Percent of Washington County Turns Out For Election
Early Wednesday morning, Washington County Clerk Stephanie Rockey finished the final unofficial results in the 2020 General Election for the county that showed a record turnout with 63 percent of the voters exercising their right.
Overall, 12,224 votes were cast in Washington County. 5,265 of those were early votes with 6,959 votes cast on Tuesday.
This mirrored other counties and states around the nation as a record turnout.
At 10p Tuesday, Rockey reported that approximately 500 absentee votes still needed to be counted and those tallies came in before 1a Wednesday.
With all the votes counted over six hours after the polls closed, the Republican party still swept all contested races giving wins to Nancy Coats for Treasurer and Emily Rodman for Surveyor and returning incumbent Rick Roberts to the District 3 Commissioner seat.
COATS UNSEATS BATT
Coats unseats Democratic incumbent Shirley Batt, who has worked in county government since she graduated from high school and has held public office in the Clerk’s seat and in the Treasurer’s office.
Coats received 7,242 votes or 61 percent of the vote, compared with 4,631 votes or 39 percent of the vote for Batt.
The record turnout includes absentee, early voting in-person, and overseas voters and in-person voters on Election Day.
Rockey reported earlier on Tuesday that she had received 27 percent of the vote in the county or 5,216 early voters from mail-in, overseas, military, and walk-ins.
She said this was three times the amount from the 2016 and 2018 elections.
SURVEYOR
With the final votes in Rodman defeated Libertarian candidate Max Greene for Surveyor 8,917 to 1,928.
COMMISSIONERS
Roberts won over Greene’s wife, Rhonda, another Libertarian candidate, 8,760 to 2,192.
Phillip Marshall ran unopposed for the District 1 seat that he has held for two previous terms.
Marshall received 9,969 votes.
SALEM SCHOOL BOARD
In one of the largest races in recent history for school board, thirteen candidates vied for four spots as At Large members of the Salem Community School Board.
The unpaid positions came available when board member Mark “Bubba” Abbott decided to run for County Council.
Current board members Ron Haendiges and Ericka Garloch did not seek another term and board member Dustin Davidson, who was appointed to fill out a term for Steve Motsinger, ran but was not returned to the board.
Mark A Day received the most votes with 2,261 or 13.58 percent.
Former Salem Middle School Principal Ray Oppel captured 2,138 or 12.84 percent.
Rebecca “Becky” Humphrey received 1,831 or 11 percent of the vote.
Allison Jean Ezzell won the fourth seat with 1,775 or 10.66 percent of the vote.
Aaron “Spud” Schocke was a close runner up with 1,450 votes – just 350 votes short of getting a seat on the board.
Total votes include:
- Benjamin T. Bowers – 1,179
- Emily R. Cockerill – 934
- Dustin Davidson – 1,106
- J. Michael Davisson – 771
- Mark A. Day – 2,261
- Allison Jean Ezzell – 1,775
- James Hobbs – 605
- Rebecca “Becky” Humphrey – 1,831
- Christopher A. Hunt – 818
- Christie Paris Luckett – 1,103
- Ray C. Oppel – 2,138
- Aaron “Spud” Schocke – 1,450
- Constance “Connie” Young –
WEST WASHINGTON SCHOOL BOARD
On the West Washington School Board, newcomer Carrie Cambron unseated incumbent Aaron Dennis 983 to 706 for the Madison Township seat.
Brian Farmer was unopposed in the race for the Posey Township seat. He received 1,492 votes.
Board member Sal Sama was returned to the Vernon Township seat with 1,432 votes. He was unopposed.
EAST WASHINGTON SCHOOL BOARD
Two candidates ran unopposed for two different seats.
Thomas Coats ran for the Polk Township seat and earned 2,647 votes.
Incumbent Jeff Clem Jr ran unopposed and returned to the board with 2,550 votes.
COUNTY COUNCIL
The Primary election locked in three Republican seats for At Large positions on the Washington County Council. Since voters could vote for three candidates and there was no competition for their positions.
Mark “Bubba” Abbott received 6,418 votes, incumbent Rondale Brishaber received 4,785 votes and Keeley R. Stingel took 4,656 votes.
CAMPBELLSBURG TOWN COUNCIL
Two candidates were up for election and both David L. Brown and Donnie Williams won the spots. Brown took 47 votes and Williams earned 42 votes.
TOWN OF NEW PEKIN TOWN COUNCIL
Two candidates vied for two positions on the Town of New Pekin Town Council Member at Large.
Darlene Hall won with 286 votes and Anthony Mosby captured his seat with 154 votes.
WASHINGTON COUNTY CLERK
Rockey was appointed to fill out the term of the previous clerk and ran for election for the first time. There was no Democratic candidate in the spring or fall so she was unopposed.
Rockey received 10,007 votes.
CORONER
Republican Peg Schell was the incumbent for Washington County Coroner and had no opposition in the primary or general election.
She captured 9,887 votes.
PRESIDENT
Although the Presidential election is still undecided but shows Vice-President Joe Biden with approximately 2 million votes ahead of President Donald J. Trump.
At the time of this report, Biden leads in the Electoral College 238 to Trump’s 218, but several key states that Trump is leading in have not officially been declared, which would deliver him the win.
In Washington County, 9,112 votes went to Trump with 2,783 votes for Biden.
The Libertarian platform of Jo Jorgenson and Jeremy Cohen took 231 votes.
INDIANA GOVERNOR
Eric J. Holcomb was picked as the early winner to hold on to the Republican position in Indiana.
Locally, Holcomb picked up 7,917 votes with Democratic challenger Woody Myers taking 2,407 votes.
Libertarian challenger Donald Rainwater picked up 1,745 votes.
ATTORNEY GENERAL
Republican Candidate for Attorney General Todd Rokita took 8,979 local votes with 2,826 votes going to Democratic challenger Jonathan Weinzapfel.
9th DISTRICT US CONGRESSMAN
Republican Incumbent Trey Hollingsworth was returned for a third term as 9th District US Congressman. He received 9,026 votes in Washington County.
His Democratic challenger Andy Ruff took 2,499 and Libertarian candidate Tonya Millis captured 465 votes.
INDIANA REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 73
Republican Steve Davisson was returned to his seat for another term and received 10,254 votes locally.
He ran unopposed.
