Incumbent Republican Rick Flohr easily won re-election as a Bartholomew County commissioner representing District 3, leading from the release of the early voting results early on election night.
Flohr, 66, who also serves as the commissioners chairman, defeated Democratic challenger Brad Woodcock by a vote of 20,176 (65.2 percent) to 10,781 (34.8 percent).
A Bartholomew County farmer and retired co-owner of Product Engineering Co., Flohr was first elected commissioner after fellow Republican Paul Franke retired from the board of commissioners in 2013, making this Flohr’s second attempt for office.
The lopsided win for Flohr wasn’t an indication of anything particular about himself or Woodcock, Flohr said.
“It’s probably more a ratio of Republicans and Democrats in our county. I happen to be on the fortunate side of that,” Flohr said.
Describing Woodcock as a gentleman, Flohr said when he was talking with another commissioner recently and the two had agreed that if Woodcock were to serve, he would do a good job.
As election results trickled in Tuesday night, Woodcock remained upbeat, although he acknowledged that it wasn’t looking good with about half the Bartholomew County precincts reporting.
“The Republican votes have us outnumbered,” he said, watching the numbers on a screen behind the bar at Hotel Indigo in Columbus, where local Democrats gathered to watch the results.
Woodcock, in his first run for public office, said he wouldn’t rule out another run in the future.
“I will stay involved in the party,” he said. “I knew going in this would be a battle. But I think the Republicans took notice that we were making an attempt,” he said. “It’s just not looking good top to bottom for Democrats throughout the state.”
Woodcock, 48, worked 18 years for Toyota before the Elizabethtown resident started his own property management business.
District 3 includes Jackson, Wayne, Ohio, Sandcreek and Rockcreek townships, all along the southern portion of Bartholomew County.
District 1 commissioner Larry Kleinhenz, a Republican, was unopposed in the general election after defeating two challengers in the Republican primary.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How you voted” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Bartholomew County Commissioner District 3
Rick Flohr (R);20,176
Brad Woodcock (D);10,781
[sc:pullout-text-end]
