NORTH VERNON — A total of 12,154 votes were counted in Jennings County on Nov. 3, with 7,123 coming in at the polls and 5,031 cast absentee.
Voter turnout was 65% in Jennings, up from 59.6% for the 2016 presidential election. A total of 4,323 voters voted straight-party ticket, including 3,485 (80%) for Republicans.
In the Jennings County Commissioner — District 1 race, incumbent Republican Robert “Bob” Willhite won 64.39% of the vote to defeat Democratic challenger Floyd Bowman.
Three Republicans were elected to the county council at-large seats, as incumbents Howard Malcomb (5,843 votes) and David Woodall (4,501 votes), as well as former coroner Eugene “Gene” Rudicel (6,948 votes), beating out Democrat Stephanie Schoettmer-Goen (2,737 votes).
Chelsea Morrison retained her seat on the Jennings County School Corp. board for District 1, topping Michael Johnson with 62.97% of the votes.
Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., won a second term in Congress representing Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District — which includes all of Jennings County — over Democrat Jeannine Lee Lake and Libertarian Tom Ferkinhoff. Pence won 75.9% of the vote in Jennings County.
Incumbent Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, received 70% of the votes in Jennings for the Indiana House of Representatives District 69 seat. Due to results lagging from surrounding counties, it wasn’t announced until Wednesday that Lucas had emerged victorious over Democrat Jeffery Prewitt and Independent Katrina “Kat” Hardwick. District 69 includes Brownstown, Hamilton, Jackson, Redding, Vernon and Washington townships in Jackson County and parts of Jennings, Bartholomew and Jefferson counties.
President Donald Trump won 77.47% of the vote in Jennings County while Joe Biden had 20.39%.
Gov. Eric Holcomb was re-elected in part of the 7,429 votes (62.08%) by Jennings residents and new Attorney General Todd Rokita also won the county with 76.89% of ballots voting in favor of the Republican.
Several Jennings County officials did not face opponents in the general election.
Republicans Shane Boswell (Jennings County Commissioner — District 2), Tina Belding Brison (treasurer), Alden Rudicel (coroner), Charles “Chad” Ebinger (surveyor), Gary Smith (Superior Court) and Murielle “Ellie” Webster Bright (86th Circuit Court) all ran unopposed.
In the school board race, Earl Taggart (District 2) and Patrick Sullivan (District 3) also did not face challengers.
Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, ran unopposed for the House District 67 seat. District 67 includes parts of Dearborn, Decatur, Jefferson, Jennings, Ripley, Ohio and Switzerland counties.
