Lentz
CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
After a big win Tuesday, Shari Lentz will get to serve as Bartholomew County Clerk in her own right.
The Republican and wife of county councilman Bill Lentz will keep her seat for at least four more years after defeating Democratic nominee Quisha Jackson.
In April 2021, Lentz was selected by a caucus of GOP precinct committeemen to succeed former Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps after he stepped down to take a new position at the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.
At the time, Lentz was serving under Phelps as Bartholomew County’s election supervisor.
Jackson, 42, is a U.S. Navy veteran and security professional at Nighthawk Security.
The Bartholomew County Clerk not only oversees local elections, but also keeps court records and issues marriage licenses, among other things.
COUNTY AUDITOR
A few Democrats voiced criticism of Pia O’Connor last September after a state audit found some financial procedural issues in her office. However, the audit did little to nothing to damage the reputation of the Bartholomew County Auditor.
O’Connor won her second consecutive term Tuesday with an overwhelming victory over Democratic challenger Sharon K. Persley.
One reason that voters may have overlooked the audit is that there was no evidence of missing or misappropriated funds, nor were there any questionable transactions.
When asked what made her the best candidate, O’Connor noted that she served two terms as county treasurer before being elected auditor four years ago. In addition, she is also a certified public accountant.
COUNTY RECORDER
For several years, the name of Tami L. Hines has appeared on local ballots. So Hines’ name recognition was likely a factor in her win Tuesday over Democrat Jacob Thayer Lashley.
The position of county recorder is often overlooked by the public. However, Hines made news earlier this year when she began offering a service that alerts a property owner if someone is wrongly using a portion of their land.
Lashley is a 27-year-old Democrat who said he was hoping to lay the foundation for a political future by running for recorder. He works as an independent contractor for Allen Electric.
COUNTY TREASURER
After serving several years as Bartholomew County Republican chairman, Barb Hackman is likely the most well-known member of the GOP in Columbus and surrounding areas.
The support given to Hackman at the polls Tuesday overwhelmed what opponents Jessica Hendry, a Democrat, and Tom Heller, an Independent, received.
Being challenged by two candidates was unusual for Hackman, who ran unopposed for the seat in 2018. Hendry works as an accounting supervisor for an employment agency and Heller is a retiree with a Bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in regional property economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
In recent years, Heller has been vocal regarding his opposition to tax increment financing (TIF) districts for economic development.
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Shari J. Lentz (R); 15,161
Quisha Jackson (D); 7,115
County Auditor
Pia O’Connor (R); 14,833
Sharon K. Persley (D); 7,371
County Recorder
Tami L. Hines (R): 15,068
Jacob Thayer Lashley (D); 7,155
County Treasurer
Barbara (Barb) J. Hackman (R); 14,409
Jessica Hendry (D); 6,588
Thomas Heller (I); 1,362
