SEYMOUR — Republican Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, will have a challenger in next year’s May 7 primary after Brian Savilla, Seymour, announced his candidacy.
The filing period for 2024 races doesn’t open until Jan. 10. Lucas currently represents House District 69 and has said he is planning to seek re-election. Trish Whitcomb of Seymour is so far the only candidate for the seat in the Democratic primary.
District 69 includes the central and eastern half of Jackson County and parts of Bartholomew, Jennings, Scott and Washington counties.
Savilla was a former Republican member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 14 from 2010 to 2012. In the 2010 election, Savilla was elected to one of the two positions in District 14 on the ballot and defeated opponent Catherine Larck in the general election. He served one term before running for Secretary of State in West Virginia in 2012 but lost that election.
Savilla and his wife, Courtney, traveled all over the United States before settling in Seymour in 2021 after she accepted a position at Schneck Medical Center.
He is a U.S. history and government teacher at Brownstown Central High School and a football coach at Brownstown Central Middle School.
Savilla told The Seymour Tribune when announcing his candidacy that he originally wasn’t planning on running for office, but in light of recent events involving Lucas, including a plea bargain in an operating a vehicle while intoxicated case, Savilla said it was time for him to step up.
“This area deserves better and I look forward to restoring dignity and respect for the rule of law to the people’s seat,” he said.
Savilla said his top priorities if he is elected will be to keep government as limited as possible.
“We need to make sure our legislature is only doing what is necessary to protect our liberties and serve basic functions, instead of becoming our provider,” he said.
Savilla’s beliefs in traditional values is what he says sets him apart from his competitors.
“We deserve a good voice,” he said. “My willingness to stand against the destructive social and economic agendas that are trying to undermine our republic, while also being a voice of reason and respect that also wants educated debate instead of a lightning rod of controversy.”
As Savilla’s campaign kicks off he said his motivation is to bring back stability and inspire his students that even the average person can make a difference.
“We have a leadership that is out of touch with what we stand for as people,” he said. “I want to bring back stability and the rule of law to our District’s House seat, as well as motivate my students and everyone else to take a more active role in our government,” he said.
Lucas pleaded guilty to charges stemming from his May 31 crash into guardrails on Interstate 65 at the State Road 11 interchange, after which he fled the scene, drove his severely damaged truck three miles and was found walking before his arrest by Seymour police. On June 12, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation and other terms in Jackson Superior Court.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Lucas received a 60-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation as well as a 180-day suspended jail sentence and one year of probation. Lucas’ driver’s license also was suspended for 60 days, with the exception of being permitted to drive only for the purposes of business in the counties where he has customers between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays. Lucas also will pay an estimated $3,929.62 in restitution and other fees and submit to an alcohol and drug abuse program for evaluation.
A toxicology report turned in to the prosecutor after the plea bargain was agreed to showed Lucas had THC – the active ingredient in marijuana – in his system after the drunken-driving crash, an Indiana State Police lab test confirmed.
Lucas also may not possess or drink alcohol, and he may not possess any firearms or deadly weapons during his probationary period.
The Republic later reported that it was not Lucas’ first arrest for OWI, that he pleaded guilty in to a prior drunken driving charge in the 1980s, which was confirmed by court documents. On Aug. 1, 1988, Lucas entered a guilty plea in the former North Vernon City Court to a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, according to the records.
Lucas was ordered to pay a $500 fine plus program fees and court costs totaling $303. He was given no jail time or probation, and his license was not suspended. Further, the “special terms” on the one-page “Plea agreement and/or sentence” document Lucas signed reads, “Will not be certified to BMV/withheld judgement” (sic).
In a column Lucas wrote and submitted to The Republic, he said, “I recently made a mistake and I admit it. I own it 100%. I was arrested, charged, and I pleaded guilty. I accept the court’s decision and I am complying with its decision. I’m human. I screwed up. Fortunately, and by the Grace of God, nobody was hurt by my actions that night and for that, I will be forever grateful.”
Lucas credited the May arrest with leading him to get professional help to “deal with certain life challenges.”
