Yahoo News Lake candidates start filing for county, federal offices
Lake County Recorder Gina Pimentel was the first person In line Wednesday when the board of elections opened its doors to accept candidate filings for the 2024 election cycle.
Pimentel is seeking one of five county offices on the ballot in the 2024 Presidential primary election where voters also will select for their respective parties state officials and their representatives to the U.S. Congress. County offices this election cycle include recorder, surveyor and coroner, as well as the 2nd and 3rd district county commissioner seats.
“It’s important to me to be first,” Pimentel said. She does not consider running for office a game and said she takes the responsibility seriously.
Pimentel said she lined up at about 7:30 a.m. to ensure she secured the first spot. She was also first in line when she ran her first elected campaign for the job after being chosen to fill the seat by caucus.
“This isn’t politics. This is work. This job is important,” Pimentel said. If reelected, she plans to continue efforts to modernize the office and currently is working on an indexing project and a new website redesign in collaboration with the surveyor’s office because they share so much of the same information.
Coroner David Pastrick and Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr., who were fourth and fifth in line respectively, filed to seek reelection for their respective posts. Pastrick is seeking a second term in office. Emerson was first elected to office in 2012 and will be seeking his fourth term. Neither the surveyor’s office nor the assessor’s office are bound by term limits.
Current Lake County Councilman Randy Niemeyer, R-Cedar Lake, was next in line to file paperwork for the 2024 cycle to run to be a Republican delegate for the state convention and to be a precinct committeeman. Then, he planned to head to Indiana Secretary of State’s office for a 1:30 p.m. appointment to officially file to run for the First Congressional District in a challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep Frank Mrvan, a Democrat.
“It’s exciting. I’m one of those people who values the process,” said Niemeyer, adding it is always exciting to see so many people participate in the political process. He said by his own situation, the ability for a small town kid running for U.S. Congress, as kind of surreal.
He said he appreciates the opportunity to serve and will aim to bring his conservative values to the Congress.
Another Republican, Ivan Ursery II, was third in line to attempt to file for office. Ursery plans to challenge State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, for the District 14 seat. Ursery, who ran unsuccessfully for the Gary City Council during the last election cycle, said he is hopeful a new mayor in the city with a track record of reaching across the aisle will create more opportunity for him to be elected.
Ursery knows he is one of a small number of Republicans in the city, but he would like to believe the numbers are larger than people realize.
“There are probably some undercover ones,” he said. Many Gary residents have the conservative Christian values he represents, he said, describing strong families as a necessary backbone of the community.
Ursery said Smith has represented the 14th District since the 1990s and it is time now for a change. He said many people in Gary share his conservative values.
“I believe in expanding those values,” he said. “I can be down there and be a conservative voice.”
He plans to take a day off work next week to head down to Indianapolis to make his candidacy official.
Filing continues through noon Feb. 9 for local and state offices. The deadline to file for President, Vice President or Governor is noon Eastern time Feb. 9.
