Louisville Blogs

Democrat Wendy Dant Chesser will face Republican Scott Hawkins and Libertarian Gregory T. (Greg) Hertzsch for Indiana House District 71. Dant Chesser was caucused into the seat in May to finish the term for former Democratic Rep. Rita Fleming, who resigned soon after running unopposed in the primary. LPM News asked each candidate to submit information about their background and priorities. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Wendy Dant Chesser - Democrat, incumbent

Dant Chesser calls herself a proud daughter of the community, having graduated from Jeffersonville High School and IU Southeast. As an economic development executive, Dant Chesser said she facilitated community efforts to bring more than 12,000 jobs and $2.8 billion to the area.

Priorities:

Dant Chesser said she is an advocate for Southern Indiana and will bring strong jobs into the community and fight for higher wages. She supports public schools and expanding affordable childcare, and said she will “root out corruption and lead with trust and integrity.”

Scott Hawkins - Republican

Hawkins grew up throughout Jeffersonville and Clarksville. He has been married for more than 31 years with two kids. He has taught government at Jeffersonville High School for over 28 years, served on the Jeffersonville City Council since 2015 and as president of the Jeffersonville Economic Redevelopment Commission since 2020.

Priorities:

Hawkins said if elected, he would pursue initiatives to cap property taxes for older residents and focus on teacher recruitment and retention. He also wants to expand skilled trades training in schools and create a “user’s bill of rights” for residents challenging RiverLink tolls.

Gregory T. (Greg) Hertzsch - Libertarian

Hertzsch was born and raised in Clarksville, where he lives now. He graduated from Jeffersonville High School and IU Southeast. He works at Vivid Impact, LLC. Hertzsch currently serves on the Libertarian Party National Committee as a region alternate. He previously ran for Clarksville Town Council and Clark County Council.

Priorities:

Hertzsch said he wants to see accountability and transparency in local elected officials. He’s against increasing taxes and wants to see property taxes capped. He’s also against “red flag” laws and wants the statewide smoking ban repealed for private establishments. He said he supports gubernatorial candidate Donald Rainwater’s platform.

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The Clark County Commissioners District 1 race has three candidates this year: Libertarian Larry J. Mahaney, Democrat Katie Morgan and Republican incumbent Connie Sellers. LPM News asked each candidate in contested races to submit information about their background and priorities if elected. Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

Larry J. Mahaney - Libertarian

Mahaney has lived in Jeffersonville since 2015. He said he’s worked in or near Clark County as an emergency medical technician since 2016 — including about a year at New Chapel EMS — and has been teaching CPR, first aid firearms safety and active shooter prevention since 2020.

Priorities:

Mahaney said he wants a county government that represents everyone, by demanding accountability, transparency and the end of all closed government meetings. He said he also intends to make sure the Clark County Commissioners meetings are live-streamed so people can stay informed even if they can’t attend in person.

Katie Morgan - Democrat

Morgan said her candidacy is founded on the principles of servant leadership — a commitment to putting the needs of the community first. She’s the founder of VACA, Inc., an organization that advocates for older residents. She and her husband have three adult children with special needs.

Priorities:

Morgan said she wants to “fix the EMS crisis once and for all by creating a county-based EMS service.” She said lawmakers need to address infrastructure concerns including the landfill and necessary upgrades for vertical expansion there. She said she would work towards fiscal conservatism and transparency in county government.

Connie Sellers - Republican, incumbent

Sellers lives in Jeffersonville with her husband. She has four children and two grandchildren. She attends Eastside Christian Church and is a member of the Jeffersonville chapter of the philanthropic sorority Alpha Kappa. Sellers is vice president of the board of commissioners, and president of the Clark County Plan Commission.

Priorities:

Sellers’ priorities include responsible and smart growth and fiscal responsibility, with government offices and boards collaborating on fiscal policy that reduces tax burden for residents. She also wants to prioritize road and bridge infrastructure improvements and a long-term solution for EMS service to the county.

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