An up-and-coming Democrat is challenging a longtime Republican county commissioner.
A longtime republican.
But that's not slowing down an up-and- coming democratic candidate for county commissioner.
News 18's joe paul has been following this race.
He joins us in the studio to introduce us to the candidates.
Local farmer dave byers has been a commissioner since 2009.
And a county councilor since 1987.
Erica beumel is a caseworker for the fairfield township trustee.
She's also a business partner at the northend's popp-a- topp tavern.
And she ran for county council in 2018.
<"i think that i have a fresh perspective and a fresh approach."
Democrat erica beumel wants to add a new voice to the tippecanoe county board of commissioners.
She's focusing on environmental protection and food security.
"i'm focusing primarily on environmental causes.
I am big on that.
I think it is a crisis of our lifetime, aside from all the other crises that we seem to come across.
I think it's important we take bold and decisive action on that."
Beumel is challenging longtime incumbent dave byers.
He wants to add treatment programs to community corrections and continue renovations to the courthouse.
"so we're looking at enhancing the community corrections so we can get more treatment to the customers, whether it be mental health or substance abuse or even financial stability, so i think that's what our next real big hurdle is what we're looking at tackling."
Lafayette's democratic mayor tony roswarski recently endorsed byers.
"well, i'm a little disappointed, sure, but it's not really about a fellow democrat or a fellow republican.
Honestly, it's more about the community."
Roswarski agrees that party lines are not as defined in local campaigns.
"local government is about getting the right people into the right positions, and it really shouldn't be about politics."
Incumbent commissioner tom murtaugh is unopposed in his campaign for reelection.
"we've done a lot in regard to economic development in keeping the tax rates low here.
That's kind of a passion of mine, so i'd like to keep moving that forward."
Byers tells me he wants to continue the growth the county has seen during his tenure.
And beumel says she wants to add diversity to the all-male, all- republican board.
Jeff and sam, back to you.
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