FRANKFORT — Tax reform, local economic development, leadership and the role of government dominated discussion at the Clinton County Candidate Forum held Thursday evening at the Frankfort Library, the second in a series of public events hosted by the Clinton County Republican Women’s Club.
In addition to the turnout at the Skanta Theater at the Library, 308 ‘unique devices’ also viewed the forum Thursday evening. The forum is available on demand at Hoosierland TV, presented by Clinton County Chamber of Commerce.
The forum brought together candidates vying for state and local offices ahead of the May 2026 primary. Indiana Republican Party Secretary Aaron Minnich returned as moderator for the second time this week, calling the evening “a chance for voters to compare candidates, not crown winners.”
“Our goal tonight,” Minnich said, “is to make sure every citizen leaves here with a clear understanding of the candidates’ platforms before the primary election this spring.”
State Representative Race Centers on Limited Government
Mark Hufford, a Carroll County farmer and small business owner, was the only candidate present for the District 38 Indiana House seat, opposing incumbent Heath VanNatter, who was unable to attend.
Hufford framed his campaign around the theme of “limited government,” linking his political awakening to pandemic-era restrictions.
“When COVID struck, I was serving as a pastor in Flora,” Hufford said. “The health department told local businesses they couldn’t serve anyone without a mask. We wrote a petition of grievance—and they rescinded the mandate. That showed me what happens when people participate.”
Hufford said his experience in Oregon, where he lived for a decade, shaped his philosophy. “I saw what happens when progressivism overtakes a state,” he told voters. “Our government has gotten huge and too controlling—at every level.”
He also voiced support for protecting “home rule,” saying counties and towns should be free to make decisions about data centers, renewable energy projects, and other land uses “without interference from the Statehouse.”
County Council Candidates Confront Tax Overhaul and Budget Pressures
County Council President Alan Dunn, seeking a sixth term representing District 4, highlighted the sweeping financial changes coming from the Indiana General Assembly’s recently passed tax restructuring bill, known as Senate Enrolled Act 1.
Under that law, Dunn explained, much of the current tax base will be exempt from property taxes, and local income taxes will be phased out and rewritten. “Local government finance is going to be completely restructured,” he said. “There’s going to be a real transition period over the next five years, and we’ll need thoughtful discussion about whether we shrink the resource pie or find other ways to grow it.”
Dunn said the county’s roughly $40 million annual budget must balance limited tax revenue with rising costs for services. “We decide how to allocate scarce resources that are your and my tax dollars,” he said.
In District 2, Democrat County Council candidate Deborah Pearson called responsible budgeting and opposition to large data centers the focus of her platform. A retired healthcare manager and lifelong county resident, Pearson warned such projects could “strain our water supply, electricity, and infrastructure while offering very few long-term jobs.”
“When a project consumes more resources than it gives back,” she said, “that is not responsible growth. Our tax dollars should support development that lifts our community up, not development that uses us.”
She also pledged to avoid raising taxes under the state’s new Local Income Tax (LIT) structure. “My priority is making sure we can restructure this tax without increasing the burden on taxpayers,” Pearson said.
Two candidates running for County Council District 3 spoke. Incumbent Joseph Mink could not attend the forum. Republican Patrick Conner and Democrat Lewis Wheeler outlined their qualifications and policy positions.
Conner, a Purdue University graduate engineer specializing in transportation assets, emphasized “data-driven, long-term planning” for infrastructure. “Over half our bridges will reach the end of their estimated life within 20 years,” he said. “We can’t keep reacting to emergencies—we need strategic capital planning.”
Conner said his decisions as a council member would focus on measurable return on investment. “Tax abatements are not free,” he said. “They’re a temporary shift in the tax burden. Incentives should be performance-based and measurable.”
Wheeler, a Mulberry Town Council member and former Frankfort City Councilman, stressed worker advocacy and accessibility. “If you hire me in November, I will be accessible, I will work hard, and I will advocate for the county employees,” he said.
He also proposed new approaches to tax abatements, including temporary property tax reductions for homeowners who make major home improvements and incentives for local teachers. “Teachers shape our future,” Wheeler said. “I’ll support a 10% annual tax abatement for teachers who actively teach in our county.”
Commissioner Candidates Outline Their Qualifications
The evening’s most pointed exchange emerged between Clinton County Commissioner District 3 incumbent Jordan Brewer and challenger Sheriff Rich Kelly.
Brewer, serving his sixth year as commissioner and fifth as board president, defended the commissioners’ handling of the controversial data center proposal. “I answered every single one of the 400-plus calls, texts, and emails I received,” Brewer said. “I listened to what our community wants our future to look like. We should negotiate from a position of strength, not desperation.”
He contrasted his record with what he described as “daily distractions” in county government tied to Kelly, citing lawsuits and investigations. “If you want someone who cares about this community and demonstrates it with their actions, I’m your man. If you want someone who will continue to have legal issues and corruption allegations, that’s Rich Kelly,” Brewer said.
Kelly, a former Indiana State Police sergeant and current sheriff, used much of his time to recount a 30-year career in law enforcement and public service.
“I started my law enforcement career at the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office and then spent 25 years with the Indiana State Police,” Kelly said. As sheriff, he said, he “worked diligently to bring in revenue, increase public safety, and hire additional deputies.”
He noted hires of four merit deputies, eight correctional officers, and the addition of school resource officers in two county schools. “We also started attacking the opioid crisis,” Kelly said.
Brewer–Kelly Clash Highlights Commissioner Race
The sharpest contrast of the night came in the Clinton County Commissioner District 3 race, where incumbent Commissioner Jordan Brewer and Sheriff Rich Kelly presented starkly different cases to voters.
Brewer framed himself as the county’s “gatekeeper” on controversial projects such as the proposed data center. Brewer said, that he would continue to negotiate “from a position of leverage…instead of a position of weakness that makes the industry believe we’re desperate and will give away the farm.”
He then directly contrasted his record with Kelly’s, alleging that his opponent faces “pending criminal charges, EEOC discrimination lawsuits,” and owes taxpayers $329,000, along with an internal investigation “related to sexual relationships within his department.” “Rich Kelly and I are the exact opposite in every single facet of life,” Brewer told the audience.
Kelly did not address those allegations directly during his opening remarks, instead devoting his time to outlining a long law-enforcement career that began at the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office and included 25 years with the Indiana State Police. He highlighted his service on the SWAT team, multiple lifesaving awards and his decision to run for sheriff after retiring from state police service.
As sheriff, Kelly said he has “worked diligently to bring in revenue” for the county, added four merit deputies and eight correctional officers, placed deputies in two county schools and “started attacking the opioid crisis.” “I am Rich Kelly,” he said, “and over the last seven years I’ve worked to increase public safety and benefit the sheriff’s office and the county.”
The exchange underscored how the commissioner race has become not just a debate over economic development and land use, but also a referendum on leadership style, ethics and the relationship between the Board of Commissioners and the sheriff’s office.
Grassroots Civic Energy Marks Forum
Wednesday’s event was part of the inaugural year of programming by the Clinton County Republican Women’s Club, which organized both forums this week.
Club member Chris Vawter opened the evening, thanking attendees for participating and encouraging them to engage beyond the campaign season. “The Republican Women do incredible work,” Vawter said, “and they’ve promoted civic engagement all across Clinton County.”
As Minnich summarized near the close, the forum’s purpose remained clear. “We celebrate the cornerstone of democracy—the exchange of ideas,” he said. “And tonight’s discussion shows just how deeply Clinton County voters care about their community’s future.”