In Lake County, 18 of 45 school board candidates took advantage of a new law allowing them to place a political party label next to their name in the Nov. 3 general election.
Previously, school board candidates ran without party labels. The new law drew bipartisan criticism but passed in the GOP-dominated legislature in April. The law made Indiana the 10th state to allow partisan affiliations in school board races.
The previous county’s vote in the Secretary of State election determines the ballot order. In Lake County, Democrats are first and in Porter County, Republicans get the top spot.
In Lake County, 13 candidates listed themselves as Democrats and five as Republicans.
The remainder — 27 in the field of 45 candidates in 16 districts — gave themselves either a nonpartisan label or left the line blank.
In Porter County, just 10 candidates filed in six districts. There are no contested races.
In Boone Township and Porter Township districts, no one filed for the three open seats in each district. In Union Township, just one candidate filed for one of three open seats.
Three candidates filed as Republicans, all in the East Porter district. Seven filed as nonpartisan and no one filed as a Democrat, independent or left the line blank.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Lake County candidates
Crown Point
· Danielle Bazin, no party listed, at-large
· Bill Muha, no party listed, at-large
· Anne Equihua, Democrat, District 1
East Chicago
· Jose Arteaga, Democrat, District 1
· Jesus Luis Ortiz III, Democrat, District 1
· Joel Rodriguez, Democratic, District 1
· Pattie Jo Gibson-King, no party listed, District 2
· Francisco Rosado, Jr., Democrat, District 2
· Diane Smith, Democrat, District 3
Griffith
· Lori Rose, no party listed, at-large
· Kathy Ruesken, no party listed, at-large
· Tina Adams, Republican, at-large
Hammond
· Rina Horgan, Democrat, at-large
· Carlotta King, Democrat, at-large
· Lucinda Murphy, Democrat, at-large
· Cristina McNeiley, nonpartisan, at-large
Hanover
· Ryan Eckart, nonpartisan, District 1
· Eric Valiska, Republican, District 1
· Aaron Kuzma, Republican, District 2
· Jeffrey “Juice” Majewski, Republican, District 2
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Highland
· Robert Kuva, no party listed, at-large
· Victor Garcia, independent, at-large
· Erica Smith-Gomez, Independent, at-large
· Richard Volbrecht Jr., Republican, at-large
Hobart
· Rikki Guthrie, no party listed, at-large
· Sandra Hillan, no party listed, at-large
· Donald Rogers, no party listed, at-large
· Stuart Schultz, no party listed, at-large
Lake Central
· Nicole Kelly, no party listed, Schererville District Unincorporated
· Carrie Upchurch, no party listed, District Unincorporated
Lake Ridge
· Kimberly Olsteen, nonpartisan, District 1
· Louise Neese, no party listed, District 2
Lake Station
· David Wright, nonpartisan, District 1
· Greg Tenorio, Democrat, District 3
Merrillville
· Judy Dunlap, Democrat, District 1
· Rameen Jackson, Democrat, District 2
Munster
· Kyle Dempsey, no party listed, at-large
· Kristen Smith, no party listed, at-large
River Forest
· Sylvia Pedroza, nonpartisan, at-large
· Richard Perez Jr., nonpartisan, District 3
Tri-Creek
· Robert Hayden, nonpartisan, at-large
· Cody Van Deursen, nonpartisan, at-large
· Craig Rosinski, no party listed, District 2
Whiting
· Patricia Herbst, Democrat, at-large
· Christopher Davenport, independent, at-large
Porter County candidates
Duneland
· Beth M. Mehling, nonpartisan, Liberty Township
· Brandon J. Kroft, nonpartisan, Westchester Township
· Alayna Lightfoot Pol, nonpartisan, at-large
East Porter
· Richard McSparin, Republican, Morgan Township District 1
· Judith Nuest, Republican, Pleasant Township District 2
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· Robert P. Martin, Republican, Washington Township District 3
Boone Township
(no candidates filed in Districts 1, 2, and 3)
Portage Township
· Jenny Brown, nonpartisan, District 1
· Lori J. Wilkie, nonpartisan, District 2
· Andy Maletta, nonpartisan, at-large
Porter Township
(no candidates filed in Districts 1, 3 and at-large)
Union Township
· Kevin Ribordy, nonpartisan, at-large
(no candidates filed in Districts 2 and 4)