Lake County voters have plenty on their primary plate

CROWN POINT | Lake County's spring primary offers voters a buffet of races among veteran officials, perennial candidates and bright-eyed newcomers.

The race for the 2nd District county commissioner seat — representing most of suburban and rural Lake County — is a contest on the Democratic side among incumbent Gerry Scheub, former county Sheriff Roy Dominguez and Kenneth White.

Scheub is seeking his fifth four-year term as one of county government's top three executives. Dominguez served eight years as the county's top cop, and White is a Merrillville resident.

The Republican primary May 8 will include Schererville Town Councilman Jerry Tippy; Daniel Langmesser, who has spent a quarter century trying to win an election; and Schererville resident Kenneth Stevenson.

The 3rd District county commissioner seat — representing Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting, Munster and parts of St. John Township — features no incumbent. Three Democrats will seek their party's nomination: Peter Katic, Richard Novak and Mike Repay.

Katic is a Munster attorney who served as a state representative, a Hammond city judge and county commissioner from 1992 until 1996. Novak is a former East Chicago city official who ran for commissioner four years ago. Repay is a county councilman from Hammond.

Republicans seeking the 3rd District nod include Dyer Town Councilwoman Debbie Astor and Mark Leyva, who has mounted several campaigns for U.S. representative in recent years.

County Coroner Thomas Philpot isn't seeking re-election. Those bidding to replace him are Democrats Daniel Bade, George Deliopoulos, Darryl Fortson, Merrilee Frey, Randall Guernsey and Lana Kaiser, and Republican Andy Koultourides.

Bade ran unsuccessfully for coroner four years ago. Deliopoulos has been an investigator for the coroner's office for more than two decades. Guernsey is a retired county police officer and served 12 years as Ross Township assessor. Koultourides is a Munster town councilman.

County Recorder Michelle Fajman faces four Democratic challengers in her bid to win her first full term in office as one of the county's top archivists. They are Mike Brown, a juvenile court bailiff and first-time candidate; Carolyn Jordan; Estela "Estelle" Ramirez-Montalvo, wife of former East Chicago Public Library director Manuel Montalvo; and Andrew Sylwestrowicz, a former Merrillville town councilman.

Pamela Dangmeister is the only Republican running for county recorder.

County Surveyor George Van Til, who oversees flood-control projects, is going for his sixth term in office. He faces challenger John Garcia, whom Van Til defeated four years ago.

Republicans Eric Kreig, Peter Papageorgakis, Jason Reeves and Arthur Santos Sr. are vying for their party's nomination for surveyor.

In state legislative races:

District 3 state Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, faces Democratic challengers Darren Washington, a president of the Gary School Board, and Hobart City Councilman David Vinzant.

District 2 state Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, will run against Democrat Ricardo "Rick" Garcia.

District 3 state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, must get past Gary attorney Tony Walker in the Democratic primary.

District 14 state Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary, will seek a new term if he can defeat fellow Democrat Sherman Carson.

Democrats Lon Childress, Al Cottingham and John Hart are battling for the 11th District state representative seat.

Lake County Councilman Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, and Eric L. Olson will compete in the GOP primary for District 11 state representative.

Republicans William "Bill" Fine and Peter N. Karagan are running for District 12 state representative.

In the race to choose an opponent to U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, Republicans Joel Phelps and Dave Wenger are seeking their party's nomination.