CROWN POINT | Ten Lake County candidates, including two with prior criminal records, were voted off the May 4 primary ballot recently.
The Indiana Election Commission in Indianapolis and the Lake County elections board here removed them following successful challenges by political opponents on a variety of grounds disqualifying them for public and party office.
The county board also will decide Thursday whether to take Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission Chairman Dan Dernulc off the ballot as a Republican candidate for the County Council's 4th District seat on grounds he is barred by federal law from political activity. Dernulc disputes that, arguing his work with the commission isn't his principal employment. Dernulc was paid $1,300 last year as a commission member but earned most his income as a labor negotiator for telecommunications giant AT&T.
The state board met Friday to drop Woodrow "Woody" Wilcox as a challenger to U.S. Rep. Peter Visclosky on grounds he also was a candidate for Griffith Public Schools' board. Wilcox remains as a School Board candidate, but Visclosky is now alone on the ballot for the May 4 Democratic primary.
The state board removed Joseph Bachan as a Republican candidate for the Indiana House District 19 seat currently held by state Rep. Shelli VanDenburgh, a Democrat. His Republican party affiliation was successfully challenged.
The Lake County elections board voted Monday to remove George Georgeff as a candidate for the School Town of Highland board, because he also was running as a candidate for Democratic state delegate. Lake Surveyor George Van Til argued Georgeff's candidacy for a Democratic Party office violated the town's policy that School Board candidates should be nonpartisan. Georgeff remains as a candidate for state delegate.
The county board eliminated Alicia Gomez as a Democratic candidate for county clerk on grounds she moved to a new residence after filing for office.
The board eliminated two Republican candidates for Republican state delegate on residency challenges.
It also removed four Democratic precinct committeeman candidates, including Tanya Moss, of East Chicago, who was convicted of welfare fraud in 1988, and Ponciano "Ponce" Herrera, who was convicted of vote fraud in 2008.
The board rejected challenges to three candidates, including Daniel Bautista Sr., who is one of six Democrats running for North Township board.
